Hi all.. My first post here. Been lingering and learning a while and finally have an opportunity to make a local anvil purchase. This anvil is being offered to me at $75- possibly negotiable. It appears to be somewhat old based on the construction and what little I've learned so far. It weighs 120lb.'s according to the seller. It has been on his property dating back to when his current garage was a carriage house. It has many thick layers of paint, making it difficult to identify any stampings, etc. It does have a "2" low on one end at the foot. The top plate is damaged, as visible in the photo. Photos show general dimensions- the height is about 10.5in. The opposite side is in good condition, as is the remainder of the anvil. I'm curious as to the maker and possible age of this anvil, significance of damage, as well as folks thoughts on whether $75 is a fair or good price to pay for this as my first anvil. I'm just getting started in blacksmithing, so its use will be very general. I've inherited an old Buffalo forge and now I need an anvil to get started. Thanks in advance for any info or help!

Hello there this looks like an old Mouse Hole English anvil, would be a good starter anvil for that price.

Hit it with a hammer and listen for loose face plate, good luck.

Nicemibs

At that price, you can get it, use it and resell it and most likely get your money back, at least. As far as IDing the anvil, it would help to take a wire wheel on a hand grinder and clean the paint down to where you can read any brand name, serial #, weight, etc. It should serve you well especially for a first anvil. Good luck. :)

It does appear to be very similar, if not identical to the Mouse Hole anvils I've seen photos of. And thanks, CurlyGeorge, for the confirmation that this would be good for a beginner. Does an anvil covered in layers of paint still allow one to judge the steel quality based upon the ring heard? It seems like it would dampen the ring...

It does appear to be very similar, if not identical to the Mouse Hole anvils I've seen photos of. And thanks, CurlyGeorge, for the confirmation that this would be good for a beginner. Does an anvil covered in layers of paint still allow one to judge the steel quality based upon the ring heard? It seems like it would dampen the ring...

I judge an anvil by the Rebound and not the ring. If it has good rebound go for it, but 75 buck for a 120# anvil you ain't gonna get hurt. Personally I would remove ALL the paint and give it a good oil/wax job. I think a painted anvil lis ugly, no matter the color and the smell of burning paint ain't no good either. Good find for sure.

At $75, my wallet would be out so fast you would hear the sonic boom 3 counties over. (And I'm cheap. Certified Tartan genes.) Jump on it, son!

It looks like a mid 1800's English anvil, Mousehole or equivalent. The edges could be repaired at a later date, but it is plenty usable as is.

I am guessing an early Fisher with the straight horn. It has the round cutout on the base, and the distinctive straight horn.

at 75 dollars, you should KISS the guy selling it to you!

Let it be done then. I'm stopping by after work and picking it up. I'll admittedly feel a bit shy at first pounding metal on something that is roughly 150yrs old. It is what it was designed to do though...

I promise, the anvil will not feel a thing!

Take a wire wheel to it when you get it home and get rid of that awful paint "job" then you can see what you have as far as condition of the anvil. You can not go wrong at that price

Although if it's a Fisher it wouldn't be as old as a Mouse Hole right? Not sure if it helps with the ID, but the bottom of the base has an irregular hole. Not sure if the picture shows very well, but it has both a hardie hole and a pritchel hole as well.

Dang that's an ugly color, enough to make one puke but don't worry it'll come off and for $75 it looks like a good beater for sure. Have lots of fun with it :D

WEIGH IT! guessed weights are commonly off sometimes by as much as 50%! A common bathroom scale should work well in the "believed" range.

Face looks usable, test for fire softening.

As to how good the price is well that depends on WHERE YOU ARE AT---which is not mentioned.

However at below US$1 per pound for a usable if beat up anvil it's a decent deal in most places. (The fact that the face looks to be fairly smooth weighs in much more heavily than the edges being beaten up badly.)

WEIGH IT! guessed weights are commonly off sometimes by as much as 50%! A common bathroom scale should work well in the "believed" range.

Face looks usable, test for fire softening.

As to how good the price is well that depends on WHERE YOU ARE AT---which is not mentioned.

However at below US$1 per pound for a usable if beat up anvil it's a decent deal in most places. (The fact that the face looks to be fairly smooth weighs in much more heavily than the edges being beaten up badly.)

I'm in Augusta, Georgia. Please educate me on the geographic factors that play into anvil prices. As far as the weight goes, he did weigh it in my presence- 122lbs. I'm waiting until Friday to pick it up when I get paid.

The basic factor in geographic adjustments of anvil cost is population of the area in the last quarter of the 19th century/first quarter of the 20th century.

Areas like NM, my current location, would seem to be great places to find anvils; but truthfully *nobody* lived out here back then and so they are scarce and expensive. OH where I used to live was just solid small farms and industry, etc back in those years and was almost dripping anvils which lowered the price.

(Remember that industries used a lot of anvils as most old plants had at least one in the repair section---and not just steel industries. I know a glass factory that had a complete nice set up including triphammers---as well as a sugar refinery that had one too; shoot even *hospitals* had anvils---I once got to talk to a WWII orthopedic blacksmith about his work.)

Yea, if that baby has good rebound, jump on it. Or, since Augusta isn't that far a drive for me, I'll be happy to take the worry off your mind and drive down this weekend to pick it up. Just forward me the contact info, please! :)

Having lived around Augusta many times (although thankfully no longer), I'd say you're a fool if you don't pick this up. Anvil availability there tends to be real slim.

FWIW, it looks like a dead ringer (get it? ) for my big Fisher, although lacking the Eagle and Anchor. Could be due to it's southern residence? Wasn't it the older Fishers that were sometimes unmarked in the south due to peoples association with the North?



Anyway, if it is a Fisher, it wont ring regardless, but that's a major advantage for city forging. Both of mine have great rebound, and I wouldn't trade them for ringers of any make.

Having been anvil challenged for the first 9 months of my introduction to blacksmithing, I used what I had at hand. A section of RR rail, a train car coupler knuckle, other odd steel items. Had I been given the opportunity you have to get an anvil at such a low price early on I would have jumped on it. If it was not a good deal, at least I would have my "First" anvil. In time things will come so long as you look for them. I have my anvil now and feel less pressure to obtain another BUT I am always looking and asking for the next one.

Enjoy it!

Mark<><

Picked up the anvil today. Removed as much of the paint as I could with a knotted wire wheel on the angle grinder before the boss came out and told me to knock it off. (After 10pm here.) Unfortunately, this has revealed no further clues from what I can tell. I took some more photos, including a close-up of the only known marking on the thing- the "2" I mentioned in the first post. Hopefully my photos reveal some details that might shed some light as to maker of this anvil. One possible unique detail I noticed that might help- There is a distinct notch in the heel end of the base. I'm curious as to if this may indeed be one of the "southern" Fisher anvils as mentioned by Javan.

FWIW, it looks like a dead ringer (get it? ) for my big Fisher, although lacking the Eagle and Anchor. Could be due to it's southern residence? Wasn't it the older Fishers that were sometimes unmarked in the south due to peoples association with the North?

Picked up the anvil today. Removed as much of the paint as I could with a knotted wire wheel on the angle grinder before the boss came out and told me to knock it off. (After 10pm here.) Unfortunately, this has revealed no further clues from what I can tell. I took some more photos, including a close-up of the only known marking on the thing- the "2" I mentioned in the first post. Hopefully my photos reveal some details that might shed some light as to maker of this anvil. One possible unique detail I noticed that might help- There is a distinct notch in the heel end of the base. I'm curious as to if this may indeed be one of the "southern" Fisher anvils as mentioned by Javan.

Yeah it definitely looks very very close. Mine doesn't have the notch, but the handling holes and other profiles are the same. I have no markings what so ever other than the "Eagle and Anchor" cast on the body, and a couple of indentions on the top of the feet from the casting.


Does it ring or "crack" when you smack it with a hammer? How's the rebound?

Might be hard to discern if you never heard the ring of a steel bodied anvil, but it's unmistakable. If you doubt that it's a bright "ring", it's not. Fisher's have a sharp "crack", and great rebound, it'll seem like 1:1.

Yeah it definitely looks very very close. Mine doesn't have the notch, but the handling holes and other profiles are the same. I have no markings what so ever other than the "Eagle and Anchor" cast on the body, and a couple of indentions on the top of the feet from the casting.


Does it ring or "crack" when you smack it with a hammer? How's the rebound?

Might be hard to discern if you never heard the ring of a steel bodied anvil, but it's unmistakable. If you doubt that it's a bright "ring", it's not. Fisher's have a sharp "crack", and great rebound, it'll seem like 1:1.

Does seem to be cast based on the lack of ring when striking. Although the horn does seem to ring a bit. I think I read that the Fishers had cast steel horns that were forge welded to the base just like the top? The rebound seems to be good- to my untrained hand.

Sure looks like a cast iron anvil from the pictures of it cleaned up. One way to tell is by if it has a ring if struck or not, if has a dull thud sound it is most likely a cast iron anvil with a tool steel face. That will make it a nice quiet anvil to work on. I think you got a very nice anvil for $75 :P