Wesley Chambers Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 At first glance I thought Fisher but no major markings other than a 17 on the foot and the round under hardy 160# Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Well, from what I can tell from your pics and comparing to AIA I would say it is a Badger, 170# from the '17' cast under the horn. Your scales shows 160#, this anvil, being cast iron, they would have weighed the raw material before casting and calculated it to weigh 170#, hence the 17 under the horn. The way the hardie hole is reinforce under the anvil give me reason to think it is a Badger. Those with AIA look at pages 143 and 144 and see what you think. AIA= Anvils in American by Richard Postman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 Thanks again Thomas, managed to find this on ebay answered my questions about the horn too. Now if I can find a date for when the #17's were made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 I wouldn't have thought an American made anvil would be so hard to find info on. I'm guessing American Skein & Foundry Co. did more of everything else rather than anvils? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 So after a lot of looking around I'm wondering... How rare are these Badgers? Anyone else used any or have more pics of them? I've not put this one to use yet but will this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 So after a lot of looking around I'm wondering... How rare are these Badgers? Anyone else used any or have more pics of them? I've not put this one to use yet but will this week. In 'AIA' Mr. Postman say that he has never seen one and if anyone runs across on to give him a call. I did call him after my first post but he said he could not hear me, to get a better phone and call back, then he hung up. So from all that I gather they are rare. You might give him a call and let him know that you think you have one offer to send photos to varify with him. I'm at work now and don't have access to his phone #. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I've probably seen around 5 in the last couple of years pop up in forums and on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Who worries about the rarity of a low grade anvil? Yugo's are pretty rare too! I'd take a Fisher with the heel broken off vs one of those in *MINT* condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Who worries about the rarity of a low grade anvil? Yugo's are pretty rare too! I'd take a Fisher with the heel broken off vs one of those in *MINT* condition. Collectors do. I've seen smaller Vulcans go for some pretty big bucks. They don't buy them to use them, they buy them to display them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 Yes collectors do worry or think about the rarity of an anvil. The man was wanting to know about his anvil, I told him what I think it was according to AIA, and can be corrected on that. Mr. Postman thinks enough of it that he has requested that if anyone finds one that he would like to see it. I'm not here to run a man's equipment down, nothing to be gained from it and it really ticks folks off when it happens. I can't think of much that will discourage a newbie than to say their equipment is a piece of junk and they are better off with a broken whatever. Just some of my thoughts..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 This is a blacksmithing forum not a tool collecting forum. When folks get too engrossed in their tools that they don't even use them for what they were meant to then I feel we're going in the wrong direction. For most smithing equipment, age has little to do with functionality. I am on the side of functionality--- I still use an 1828 William Foster anvil to forge on at times. I don't care what make my post vises are as long as they work well. I'm sorry I didn't notice that he already owned it; I was hoping to warn him off before hand. We get a number of "is this anvil worth it" posts each week and I missed the later post that said he already possessed it. Now if you can find one of the rare anvil collectors I would suggest letting it go to them for a pretty price and investing in one that will be a long term using anvil. I can point you toward such a collector here in New Mexico. He wanted to buy my Powell off me until I told him it was heelless. (I think using it will quickly mar it's pristine state and so drop the collectability of it fast) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted July 19, 2011 Share Posted July 19, 2011 I would disagree Thomas Powers. This is more than just a blacksmithing forum. There are discussions on machining, casting, prayer, philosophy, 'everything else' etc. There are a few collectors that frequent this forum. I am a collector as much as I enjoy blacksmithing. Wesley uses his tools. If I'm not mistaken he is a trained farrier. If he finds out that his Badger anvil is worth 10 times more to a collector than he thought, why shouldn't he be able to sell it for that. If it is this forum that lets him know that it might be worth $500 instead of $50, then what's wrong with that? You seem to be passionate in all things to do with the history of blacksmithing, iron production, steel production etc. You are continually citing references regarding the literature that you have read pertaining to the subject. That's excellent. I appreciate your knowledge in those areas. Is there something wrong with someone wanting to learn as much as they can about the tools? Just because it doesn't jive with your views on blacksmithing doesn't make it wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 Wesley uses his tools. If I'm not mistaken he is a trained farrier. If he finds out that his Badger anvil is worth 10 times more to a collector than he thought, why shouldn't he be able to sell it for that. If it is this forum that lets him know that it might be worth $500 instead of $50, then what's wrong with that? Nail on the head! this is the 6th anvil in my current possession and I just bought another tonight with pics coming tomorrow and serial number help will be needed soon as I can remember to SAVE the $65 Im getting me that darned AIA I use most every tool I buy but money is hard at times and I also sell restored tools/forges and anvils to current and former students from the shoeing school down the road so they don't have to fight Ebay prices and shipping if at all possible but in the case of a rare anvil that could be worth a lot to someone but much less to me I'm all for hunting out that deal so I could buy more and feed this addiction most of us here share! But thanks for everyone on the input its asked for so its welcome I hope to continue to share the same. Wesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 And remember: Just because it doesn't jive with your views on blacksmithing doesn't make me wrong either! I collect and sell on smithing stuff as well; since it seems that I can find it for about 1/2 the price my students can and money is often tight for college and highschool kids---though I don't increase my prices when I sell to codgers, geezers, etc. (I do increase them when I sell to tool collectors though...) And while it seems like I brag a lot about how cheap I find stuff---I do so mainly to let folks know that it *can* be done on the cheap! I've seen a number of folks who would have loved smithing scared off by how expensive they think it's going to be when in actuality it's only as expensive as you let it be. I wonder some about prices these days too. In just 10 years the "common" price for post vises has tripled in Ohio from what I used to buy them at. My salary certainly hasn't tripled; been pretty flat the last 10 years. Is it the widening of the marketplace? a radical influx of new people? what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted July 20, 2011 Author Share Posted July 20, 2011 Not sure, but as far as Ky and In goes post vises are still under $50.00 90% of the time even post drills are in that range, the anvils though just keep going up. who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 And remember: Just because it doesn't jive with your views on blacksmithing doesn't make me wrong either! Noone said you were wrong. You were saying we were wrong for discussing the value of a 'sub-par' anvil and for bringing collectors/collecting into the discussion. That might be your view, but it doesn't mean it should be all of our views as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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