KYBOY Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Let me say the reason I ask is because Im not well traveled as far as hammer-in's, quad state and other blacksmithing meetings go..I have been tromping around for an "Industrial style" swage block for a long time(Industrial style: the swage blocks with all the different shaped holes )..The price has kept me at bay..Normally $350 and up, often $450 for a good block in good shape.. What prices are you seeing at the meets and hammer-ins? Is that pretty much the going rate among smiths too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Let me say the reason I ask is because Im not well traveled as far as hammer-in's, quad state and other blacksmithing meetings go..I have been tromping around for an "Industrial style" swage block for a long time(Industrial style: the swage blocks with all the different shaped holes )..The price has kept me at bay..Normally $350 and up, often $450 for a good block in good shape.. What prices are you seeing at the meets and hammer-ins? Is that pretty much the going rate among smiths too? I have bought and sold quite a few (maybe 15?) I expect to get $250-$350 for a nice clean standard size (15-16" sq and about 150lbs) Ones with dishes bring the higher end and bigger ones (250+ pounds) bring better money but are harder to sell... Yater's also will bring more money.... expect to pay $750-$1200 for a nice set... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fciron Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I paid $325 for mine and drove up to Indianapolis to get it. (Earlier this spring.) I think it's comparable to the one that was on Louisville Craigslist earlier this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 You talking about the one down in bowling green? Yea I saw it a few days ago..$550 is a bit much for a 125lb block even as bad as I want one.. I paid $325 for mine and drove up to Indianapolis to get it. (Earlier this spring.) I think it's comparable to the one that was on Louisville Craigslist earlier this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 I wish the other sellers Ive ran into shared your reasoning. Not long ago I even broke down and bid $435 on a block knowing full well I shouldent pay more than $350 for it Just so I could get it in the shop and stop looking. Still didnt get it I have bought and sold quite a few (maybe 15?) I expect to get $250-$350 for a nice clean standard size (15-16" sq and about 150lbs) Ones with dishes bring the higher end and bigger ones (250+ pounds) bring better money but are harder to sell... Yater's also will bring more money.... expect to pay $750-$1200 for a nice set... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacock Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 About $3 a pound and up here in Missouri. I quit on a real nice 200# at $600 it sold for $1125, Way too much for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wedwards Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 FWIW the Salt Fork Craftsmen Artist-Blacksmith Association of Oklahoma (I am not a member and have no relationship with them) advertises a swage block for $80 for members and $100 for non members. They are relatively small - 8" x 12" and 65 lbs. I have seen a few reviews with good things to say about them. They aren't the large industrial size but they aren't $400 and up either. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 If you catch them on sale you can buy a Centaur forge swage block for less than $400 with free shipping.... Thats one of the reasons I am surprised at old ones selling for anything like $500+ If your using it as a swage block they are great.... If your using it as a bolster then they are not so good as they dont have the versatility of through holes the old ones do.... But if what you need is a bolster find a heavy chunk of steel and have a machine shop put some big holes in it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Just a note about the biggest swage block I've seen. It was at the Southwest Iron Works Museum for Blacksmiths in Guthrie, Oklahoma. David King is the owner. It's a place that has on exhibit huge machine tools. The shop used to make material for the oil fields in the early 1900's. They had a blacksmithing capability and in the far back of the building, there are the remnants of a cast iron cupola. I didn't measure the swage block they had in there, but it looked to be 24" square. David told me that when he purchased the place, there was a large cinder and scrap pile out back. When he cleaned it up, the swage block was buried in the middle of it! I told David that I had never seen such a huge block and he said, "Well, I suppose they cast it here." I've demoed twice for the Saltfork Craftsmen at the Southwest Iron Works Museum, and it is really worth a side trip to see the place. http://www.anvilmag....smith/112f1.htmhttp://www.turleyforge.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermetal Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 The biggest one I have seen I almost didn't see.... I went out to a guys shop to look at a hydraulic press, parked my truck right by his front door.. went in side spent an hour or two looking at the the cool stuff.... we walked out to the truck and stood and chatted for a good half hour before I went to leave... and as I was walking to the truck right in front of my truck big as life was this huge swage block sticking out of the ground.... I said "whats this?" he told me it was for a big press table for pushing bearings but there was suppose to be two to make up the outside shapes... Immmm I said well I could use it just with the one and would give him $200 for it... He said "deal!!" Got it back to my shop and threw it on the scale... right at 400lbs.... Beautiful shape, almost like new.....My Dad has it now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I was at Quad-State that year that a fellow showed up with a good sized flatbed filled with swageblocks full of concrete. Turns out that they were demolishing an old factory that used to make swageblocks and the "seconds" were used as fill when they cast a new concrete floor. When they started tearing up the floor up popped a bunch of swageblocks. Those "seconds" sure looked a lot better than some of the "firsts" nowadays! (What I love about Q-S, something weird always seems to show up---besides me I mean...Like those ballistic missile nose cones being sold as "cones"...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I had an old railroad swage block and it took two of us to turn it easily and if I was by my self I had to rig a chain on it, just an awkward shape to move by yourself, but I paid $75 for a way back when and sold it for $175 twenty-five years ago. The fellow wanted it bad because it was so big. I don't see big railroad ones all that often even on eBay but they are expensive to my way of thinking but you just about need to pay the price or go to a hammer in if you want one. Seek, ask and knock and it will be open for you, good advice to follow in all aspects of life not just the spiritual, that's how you find the good smithing tools. They don't just usually fall from the sky, that is unless you live where they have strong winds. One year at the iron pour at Mesalands two of Tom Joyce's apprentices made their own small swage blocks, I'm talking maybe 14" square, mostly just sinking hollows of various sizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 My swageblock came from a "Thrifty Nickle" add in a country paper. Said "anvil for sale" but when I talked to the guy he said it was funny shaped with a lot of cutouts on the sides. I said "That's a swageblock and I'll buy it!" Then called my boss and told him I would be in late that day. This was back in the early 1980's in OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I got mine when I viewed a Craigslist ad for an anvil. The anvil didn't interest me but I noticed a swage block in the background of the picture. I emailed the seller (an elderly gentleman) and asked if he was interested in selling it. He replied that he wasn't at that time, but he would keep my contact info if he changed his mind. About 2 months later I got an email from him giving me the 1st shot at it. He wanted $150 for it and I bought it, no questionss asked. It is a 12" x 12" x 4", around 150 pounds. That was about 8 months ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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