400 pound arm and hammer anvil

[Stat3231]

I have a old 400ish pound anvil in my barn and it is made by arm and hammer how much is it worth

[macbruce]

Welcome,Hard to say without a pic or description of it's condition........Where are you??

[Fosterob]

I can tell you what it is worth but first you must tell me what my car is worth. It is an oldish ford.
Thank you

[Stat3231]

It's big and old it's 400 pounds bigger than a "normal" anvil

[njanvilman]

STAT

What these replies are saying is that worth is determined by:

1. Manufacturer
2. Condition
3. Location
4. Who wants it, and how bad.

Asking a value without information and photos is impossible. We like photos and details.

[Bentiron1946]

Depending on condition and location it could be worth anywhere from fifty cents a pound up to three dollars a pound. There is no Kelley's Blue Book of anvil prices like there is for cars nor NRA standards like there are for guns. We need pictures, the more the better, to asses the tool's worth.

[philip in china]

2 points I would make.

Arm and hammer are the lower end of anvils. I know I am going to upset people who use them but a 400 pound Soderfors or similar would be much more sought after.

People with no experience of anvils tend to overestimate their weight. How do you know it is a 400 pounder? Have you weighed it or found weight markings on it?

[Sask Mark]

Arm and Hammer anvils made in Columbus Ohio by the Columbus Anvil and Forging Company are high end anvils while Vulcans (cast iron bodies with the same arm holding a hammer logo) are usually considered lower end.

[Ten Hammers]

I have ( was given on Fathers Day few years ago) an Arm and Hammer 137# anvil. Exceptional forged wrought anvil. Actually this pic will show Scott and Ian that the back of my truck was indeed clean at one time ( ok 5 years ago ).

[clinton]

If it is a Arm & Hammer anvil it should have a serial number stamped on the front foot and the weight in pounds under the logo on the side of the anvil. Pictures would be helpful to determine the value and to verify the maker

[ThomasPowers]

There is a reason that "car analogies" often show up here.

Just like a car the value of an anvil depends a lot on the make, model, condition (milage) and location.

So Arm & Hammer is the make---stamped into the side of the anvil (not to be confused with Vulcan that uses an Arm&Hammer logo cast proud of the side of the anvil).

Model is most likely London Pattern and not a farriers or double horn or sawmaker's anvil, etc

Condition: is the face plate still nice and thick has parts been broken off of the horn or heel, is their damage to the faceplate that will have to be repaired. How are the edges? NOTE: grinding/milling on the face plate to remove dings can ruin an anvil for use! I have a friend who once had an anvil's face milled *perfect*. Except it was too thin to be used as an anvil after that. It took 5+ hours by a professional weldor who *knows* how to repair anvils---(most don't!)---to get it back to using condition. Or to put it another way the cost of ruining it and repairing it would be a couple of times more than buying one in better condition!

Location: shipping of blacksmithing equipment tend to be pricey; also some locations tend to have lots of anvils and other few. (eg what I was buying anvils for in OH was about 1/2 what I see them for in NM)

Notice I don't include *age*; Anvils generally don't get a premium for age until they are over 200 years old. Many of us are using anvils over 100 years old every time we forge.

While pictures are nice, we can give some ranges based on through descriptions.

Without knowing anything but "A&H anvil" all I can say is 50 cents a pound to $3 a pound but the upper range will require quite good a condition. My Trenton---made in the same city as the A&H---and 407# when I bought it cost me about 50 cents a pound due to damage to the face. (I had it repaired by the same weldor mentioned above so it's now over 410# and ready to work!) This was sold to me in OH btw.