luke978 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 About a year ago I picked up this 233lb Mousehole anvil for $25. The face is swaybacked, chipped and pitted but has good rebound. It was worse but I sanded it to even out the worst of the gouges. I'm goint to pick up this one, possibly today. We agreed on $100. The face looks to be in much better condition, though slightly swaybacked. It has been in this guys family for at least a couple of generations. His dad used to tack weld stuff to the waist of it and grind it off later, so all of the makers marks are gone. He also painted it silver. It looks to me like its another mousehole, possibly in the 1830-1895 era based on the waist/foot shape and the pritchell hole. He weighed it at 113lbs. Was $100 a fair price and is it a mousehole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy k Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Use it like you stole it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Yeah. I agree with Jeremy. But don't get rid of the big one!! It still has life and use left in it. You may do a bigger project, someday and the bigger anvil will sure come in handy. I'd be real happy with the price of $100 for the lighter one. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marksnagel Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Looks like a deal to me. I still use the coupler knuckle and rr track that were my old anvils even after I got a real one. Never get rid of something unless the boat gets so top heavy that it wants to tip over. (Or in other words, Don't get rid of anything till the wife starts to whine about too much "stuff") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bajajoaquin Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Looks like a Mousehole, but it also looks like my Hill. but then, it also looks like an early PW. If I remember correctly, before PW made the change to the modern London pattern, there was much greater similarity. But it looks like a great deal. Snap it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Postman says there were over 250 different anvil makers in England and many of their anvils look alike. Mousehole was one of the more common ones exported to the US; but a lot of odd ones do turn up. Well worth the price and having another anvil that can hold tooling is a good idea. A 100 pounder is just about perfect as a traveling "Demo Anvil" and you still have the larger one for sledging on back in the shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elemental Metal Creations Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I wish I could find a deal like that around here, this area is anvil poor. I was in a used tool shop yesterday and they wanted $200 for a 70lb. cast iron ASO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke978 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 My Mousehole anvil deal may have fallen through. I have a lead on a sweedish anvil. Its in good shape and its marked 18. I'm guessing that its 18CWT which would put it at 338lbs, but the seller has no way the weigh it. He did say it was heavy. Did these anvils use the CWT scale, or did they not stamp the weight on them? I haven't been able to find any info on the manufacturer: The above are the only markings. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 It is Swedish, and cast (don't worry, it SHOULD be good steel, check rebound anyways.) The 18 probably denotes 180kg, or about 390-400lb. If the price is decent take it! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke978 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Thanks for the info. I'm getting it for 340.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Thanks for the info. I'm getting it for 340.00 Run like you stole it! Great price! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harri Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 My NOHAB are stamped with the weight in the same way as the name are. They used to be cast upside down with a plate of steel in the bottom of the form. /Harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke978 Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Picked it up this afternoon and just finished cleaning it up: The guy I bought it from was no spring chicken, and it belonged to his dad. I don't know what the 18 means and I've found no other markings than "NOHAB" and "Sweden". I weighed it in my shop at 204lbs. It rings loudly and has tons of rebound. I'm going to have to get used to not working with a Swayback in the face! Thanks all, for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Nice looking anvil. The price was right, too. That's Only $1.66 a pound. Good deal, I'd say. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old South Creations Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 That's a nice looking anvil...great deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Luke, anvils don't really come around too much. Congratulations. With a comment from the native country of manufacture (thank you Harry) perhaps we will learn more eventually about your find. My experience has shown that cast anvils don't ring much. This was one of the selling points of Vulcan (quiet forging). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Cast Steel anvils are renowned for ringing the loudest of any anvils. Cast iron anvils with a steel plate, eg Fisher and Vulcan and a few others, and total cast iron anvils do not ring. The devil is in the details! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke978 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 I'm going to pick up the smaller anvil in about an hour. Ill post the details later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Nice looking anvil that Swed! Great deal too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke978 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Got the 115lb mystery anvil. I have no clue who manufactured it. The guy's great grandad used to tac kweld things to the sides and grind them off later, so no markings: I got it for $100 in gift cards that I won from work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke978 Posted January 11, 2012 Author Share Posted January 11, 2012 Luke, anvils don't really come around too much. Congratulations. With a comment from the native country of manufacture (thank you Harry) perhaps we will learn more eventually about your find. My experience has shown that cast anvils don't ring much. This was one of the selling points of Vulcan (quiet forging). I think i'll start a new thread for NOHAB anvil info. These anvils seem to be fairly rare. I've stumbled across some info about the company. Maybe we can attract more people with knowledge of these anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I got it for $100 in gift cards that I won from work. So...you won it? That is a heck of a deal. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke978 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yeah....I guess I did. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hans138 Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 it has really cool texture on it. man you got such a great deal on that swede anvil, that was the deal that ive been looking for. congrats. but bouy illl tell them anvils will ring your bell. my ears hurt one time i used one in classs and didnt have plugs in my ear for like 30 mins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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