utaholdiron Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Once again I am seeking the advice of the experts. I have a chance to buy this swage block, but know little about them. It's 18 inches square and 4 1/2 inches deep. Appears to be in good shape. Weighs around 300 pounds. Are they sold by the pound, much like an anvil, and what would be a fair price to pay for it? Any information is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Thats a nice block and they sell for a lot more than anvils pound for pound..I can easily see a block like that selling for $500.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brasilikilt Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I just recently purchased a swage block that is 15x15 and 4" thick for $300. I would go there with 3 $100 bills and another hundred in change and see what he says....If he asks too much, be prepared to walk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I use a block often - they have a lot more uses that many realise - which makes me think that the first question you need to ask yourself is... how easily am I going to be able to move a block of this size? It must weigh at least 2cwt (224lbs). If you have the strength or equipment to move it easily then get it if the price is fair for your region. Looking at a comment from another chap, in your thread about your floor mandrel, if the price is right you could just get it anyway and trade it later for something you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 NIce looking block! If you get it for $300 you will have gotten a good deal, anything between there and $500 is pretty normal. I sold my block twenty years ago for $350 and it weighed in at 303# so I'm sure that the price has gone up in the last twenty years. It was so heavy that it would take two of to rotate it to use another side of the thing or flip it over. If I had it to do over I'd have a chain hoist over the danged thing to save my back from some to the pain either that or an eingine hoist in the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Do you really want to try and move a 300# swedge block? I have 3 that are around 80# each and a 8" wooden log. I can easly move any of them to the side that is needed. I carried Alex Belaer's block to the 2004 ABANA Conference. I had really thought that I wanted one of those large blocks. When I got home I knew that I did not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 That is a nice block. It's getting difficult to find clean blocks with holes, which we use for through-punching and drifting. The newly cast, small ones don't have the holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KYBOY Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 That is a nice block. It's getting difficult to find clean blocks with holes, which we use for through-punching and drifting. The newly cast, small ones don't have the holes. Thats my problem..I have a salt fork craftsman block but I really need an industrial block..Problem is I live in "Blacksmith tool purgatory" Not a single swage block sighted within 200 miles of me,ever..Not a floor cone either..Pretty much my only other recourse is EBAY and you know what indistrial blocks go for on there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 KYBOY, it is an irony that I have had to just start producing the only 'Artist' blocks here in the UK (& europe for that matter) because they could only be got from North America... whereas, we have a huge number of industrial blocks here (12"x12" & bigger) that often go for well under £100 (US$150)! Such is life... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 One Quad-State there was an entire flatbed of swage blocks turn up. A bit of a drive from Eastern KY; on the other hand I try to get out there from central New Mexico on a regular basis which is a bit of a drive further! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 The truck load were cast in Mexico and brought 2 years from Mountain Aire, NM. The last time he said that he would not be bringing any more. I have one and it is a good size and very useable. It is one of my three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Well actually the batch I was thinking of were the ones that were *old* and had been cast in the factory floor as "seconds". When they bulldozed the factory they "found" them and those seconds looked a whole lot better than more modern "firsts" save that all holes were full of concrete. Anyway there has be a couple of loads of swageblocks show up at Quad-State over the years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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