stuarthesmith Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I have owned this anvil since 1976. I bought it from a prince of a blacksmith named Jim Porteus, who was the resident blacksmith at the Cooperstown Farmer's Museum for decades. While visiting the museum, my parents and I related to him that I was serving an apprenticeship in a tool forging shop. Nice man that he was, he invited my family and I to dinner at his house, in nearby Oneonta, NY. After dinner, he took us down to his blacksmith shop, which was in a barn that he coinverted into a blacksmith shop and HOME. He was also an excellent carpenter, and his wife was an expert weaver, who also had her studio in that converted barn. Sitting on the floor was a beautiful "400 pound Fisher Eagle", which he kindly sold me for 300 dollars. I just took a good look at it the other day, 36 years later. There is a "4" on the front leg, and a "5" on the rear leg. Wow, the anvil is 450 pounds, not 400! Below are pictures. How can someone go nearly 4 decades using an anvil and not notice the "5" on the rear leg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 Probably because he was so excited that he HAD one and had aquired it from a person that he still admires....Nice score! Some folks gain WAY more than 50lbs in 36yrs, I'd say this weight gain is from muscle due to hard work and not fat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 When you get that 500 # hay budden, I'll be glad to store that 450# Fisher for you. Obviously, you won't need 2 of that size! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I have owned this anvil since 1976. I bought it from a prince of a blacksmith named Jim Porteus, who was the resident blacksmith at the Cooperstown Farmer's Museum for decades. While visiting the museum, my parents and I related to him that I was serving an apprenticeship in a tool forging shop. Nice man that he was, he invited my family and I to dinner at his house, in nearby Oneonta, NY. After dinner, he took us down to his blacksmith shop, which was in a barn that he coinverted into a blacksmith shop and HOME. He was also an excellent carpenter, and his wife was an expert weaver, who also had her studio in that converted barn. Sitting on the floor was a beautiful "400 pound Fisher Eagle", which he kindly sold me for 300 dollars. I just took a good look at it the other day, 36 years later. There is a "4" on the front leg, and a "5" on the rear leg. Wow, the anvil is 450 pounds, not 400! Below are pictures. How can someone go nearly 4 decades using an anvil and not notice the "5" on the rear leg! Stewart Have you weighed it? All of the 450 Fishers I have seen have a 45 on one leg. They never marked their anvil on two different legs(although with Fisher there is always a first time for anything). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 I had a 450 it was a bit torch scarred. According to the the old company brochure reprinted in "Anvils in America" the only difference between a 400lb fisher was the 450lb is it is 3/4" taller all other measurements were the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzonoqua Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 How can someone go nearly 4 decades using an anvil and not notice the "5" on the rear leg! Did you recently get glasses, Stewart? :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuarthesmith Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 I wear glasses specifically to see your sweet posts in here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodencanoeguy Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 I only discovered iforgeiron today, and am commenting on a series of messages from years ago. I was fortunate enough to work with Jim Porteus and Harvey Brotman in Cooperstown over 40 years ago. We also were invited to Jim's home for dinner, and I remember his telling us about how he moved the house and barn from some great distance, rolling the buildings on logs, to their present location. Jim and his wife were wonderful hosts, with so many fascinating stories that were revelations to a city boy like me. When we got back to our home in downtown Baltimore I began putting together my forge. One afternoon we found two kids pulling a red wagon up an alley with an anvil in the back - an Eagle 125 pounder, very good condition. I knew they were headed for a scrap yard and offered them 20 bucks so they wouldn't have to drag their wagon for another two or three miles. That's still my go-to anvil. Every now and again I wonder where the kids got the anvil, but I don't dwell on my probable purchase of stolen goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Dear Wooden Canoe, Welcome aboard. You'll find lots of cool stuff here, both the current postings and the archives. The old threads are a BIG rabbit hole and you can spend hours there. Take a lunch and beverage. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted October 31, 2021 Share Posted October 31, 2021 Welcome aboard Woodencanoeguy, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you'll have a better chance of hooking up with members living within visiting distance. A lot of information is location specific, say material or tool prices and availability. Do you have a: name, handle, nickname, etc. we may address you with? Your login is pretty cumbersome. That's quite the story about your anvil, a good one. However, the gang here isn't too likely to believe something we haven't seen. Have some pics? What do you want to make at the anvil? Again, welcome aboard. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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