http://www.ebay.com/...f6#ht_500wt_951

It has an off appearance that makes me sure it is a cheap casting.

Phil

yeah i thought the same thing that line right down the middle of the face made me think the same thing when i saw that one on line

It sure doesn't look like it has a high carbon steel face. I wouldn't want it. That's for sure.

Looks like it was molded from an old anvil. Aside from the weight the rubber ones I cast from a PW 100# were a much better fake...

But it's "VINTAGE" complete with residual sand casting stuck to the sides still...

When I first saw that one I was a chuckling to myself wondering if he would find a sucker to buy it. Looks like there weren't any born recently to buy it. It sure looks bad but I bet he will relist it or take it to a swap meet, it will sell and then sit in someones garage for another 20 years and really be vintage for sure.

We get a lot of this type of anvil down here as they are being cast in the foundries just over the Mexican border to finish the ladle at the end of the day. They are using real anvils for making the molds and then casting whatever is in the mold and then selling them with minimal fettling and the seam right down the middle of the face and horn.

Been to several auctions where the auctioneer claims they are originals and expect to start seeing some cleaned up and aged and false stamped.

Tell tales are the lack of handling holes, the lack of depressions on the base and the seam still showing under the horn and heel.

Some of them *might* be a decent alloy if they were heat treated but you have no clue what it is when you buy it!

Gee, I though the seam on the face and top of the horn were pretty tell-tale.

Phil

I've see a few ground flat even a couple with a pritchel drilled into it. The local implement auction usually has a pallet of them every spring and fall

Thomas, are they always in the 50#-60# range, or do they make big ones too? A big one might be worth doing something else with, like cutting a dovetail into for a die, if it is cheap enough.

Yes, I probably am thinking too hard.

Phil

I've seen them fairly large---150# or so. If one had one of the Q&D testers and could get a readout and buy one that was a good alloy it might make a fine anvil---just a lot of work cleaning it up and heat treating it.

I've read abaout these. They're ASOs (Anvil Shaped Objects) or CIPoC (Cast Iron Piece of Crap)

It's back. He didn't get any bids so he raised the price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-59LB-ANVIL-/261005892083?_trksid=p4340.m444&_trkparms=algo%3DCRX%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DSI%252BUA%252BLM%252BLA%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D7811384973563851006

yeah you know if its expensive it must be good

Free shipping this time. It is $5 more than last time, shipped.

Phil

I picked up one for a few dollars once with the plan to electro-plate it with copper and set it outside my shop to look pretty. Before I got the chance to do that my brother carted it off and uses it to hammer on junk in his shop, Hes not a smith, just wanted something to hammer on when straightening things. It is still in pretty good shape considering it only see cold work. Its definitely cast iron but its kinda hard.

Some cast irons are very durable under impact, and some have fair rebound too. I like the decoration idea best
.

Phil

Oh, man, did you see the "bottom view" on the new listing ?? If that ain't cast iron, I'm a monkey's uncle.

I just reported it as a fraud /fake .

I did not consider reporting because the only sketchy word he uses is "vintage" and the item is well photographed. When talking about "vintage" with many topics it does not mean "old" even though it is also used as that meaning in general use.

The general consensus is that this is a "fake" anvil,

Phil