I bought this for $60. I lightly tapped the top of the anvil with the pean side of my hammer to break the rust crust off. I then took a wire brush to it for a couple minutes looking for any markings. I could not find any. I feels about 60-70lbs. I'm excited either way. It will suite my needs right and my budget right now. What should I do to it next? sand blast it? belt sander? flap disk?

Nice anvil you got there. Personaly, I would just brush it with a twisted wire brush on an angle grander and then oil the base to prevent from rust. The face doesn't need to be oiled if you use it. I like the shape of these anvil, but never seen one in real. Congrats!

Use it, that'll knock the crud off it fast enough and better still you'll be using it. If the face is too rough to do clean work you may want to clean it up but making a hardy tool with clean sharp and radiused edges with a nice smooth face will take you a LOT less time. Cleaning the non working surfaces is fine if you want it pretty but pretty won't effect it's utility. I warmed mine up and wiped it with a mix of wax, soot and turpentine maybe 24 years ago and it's still black.

Frosty The Lucky.

I will just use it first to see what falls off. Thats more fun anyway. I'm assuming its a Fisher due to the eagle on the side. I am wondering if the steel face might have fallen off. I don't see a seperation line from where the steel face would be welded on. I get 40-50% rebound but no ring. It doesn't make a loud clank either like another fisher anvil I choose not to buy. I'm confused.

I forgot to add someone welded the pritchel hole and one of the feet are broken off the anvil.

Great score for $60. Now go beat the crud out of it!

According to Anvils in America (pg. 145) the Fisher eagle logo is an exact mirror image to this one. Eagle facing other direction and same with anchor. Also, the logo appears to be cast. Were Fishers cast? or could this be one of those Mexican counterfeits?

OK, just saw a new post about a Fisher and it's logo is oriented the same way as this one. Postman printed a mirror image???

Note that using an original to cast fakes would not reverse the direction of the eagle. If it's facing towards the heel on the original it will be facing towards the heel in the mold and will be facing towards the heel on the cast---a bit different than in stamping where the direction flips when you turn the stamp down to apply.

I took a belt sander to the rusted anvil and it came great. I used a wire wheel on the base then painted it black. The face is still very hard as it took over 2 hours with 34 grit to remove almost all of the pitting. here are the photos of my progression. Thought I would share. The anvil still has great rebound even though it is not mounted to anything yet. That is my next project.

What you have is an 1870-1880 vintage FISHER anvil. Fisher did not cast the FISHER into them until 1880-81. I would not do any more sanding on the top. Just keep it protected from any further rust and USE the anvil.

This era FISHER has my favorite of all of the various Fisher logos. Nothing beats that proud Eagle.

That great info. Thank you very much. I was curious why there where not any markings other than the eagle. I'm not doing anymore sanding. I wouldn't want to get carried away and mess it up. Only 2 issues with this anvil is someone pluged the pritchel hole and a leg is broken off. It almost seems not right to hammer on something a over a hundred years old. I will try to hear the stories of its past echo with my hammer blows.

Wonder what the pritchel hole is plugged with?! I'd try to chisel or drill it out. A pritchel isn't absolutely needed, especially on so light an anvil, but it would be nice to have.

Great FIsher, all around. I'm still searching for mine.....

Much of my smithing equipment is over 100 years old and some over 200 years old and still gets used. To me it seems not right to let it sit around *un*used!