Sask Mark Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 How about car collectors? Cars can be useful. I would love to own an old wedge powered mopar. So would a lot of other people, so I guess I can't own one. I'm not mad at them for driving the price out of my range. That's their prerogative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Totally agree Thomas and MObs. I know of 3 complete blacksmith shops that the owners know zero about the tools, not open to the public, so cluttered with crap that you can't see most of the stuff, 2 or 3 forges that chickens nest in and they will not even consider selling even the least of the items. "I just like to go out and look at it from time to time" One gentelman's granddaughter even told me that he hasn't seen the stuff since she can remember and she is in her mid30s. This is called hoarding...no one gets any value from the tools. It is this type of 'collector' that I don't care about. If you are going to collect to show to the public and educate as well then I have absolutely no problem. njanvilman here on IFI is a perfect example. He collects Fishers and has one of the best display old tools in the country. I tip my hat to him and those like him, for they are not out to capture and hide every anvil they come across. Sorry Sand, looks as some of us havve hi-jacked your thread! Sorry. That is absolutely the best looking anvil I have seen! Good for you, use it in good health! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Don't forget that there many hobbyists that have a lot of nice tools who don't really use them or even know how to properly use their tools. How do you feel about a person with thousands of dollars in tooling who forges perhaps only a few times a year. As for there not being many anvils out there I say your wrong. Hay Budden wile in business made something like 300,000 anvils if only 5% survived that's still 15,000 anvils there are not that many working smiths today by a long shot. Throw in Mousehole that made @ 800,000 Fisher made some ridiculous amount as well. Peter Wright seams to be the most common brand I could only imagine how many they made. Also don't forget about new anvils as well and less common brands as well. Lets be honest when it costs 100 bucks to fill up your truck is 400 bucks for a used anvil that will outlast you and your children expensive? I think there are just a whole lot of anvils just hanging out in old buildings and shops that just don't see much use. People have an emotional attachment to them so they hold on to them. Just like people on the forum get emotional about anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Totally agree Thomas and MObs. I know of 3 complete blacksmith shops that the owners know zero about the tools, not open to the public, so cluttered with crap that you can't see most of the stuff, 2 or 3 forges that chickens nest in and they will not even consider selling even the least of the items. "I just like to go out and look at it from time to time" One gentelman's granddaughter even told me that he hasn't seen the stuff since she can remember and she is in her mid30s. This is called hoarding...no one gets any value from the tools. It is this type of 'collector' that I don't care about. If you are going to collect to show to the public and educate as well then I have absolutely no problem. njanvilman here on IFI is a perfect example. He collects Fishers and has one of the best display old tools in the country. I tip my hat to him and those like him, for they are not out to capture and hide every anvil they come across. Sorry Sand, looks as some of us havve hi-jacked your thread! Sorry. That is absolutely the best looking anvil I have seen! Good for you, use it in good health! Thanks for the plug. I have not jumped into this thread because of the extreme viewpoints of some of the participants. Yes, I do have a lot of iron, but it is all on display for anyone to see. Eventually it will be the basis of my book on the Fisher Anvil Works. And yes, someday all of this iron will be released into the wild for others to enjoy. For now, it remains the most complete collection (that I know of) of Fisher anvils, artifacts, and euphemera that exists. And I repeat my invite for any interested party to contact me and come a visit. Anyone who has been here has said it is a must see for any blacksmith or person interested in industrial history. Nothing except the material that I obtained from the Crossley plant is anything that anybody could have bought. Luckily, I have the means and an understanding wife and have spent the last 13 years building my collection. And it all started in 1998 when I bought Postman's book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulF Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 My nephew, now deceased, was presented with a football signed by the players and coaches of the Then, Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears. It was a make a wish thing. He played with that football till all the names wore off. Paulf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOblacksmith0530 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I don't care how often you use your anvil as long as it is used. I don't care if it sits in your shop for years while you gain the knowledge or get to a point where you find the time to be able to forge. I only take issue as I said in my previous post with the collectors and hoarders who DONT share with the world. BTW Missouri's blacksmith group has over 500 members and if every member had two anvils then that is over 1000 being used. Some have more and I would guess that the average is something like 3 or so per smith. But they are being used. So I say to all of you who can rescue these anvils whenever and wherever possible legally and with respect. Keep them going around, trade up give to newbie's whenever possible and lets keep this alive. I think an anvil that is used will last longer than one that sits somewhere as yard art. I doubt 5 percent has survived two world wars and the current scrap revolution. Some of the metal working forums work real hard to rescue old machines by saving them from rust and scrappers and putting them back to work. That is what they are for, why can't we do the same as blacksmiths? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 can a smart computer person put a poll to use or not to use a mint anvil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotset Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 i like my anvils run in a bit before i use them , i recon youve got a happy 50 or 60 years on that one to get it nice and comfy (:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 If that anvil were mine and I could get enough from a collector to buy a modern maybe larger double horn I'd be tempted...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsShip Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 When I read the first post, i have to admit I was very jealous. It's an awesome looking anvil, and I would love to find a deal like that. I also live in Upstate NY and although millions of anvils were made over the years, they seem to be few and far between around here, and the ones I did find were way out of my budget. (I'm still looking for that back barn bargain!) Now the thread has turned to collecting, and if it should be used, and there's a lot of really good points here. I feel if it were a rare one of a kind thing, or something of which very were few left in the world, I would consider selling it to a museum or somewhere where it would be preserved and protected for others to admire. This is not something of that nature though. As far as I can tell, it holds no historical value, it was not used in any great battle or conflict, and it as far as my untrained eye can tell, it's just like every other anvil of its make, with the exception of the sticker. (Which I agree should be preserved if possible) Personally I would look into what someone may pay for it, simply because if I could get a nice anvil, AND a power hammer or forge or something else for it, it may be worth using it to upgrade my shop. But that's just me. Whatever you do, take care of it, and have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 MacBruce has a good point: even I would happily sell an anvil to a collector if it resulted in a bigger and better using anvil for myself. And remember that Museums are no guarantee of preservation! When the historical society decided to shut down their "Street of Yesteryear" exhibit I asked about purchasing their smithing equipment and was told "no it was going to another museum". Subsequently I ended up buying a number of tools from that exhibit at the local fleamarket for *less* than I would have paid the museum---still with the museum cataloging numbers on them! The other museum sold off what they didn't have a use for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I happened to cruse by a guy's house in S. Colorado a long time ago and he must have had 30-40 anvils flanking his driveway, I didn't bother to ask... :( The English seem particularly fond of ''garden anvils'' ....When you spot a fine tool outside like the beautiful 50 lb LG I posted in ''Rats!'' and it's gonna just rot outside it just don't seem right, but it's thier XXXX and whada ya gonna do. I won't risk pestering them till I get run off at gun point that's for sure, not for a hunk of iron..... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 On 6/19/2012 at 9:56 PM, macbruce said: If that anvil were mine and I could get enough from a collector to buy a modern maybe larger double horn I'd be tempted...... funny how I said basally the same thing as you and I xxxx people off and you get a plus 3 for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 So that's what those little green arrows are all about.......I'll have to check my rep again.... :rolleyes:....I always wondered how Youngdylan got a -68, that must have been when they had the red ones. I miss him, first class guy! I can't say I don't get emotional when it comes to BS tools, they really stir my soul but Sand's anvil is Sand's anvil and I don't care if he welds on it....Well maybe that would get to me..... :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Miller Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 So that's what those little green a green arows are all about.......I'll have to check my rep again.... :rolleyes:....I always wondered how Youngdylan got a -68, that must have been when they had the red ones. I miss him, first class guy! I can't say I don't get emotional when it comes to BS tools, they really stir my soul but Sand's anvil is Sand's anvil and I don't care if he welds on it....Well maybe that would get to me..... :angry:Youngdylan sought the lowest rating he could get it started out as a joke between him and Grant. I miss his input he is a really good metal worker. I get emotional about blacksmith tools as well. But certain things I flip with a mind to make a few bucks and improve my set up. I also make sure if I come across something special it goes to the right person who will take good care of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sask Mark Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I think he also had one or 2 other members doing everything in their power to help him achieve the low ratings. Someone got a chip on their shoulder with him and took every opportunity to show it. Too bad as he does some brilliant work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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