101 pound Trenton

[Jack Evers]

I've acquired a 101 pound Trenton (stamped weight and my bathroom scale agrees), serial # A15420, hourglass depression on the bottom. Stamped "solid wrought" and "USA"

When was it manufactured? - I understand the hourglass suggests prior to 1910.

The face and edges are in quite good shape, a couple inches at the heel are rounded significantly, perhaps a

3/4' radius. Would this have been factory or smith addition?

The point of the horn is quite flattened - Could I heat it (torch) and forge more of a point?

I can take pics if you'd like,

[Ridgewayforge]

Pictures would help.

I don't know about the heel, but the horn's point should be fine without improving it. It'll cause less of a safety hazard this way. If you need the smallest radius curve that the tip would give you, then you could buy or forge a mini-mandrel cone for the hardy hole.

[CurlyGeorge]

Hey Jack. According to Anvils in America, that serial number was born in 1900. :)

[Jack Evers]

Well, close to an 1800's anvil then

[ThomasPowers]

Mount it at the proper height for you. Now walk straddling it from the horn end. Still want a sharp pointed horn?

Make a hardy tool for small items, you'll want it higher anyway!

[Jack Evers]

Here are some pictures of the Trenton plus an 85 lb Tyler that I carry in my horseshoeing truck (I got it second hand about 35 years ago, think that the guy I got it from bought it new.so perhaps 50 years old) I've seen a couple like it, anyone know anything about Tyler? The real reason I put the picture was to show a truly sharp horn. Farriers typically mark right and left shoes with a punch mark in the outside branch. About 10 years ago, an apprentice of mine started using that horn point as his punch. Set the shoe against it, and hit the back side of the shoe with a hammer. I've continued to do it and that horn is still sharp enough to mark a shoe cold. Must have gotten a good heat treatment on it.

To answer one of my own questions, the excess rounding of the edges at the heel of the Trenton carries about 1/4" further on one edge, so Mr Grinder Man rather than the Factory.

[Jack Evers]

Here are some pictures of the Trenton plus an 85 lb Tyler that I carry in my horseshoeing truck (I got it second hand about 35 years ago, think that the guy I got it from bought it new.so perhaps 50 years old) I've seen a couple like it, anyone know anything about Tyler? The real reason I put the picture was to show a truly sharp horn. Farriers typically mark right and left shoes with a punch mark in the outside branch. About 10 years ago, an apprentice of mine started using that horn point as his punch. Set the shoe against it, and hit the back side of the shoe with a hammer. I've continued to do it and that horn is still sharp enough to mark a shoe cold. Must have gotten a good heat treatment on it.

To answer one of my own questions, the excess rounding of the edges at the heel of the Trenton carries about 1/4" further on one edge, so Mr Grinder Man rather than the Factory.

[Jack Evers]

The pic of the Tyler didn't make it - here it is plus a view of chisel marks on a leg of the Trenton. I read those were likely a smith testing chisels that he'd made - any truth to it?

[macbruce]

Yeah, chisel marks and punch marks on the lower parts of anvils are common remnants of*tests* done by smiths. I better not ever see anyone doing it to one of mine..... :angry: ......May not seem like any big deal to trash the lower part of an anvil, I's just mindlessness and can lessen it's value.

[ThomasPowers]

Remember back in the day anvils were tools and almost "consumables" in a shop. 100 year old ads were full of "refacing and reforging and repairing anvils" worn and damaged in the shop. If you could sell a chisel for a bit more by demonstrating how it cuts an anvil then what's a few more nicks in a part of an anvil you are not using? (a bit of sharp practice as that part of the anvil is usually dead soft...)