395743 Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 I'm looking at the smaller anvil(in the picture), the seller wants $110 for it, is it worth it? I recently saw a rather similar anvil sell for $40! I was too late to buy it though... anyway what kind of metal is this anvil? wrought iron? something else? The seller didn't say how many pounds it was but I'm guessing about 100 pounds give or take a few. any ideas why there is no pritchel hole? did it bust off? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Hard to tell w/o better pix, if it is indeed a 100#, $100 seems fair enough.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Without seeing photo It is hard to say, but before a certain time maybe mid 1800's anvils did not have pritchel holes. I would bet if it is that old it would be wrought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 If I remember Postman right, tables on anvils starting showing up 1800 or so and pritchel holes after 1820. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
395743 Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 Farmall, so you are saying that the anvil is probably from 1800-1820? That is interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 The pic I'm looking at has two anvils and assuming you're talking about the smaller. It has a table and a pritchel hole. It lacks a hardy hole and I THINK hardy holes showed up at a time but I don't know. It's probably a decent deal for $110 but I'm betting there's added pricing for it being OLD. Old is more valuable you know . . . Yeah sure. I'd make a counter offer in person if it's not too far away and don't be afraid to get nit picky when you're dickering. No hardy hole and small count in your price book. Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
395743 Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 It is a fair drive just over the state line I think... would it be worth making a counter offer online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Run away. The picture shows two anvils, and the larger one has some seriously chewed up edges. It's hard to tell what the top-plate looks like, but the edges indicate some serious use and abuse. Looks like a lot of cold work was done on her. The smaller one looks like an early Mousehole anvil, but the quality is impossible to ascertain with the provided pic. My advice, skip on both. Neither looks like it's worth the money unless the provide better pictures. Do like I did and use searchtempest.com to search ebay and craigslist on a daily basis. It works like a charm, and you will probably run into a good deal within the next month or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matei campan Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 why always the pics are bad when someone wants to sell something of doubtful condition?, is it that hard to make a decent shot when the camera does good pics by itself? that's really an art to make blurred bad pictures to hide faults when the camera fights against you and wants to make good ones. I think the seller will not provide better pics. I think one edge is very damaged, at least it looks so to me, the edge from the viewer direction. just watch better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
395743 Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Okay, I think I see the damaged edge... $100 is pretty cheap for an anvil though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Roy Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I wouldn't buy an anvil based on that photo. You can't tell what condition the surface is in or how big/heavy it is. You need something you can do work on. Cheap isn't the most important criteria. I would prefer to buy something I could put my hands on. Good luck in your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 $100 is only cheap for an anvil is that anvil is in good working condition. An anvil that has a heavily dented face and chipped edges would make it very difficult for you to work on, or very expensive to repair. There are definitely better anvils out there. I saw a mint condition Peter Wright anvil on ebay last night for only $400. That a great price for a 200lb anvil in that condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
395743 Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 I know, I know, but it is so hard to wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 "Patience grasshopper" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
395743 Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Where are you located? Advertise yourself and you just might find a smith nearby that has a loaner or something for sale. Ebay is chock full of anvils in various sizes, and shipping isn't that bad. I'm out $250 to have an anvil shipped from MA to SC, and that's small potatoes in the grand scheme of things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
395743 Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 I live in South-Central Pennsylvannia. Finding anvils in my area is NO PROBLEM, finding INEXPENSIVE anvils in my area is like finding a needle in a hay stack... I can come up with a hundred dollars for an anvil, maybe even two if there is a real good deal with the idea that I will make it all back by forging, but I can NOT give more than that, I simply can't afford it ); . That's why I decided a while ago that a Brian Brazeal style anvil might suit me just fine, atleast untill I could get a good deal on a "real" anvil. I recently saw a 6"x6"x20" block of steel on craigslist for $50 I emailed the guy, no response, I emailed him again, still no response (he didn't give a phone number and wouldn't even show his real email address, just one of those ones that craigslist makes up). The listing was taken down a few days ago and now I have absolutely no way to contact him, which sucks (; . Right now I'm looking for forklift tines or any other large chunk of metal to turn into a brazeal. Not having any luck other than the "Non-Responder". Not that that was lucky though! Any idea why I can't find a single forklift tine on Craigslist? should I search something other than "forklift tine" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Old forklift are being scrapped at a high rate, if you can find someone who is doing that or even a dealer that replaces bent forks. Once damaged the need to be replaced- may be an OSHA thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 The biggest mistake people make is thinking that they need a london-pattern anvil to forge iron. The vikings were using hunks of iron and boulders of granite.... and they turned out some fantastic ironwork. In the middle east today, you'll see production smiths working on one face of a sledge hammer, the opposing face being bedded in a log. Works like a charm, too! Look into places that fix heavy equipment. The forestry industry might have a shop near you that has some large hunks of metal. Scrap yards might let you buy from them if you tell them what you need. They might not let you wander the yard, but.... I'm not aware of any tooling commonly used on an anvil that can't work equally as well in your vise. With a max of $200 to spend, I'd hunt a post anvil like the fork lift tine, and use the rest to buy fuel for the forge. Scavenged metal for practice can be found everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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