What is it worth

[joelw55]

Hey everyone, been reading the forum for a bit while getting set up to it some hot metal and appreciate it a lot. I've found an anvil for sale but am too sceptical to buy it for the price asked. Just seeing what you think? Or if anyone else wants a challenge when it doesn't sell, and the price goes down.

It's in an antique shop in the scenic rim QLD Australia. I was extremely excited as it looked like it could be an old peddinghaus in GC, nearing the 400lbs mark I think, for a bit over 1000. But when i had a closer look there were no marking on it at all. And that's ok, but when I did the ball bearing test, it was so random i couldn't believe it, with about 40%-70% bounce, and even worse was the fact that it rang like a chunk of mild steel, or should I say didn't ring at all. The owner selling it on consignment has obviously thought that they would do it up, and hence they may have either removed the hard steel face all together, or just lost it's temper, not sure. But it only had a 1-2mm step to the horn.

But I have to leave it for now, and will be quite happy with my 180lbs.

So sad someone could ruin a anvil like that.

Joel

[Robert Yates]

Man that is one clean anvil

[ThomasPowers]

Does it look like it went through a fire? The discolouration the picture shows could be that to my eye.

[TechnicusJoe]

That's a nice anvil! It's a German industrial anvil, a smaller version. I have a 500 pound version. Nice anvils! Unless abused.............which is deeply sad.


Joe

[Steve Sells]

looks like they ground it away so much its useless, but I have been wrong before, I would pass in only because the bounce says its a near dead anvil.

[ThomasPowers]

Often that type does not have a step and a raised face but the face and the horns are pretty much at the same level. OTOH there is a type like that *with* a raised face as well.

[HWooldridge]

Does it look like it went through a fire? The discolouration the picture shows could be that to my eye.

+1 - my guess also is it may have been in a conflagration...

[joelw55]

Thanks, could of been the fire, I'm still far too much of a newbie to tell close up. If he at least halves his price I'd consider it as a really heavy piece of art to look at. Not about to try and re temper it though, a bit out of my league.

[Sideroad]

What a shame, you will just have to play with your 3 other anvils :). I'll baby sit them for you if you want.

[Timothy Miller]

Will a hammer dent the face? That will tell you if it is soft. That anvil was made that way you see that pattern from time to time the english call that a SOHO pattern anvil. See page 95 of the book "Mousehole Forge" By Richard Postman. I would not be so fast to condemn it.

[iron woodrow]

i am sure that is in harry mullers shop,
i got my anvil from there, another german (or to be politically correct, and to not get semantically corrected :P, a greater germanic region) church window anvil, and it is a beauty.
the main problem is harry cant be talked down on price, because he is selling for others, but he does get quite a few anvils through, and forges and other blacksmithing equipment.
a lot of the gear is of german origin, as the early settlers of the area were german.

[joelw55]

Hey, iron woody,
Your totally right, it is from Harry's shop, been there a few times now, at the moment he also has a 280lbs anvil with good ring, traditional English style no brand , but a bit of a hollow on face at a bit over $3 per lbs, and a large modern forge with separate vintage hand blower.

Just a question from a newbie to all, how important is the ring to an anvil, and is there less ring from a larger one (350+lbs) then a smaller anvil? , I know it should be answered elsewhere just can't think how to search for it. Tempted to go for a 200km return trip to check the rebound again for a better test on the above anvil, that's all. It is not a bargain at $3 per lbs, but around here they don't go for much less, I saw a 138 lbs old English (forgot the brand, but no ring) sell at a country auction today for $550, and that was to a farmer. Come on, keep the prices reasonable.

[iron woodrow]

my dad is in there every other week, trading and buying old items, but mainly just for a chat really.
but you are right about anvil price, we dont have the luxury over here that our comrades over the pacific ditch have, that anvils are few and far between, and the sellers see them as cast from pure gold!!
in my opinion, cast anvils ring more than wrought, and the longer and thinner the horn and tail, the louder the ring.
i would offer for my dad to do the rebound test for you, but he is a bit scatterbrained :) and his test would end up inconclusive......
i would say that one would have a quiter ring, since it is stouter and longer in the base and waist.
two hardy hole could be helpful also.
doesnt it have hold written on it??

[HWooldridge]

Hey, iron woody,
Your totally right, it is from Harry's shop, been there a few times now, at the moment he also has a 280lbs anvil with good ring, traditional English style no brand , but a bit of a hollow on face at a bit over $3 per lbs, and a large modern forge with separate vintage hand blower.
Just a question from a newbie to all, how important is the ring to an anvil, and is there less ring from a larger one (350+lbs) then a smaller anvil? , I know it should be answered elsewhere just can't think how to search for it. Tempted to go for a 200km return trip to check the rebound again for a better test on the above anvil, that's all. It is not a bargain at $3 per lbs, but around here they don't go for much less, I saw a 138 lbs old English (forgot the brand, but no ring) sell at a country auction today for $550, and that was to a farmer. Come on, keep the prices reasonable.

Ring is less important than hardness in the face - and rebound is less over the horns, even if hardened, due to less mass underneath. As Tim said, how it looks and feels under a hammer will indicate whether it's really usable.

[joelw55]

Ok, thanks a lot guys. Will keep all this info in mind, and make sure I bring a hammer with me, at least Harry didn't seem phased about hitting it. And Iron Woody, he had hold written on it for me at the time.

[joelw55]

Ok, thanks everyone. Decided not to get it, already got a useful 280 lbs anvil with a bit of a sag in the face, but if anyone in South East QLD or Northern NSW Australia wants it, it was at Harry Mullers Antique shop in Aratula. I'll post his number if you want (and it's ok with the forum rules, will have a read).