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I Forge Iron

Should I be talked out of buying this Vulcan?


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For months I've been looking at an anvil for sale.  I don't especially need an anvil, I'm not a blacksmith or blacksmith wannabe, but I have a shop and like to work on a variety of equipment.

 

It is a Vulcan, about 100 pounds.  I see Vulcans don't rate as being very desirable in the comments here.  I wonder if there is a price point that makes one desirable for general shop use?

 

They are down to $125 for this anvil, from $250 a year ago.  they describe it as a horse-shoers anvil.  At least that is what it has been in its working life.

 

It has no significant chips, the holes are a little worn at the edges, the top has shallow dents - not sharpsided, just something I can feel with my fingertips.

 

Does $125 for a 100 poung vulcan make this something I might want to have or should I resist?

 

TIA

 

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Well...Are you going to get your money's worth out of it? $1.25 a pound seems like a good price if you can use or need a 100 pound solid surface.

An anvil is a very useful tool even if you are not constantly using it for blacksmithing, it is 100 pounds in a pretty compact package that has lots of square and a few rounded edges for all sorts of fun things.

I had a cast iron ASO long before I started seriously beating on metal. Good weight for holding something in place while glue sets, exciting to kick when I wasn't looking where I was putting my big feet. Lots of uses, but do you need it?

(OF COURSE YOU DO)

 

Mark

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Need doesn't exactly explain it!  ;<)

 

On the basis of Mother Teresa or Mahatma Ghandi or even the IRS (!) I don't need much.

 

But I would get some use out of an anvil if I had one and it would tempt me into playing with metal more.  I just don't want to spend more than I could get out of it again.  Or, more to the point, if this is a bargain I don't want to pass it up. 

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A dollar and a quarter a pound for a Vulcan in good condition ain't bad but when it was at $2.50/# that was awful! Go ahead and get it, who knows where getting it will lead you. If the edges have not been relieved just put a slight radius on the edges as it will help prevent chipping in the future. Good forging ^_^

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I have a 185 lb vulcan and it is my favorite anvil out of all the ones I have worked on.  If its in good condition don't pass it up.  Just don't weld/ cut on it as that will make it less usable and damage it and that would make me sad :(   Vulcans are awesome and quiet.  A bit of a flatter horn then most  which can be useful.  

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Get it. Then when you hear of someone that really needs an anvil, you will have one to let them borrow, buy or receive as a gift. Or you just might find that you have a need for it. Either way you will have one when you "need" one. There are a lot of young and not so young beginning blacksmiths/bladesmiths that are always looking for one. 

 

Mark <><

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I'd buy it.  Vulcans don't get the best reviews because there are far far better anvils out there.  BUT, Vulcans were still a top-tier anvil; they were just at the bottom of the ranking among top-tier anvil makers.

 

If the face is good and flat, and the edges aren't dinged up beyond hope, I'd jump on it.  For a beginner anvil, or an every-now-and-then anvil, Vulcans are good and the price is decent.  

 

A key thing to remember???  You certainly won't lose money on it if you use it a bit and then turn around and sell it in a month or three.

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Okay, you guys "talked me into it". 

 

It was at a horse tack and consignment shop next to my office.  It was on consignment oddly enough, even though it was horsie stuff, so it was hard to haggle.  I'd been offering $1 / lb. for more than a year, but she's been down to $125 from an original price of $250 for months.  She wasn't going any lower.

 

So now I've got an anvil.  I better hang around this site and find some reason to beat on metal!

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The price was right. Even if you decide not to use it, you should be able to make some money on it by listing it in just a few places.
Or as has been mentioned, pass it to someone who might use it.

 

I probably would have went for it when it got down to $175, unless the drop was more substantial and didnt come down a little at a time.

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Told you you needed it, now give it a good home and let it do what it is supposed to do.

 

I hate "decorative" anvils, vises, post drills, etc. "Oh it looks so cute in my garden...", "No I don't have a clue what that cranky thingy hanging on the wall with a drill bit in it is, but it looks cool and is old..." ARRRRRAGH!!! 

 

Enjoy

 

Mark 

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