Looking at Anvil - SISCO

[bois d'arc]

I am looking at a 126lb SISCO Superior and I have some questions.

 

1. This anvil has a rough body with lots of pits, etc (complete with a void in the bottom).  I read that the SISCOs are steel and for some reason I expected a nicer body.  Should I be worried about it being a fake?

2.  The top is obviously a lamination welded on to the body - but a thin lamination (less than 1/2).  Is this normal for a smaller anvil?

3.  The hardie is a good square, but that square is not square with the sides of the anvil.  It is not "straight".  Again, does this seem fishy at all?

 

We don't get many non-farrier anvils down my way and I am open to imperfection - I just don't want to pay for prime rib and eat chuck.

 (I will post pictures as I get them)

[Thomas Dean]

I have a 127# SISCO and love it. I also have a 185# Hay Budden and use both about equal. The SISICO is also my demo anvil. The rebound on mine is as good if not better than the Hay Budden! As for the hardie not being "square" with the side is not problem...very few are 'square' with the sides. Also, I wouldn't worry about the side, unless you plan to do any forging on them. If someone is going to cast a fake they will most likely use a better known anvil as a pattern== Hay Budden or Peter Wright. If the price is right I would buy it! 

[bois d'arc]

Thank you,

 

$2 a pound is about where I am at with it.  One shoulder is messed up - but that just makes it like me.

[VaughnT]

Sounds like it could be a good one.

 

1) The body of the anvil are often "decorated" with pits and gouges from where the smith would test the temper of freshly-made punches and chisels.  I once had a chance to buy a Fisher that had a softball sized scoop taken out of the side!  I wouldn't worry about how the sides look unless your are planning on laying the anvil on it's side and using it as a swage block.  If the top plate is not pitted or gouged too heavily, you're golden.

 

2)  Yep, a thin top plate is normal.  In my neck of the woods, I've found anvils that have faces that are only 1/8" thick.  Turns out a lot of "smiths" thought it was a good idea to sand/file their anvil's face to remove dings and preserve the flatness.  Of course, back in those days you could buy an good anvil at the corner store or, often, send your anvil back to be refaced.  If you have more than 1/4" of top plate and the edges are good (not a lot of chipping), sounds good to me!

 

3)  Not fishy at all.  Being made "back in the day" things weren't always aligned properly and and makers weren't concerned with "perfect" like manufacturers are today.  An off-kilter hardy hole is perfectly serviceable and, as they say, perfect is often the enemy of good enough.

 

$2/lb is a "fair" price from everything I've seen.  If your area is anvil poor and you're set on getting a london-pattern anvil, I don't think you're going wrong at all.  If you can talk him down a few dollars, great.  But if you can't, I think you'll have done just fine.