So tomorrow I'm going to look at an 80# English anvil. The guy I talked to said it was in good condition and is asking for $150. Im planning on checking the rebound and ring of the anvil but I was wondering if I could get some tips on other things to check for; markings, things like that. The price of $150 sounds fair for an 80# anvil assuming its in good condition. Any thoughts or advice?

It's less than $2 per pound and that's a decent price.  Figure in the cost of travel and you're still getting a decent purchase if the anvil quality is there.

 

Take a straight edge to check the amount of swayback.  Look at the edges for chipping.  Pay attention to signs that the anvil has been welded on to make the face look better.  Does the horn come to a decent point or is it missing some?  

 

Chipped edges are not a deal breaker unless the chipping is severe.  Even then, a bit of time with a belt sander to radius the edges can work to your benefit.  Most smiths will do this as the radii come in handy for bending stock.

 

A bit of sway in the face plate can come in handy, too.  You don't want a ton of it, but a modicum won't hurt a bit.

 

The overall condition of the face plate is important.  I once had an anvil that had a faceplate that was like a rolling ocean.  There wasn't a single flat spot to be found and working on it was a constant struggle.  I would steer clear of something like that unless the price was really good.

 

There are enough pictures on IFI to show you what a good anvil looks like.  

Vaughn's about covered what to look for. If it's good, $150 is a good price. 80lbs. is a handy size, easy to move around and plenty to do serious forging on.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

And bring cash.  At that price, I would bring $10 bills.  Have a wad of perhaps $120 worth ready as a first offer.  Can always go up, not down.  Sometimes a bunch of bills moves negotiations quickly.

look up the ball bearing test over at anvilfire

Alright thank you guys so much I really appreciate all of the advice. If I get it ill try and get some pictures up

Just picked it up, it's an old Vulcan in good condition I'll get some pictures up once I get home

So I just realized its only a 60#, which means I did over pay for it, but it should work well as my first anvil

So I just realized its only a 60#, which means I did over pay for it

THAT is not a given. Sometimes the price goes up PP on smaller anvils,especially if it's rare........pix please.

Alright here are four pics of the anvil, under the 6 is printed 52

As Vulcan anvils go, that one is in decent shape.  However, please realize that Vulcans are considered to be on the poor end of the cast type anvils.  It will do for a starter anvil.  Just take it easy hammering on it.   The top plate is thin.  Keep your eyes open for a better one in the future.

And Vulcans anvils are not English anvils.  They were made in USA, in Illinois.

That's what I had thought

_{Hey, $150.00 for a 60# anvil that can stick to the ceiling like spiderman. Cool!}

Not bad at all.  While Vulcan's often get a bad rap, I think you did well.  The face is flat and edges look almost new, so run with it.

 

At 60#, you've got a great great great general anvil that's easy to move and can do 99% of the blacksmithing that you might like.  Currently, I have a 66#, 120# and 300# anvil in the garage, and each one is great.  Light anvils are a blessing when you have to move it out of the way or want to travel to do a demonstration.

 

Even when you find that bigger anvil, you'll keep this one around.  Promise!

I've heard of people 'dressing' their anvils, is this something I should do to this anvil, an if so how should I go about it?

I've heard of people 'dressing' their anvils, is this something I should do to this anvil, an if so how should I go about it?

Since Vulcans are prone to chipping, especially at the edges, I would radius them for sure because hard sharp corners are prone to chipping. I would use a 4 1/2'' angle grinder w/a 120 grit flap wheel or soft disc. and keep the grinder MOVING parallel along the edge till you like what you see.  A radius about the size of a common pencil eraser or a tad less would do and don't ever hammer cold iron anywhere close to the edges on that one. A little cold flattening of stock near the center I think would be ok..... B)

Do not dress it.  Just use it.  Dressing is filing or grinding the edges to make them less sharp.  If needed after using the anvil for a while, then do what is needed.  You cannot undo what you have removed.

I think I'll just dress one of the sides for now and see how it works out. I'll make sure to be carefull not to chip the edges any more than they are