Should I purchase this anvil?

[Viking]

Hi, I'm new to blacksmithing and looking to buy my first anvil. I have a gentleman willing to sell it to me for $300. The edges look very rough. Not sure if it would need some repair, if that is acceptable. I have heard some say leave them be the way they are when they are that old. Any suggestions on who may have made this anvil (Boken or Wright) as well any further details like age? Thanks for any information you can provide. ~Viking

[the iron dwarf]

judging by the name on it it is a trenton, size and weight would be helpful, any numbers stamped on it?

 

if you put your rough location in your profile it will help people advise you, some areas are anvil poor so prices are higher, in other areas they are everywhere so prices are lower

[Viking]

it says "solid wrought in a circle"  and below it  are the numbers 140 which I believe to be the weight. This anvil is located

 in Virginia.

[John McPherson]

At about $2 a pound with no swayback or face separation, just edge chipping, it is an OK deal. Perfect edges would drive the price on the open market above $3 a pound around here.

 

Try it for a year before doing anything drastic to it. Definitely do not mill the face, cleaning it with sandpaper should be enough. Edges can be rebuilt by welding much easier than missing chunks of face plate.

[the iron dwarf]

140 pound is a reasonable size for a lot of things and it sounds quite good, check for rebound and any spots the sound different on the face

[Crazy Ivan]

As Iron dwarf said, its a Trenton. The flat footed ones are commonly (when found in my area at least) German made.

-Crazy Ivan

[VaughnT]

Yep.  Trenton was a great maker of anvils and something in the 140# range is absolutely perfect for a hobby smith.  The edges won't be a problem considering that you don't know diddly about forging and 99% of your learning projects won't be bothered by them.  Trust me, you're first hundred pieces won't leave you saying, "oh, this would have been a masterpiece if it wasn't for the chipped edges."

 

Pricewise, I think $300 is fair.  Other than the chipping, the anvil looks fantastic.  The way I like to figure an anvil's cost is to consider how much I'll be able to sell it for when I get tired of smithing.  If you have to get rid of it for whatever reason, you'll get most of your money back..... which makes the overall cost of the anvil really cheap.

[ThomasPowers]

140 is the weight in pounds.  A bit high; but on the other hand you could be making money off it tomorrow!  If I get a chance I'll check AinA for when the German Trentons were around.  Trenton is an american brand so no Wright involved!

 

Check the rebound and the ring and if no issues make your decision

[BCROB]

check out my Trenton post recently Viking to compare , mine is German 

 

$2 lb is very fair in my opinion , offer him $200 cash and go up if necesary, I'll bet ya $250 buys it and you'll be smiling all the way home..........nice find  

[Viking]

Thanks for the advice so far, you all seem like a great group here....glad to be a part.

[ThomasPowers]

Trentons "were imported for 15-20 years before 1898"  AinA

[Viking]

Thanks for the update Thomas, will be a priveledge to work on something from that time period.

[Neil Blythin]

If you want/need sharper edges, just get or make yourself a square block that fits the hardy. You can give each edge of the block a different radius. No need to do anything drastic to a serviceable old anvil.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Viking, glad to have you. Put your general location in the header, you might be surprised at how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Getting hooked up with the local organization or just a local smith is a really good idea, you'll learn more in an hour with an experienced smith than in days or weeks trying to teach yourself.

 

She looks to be a nice anvil but test it first. When the guys say test the face they're referring to a bearing or hammer test to check rebound and in this case ring counts. Trentons are wrought iron bodies with forge welded high carbon faces and occasionally the face will delaminate, the weld will fail, sometimes in places but look intact. A bearing dropped on a hard steel surface will have a high incidence of rebound, meaning it'll bounce most of the way to it's starting point, same with a small hammer. You don't want to hit it hard, just light taps to see how far the hammer rebounds. Tap or bounce the entire face and watch for dead places, if the rebound is low the face may be delaminated there. Trentons will ring too so if you hear a dead spot it may be delaminated.

 

If she passes she's going to make you a FINE shop mate, you don't even need to radius the edges and making a bottom tool if you need crisp edges is easy, enough. (square block with a shank to fit the hardy hole) 140lbs. is a handy size, you can do most anything with it and it's not to heavy to move.

 

Frosty The Lucky.