macbruce Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 .....It weighs 50 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 I'd say no it isn't from the picture, the lines and proportions don't look right to me, but I'll trust Josh's opinion on all things Fisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Looks like a cast iron ASO to me; but I'd defer to Josh too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Agreed with TP and Frog. It looks likes either a Vulcan or another off brand. It might not have a steel top putting it into the ranks of ASO, or boat anchor/mooring block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Coke Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Greetings Mac, Look under the heel and see if it has a large bump... If so look up Badger anvils.. I think it looks too old for a ASO cast junk anvil.. Just my 2c Forge on and make beautiful things Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Wow the Sears & Roebuck catalog from 100 years ago lists cast iron ASOs in it for the lowest quality tier anvils they sold. How early does it have to be not to be an ASO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 This one looks identical.....It looks like the same thick tool steel face as a Fisher, way thicker than a Vulcan anyway but pictures tell only so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caintuckrifle Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I would say a badger, I have one just like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Thomas, you keep saying that. The 1900 Sears catalog that I have lists steel faced CI anvils as their lowest rung in the kits, something comparable to a Vulcan. They DO list CI hammers, but say that they do not warranty them as they are of inferior quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I'll try to dig out the old catalog reprint we have next time I get home; may be a problem finding it as when we moved we moved 469 boxes of books and that's not one I remember where it went. I do find to hand a picture of the Montgomery Wards 1930 catalog advertising "cast iron Farm Anvils" in Anvils in America page 51 As both companies often had similar goods maybe I need to dig up a slightly under 100 year old copy of the Sears & Roebuck catalog and check out it... However will you take a 1930 catalog selling cast iron anvils as proof that ASOs are not a recent phenomenon? I will change my spiel from S&R to MW until I can dig up further proof...and thank you for calling me on this: factual statements should always be challengeable! Note that a lot of ASOs have a fake cast faceplate on them; you can often tell as it extends out from the sides of the anvil trying desperately to appear as it actually has a plate welded on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 1912 Sears & Roebuck catalog offers "Chilled face cast anvils" up to 100 pounds described as "Like our steel faced cast anvils but without the steel face" The anvils they refer to are described as "Body is made of superior pig iron" https://archive.org/stream/catalogno12400sear#page/1072/mode/2up So 100+ years old, Sears & Roebuck catalog, cast iron anvil: Assertion substantiated! John you satisfied? The cast iron 100# anvil was US$3.40 while the "better" anvils were $6.60 for the 100# steel faced cast iron body anvil and the "best" anvils ran about $10 for a 100 pounder (wrought or steel bodied) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Satisfied! Always good to have more data points. So, sometime between 1900 and 1912 they began offering ASO's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Could be punctuated and 1900 be an "off" year too...I'm just able to touch the top of the alligator pile at work on my tiptoes and they are talking about adding piranha; so someone else needs to nail that down...if anyone is interested I think the reason we don't see many old ASOs is they got broken and scrapped--fairly short use life and a preferential tendency to get donated to scrap drives I'd bet. So an "Artifact of Preservation" . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Thanks all. If it were a Fisher at $120 I would have snagged it but it definitely looks like an old, less than top quality anvil so I'm gonna pass.....It's on Denver CL ............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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