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I Forge Iron

To buy or not to buy


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I am going to look at this anvil today. It is listed at 350$ will multiple other items. The guy told me they are all in working order and that they are just rusty. The anvil is a 202 pound anvil, i can't see any markings on it from the pictures but I am taking a closer look today. I feel as if its a good deal, let me know what you guys think.

 

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You can check the pictures out  The tool face on the anvil appears to have some damage but for the price... i dunno talk to me.

 

 

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The anvil appears to be an early Fisher, straight horn style.  It could date from 1855 roughly to 1875.  The anvil is damaged obviously, missing part of the steel top plate.  It 'could' be repaired, buy only by someone who knows what they are doing repairing FISHER castiron/ steel top anvils.

 

The anvil is usable as is, but you would have to get used to working around the damaged area.  The other tools are rusty, but that is nothing that a wire wheel and time would fix.

 

If it was me, I would pass on the anvil, especially if it is to be your primary one.  The damage is a bit too big and intrudes into the working area too much.  Fixing it costs more $$ and time.

 

My opinion.

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Looks fixable, for me any how -- take a LG ball bearing to ck bounce / rebound

It looks like a mouse hole I just fixed one & posted it just bigger & the horn is not the same design

the price is not bad though !

 

Steve's Welding

 

PS-- if it is a Fisher & MORE important CAST IRON !! that's a problem to fix ! 

        I have a cast fisher here # 400 + Needs a lot of work !! can't get any arc rods to weld to it well 

        & its not worth spendy cast rods    so it sits can you say Boat Anchor :(

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Looks fixable, for me any how -- take a LG ball bearing to ck bounce / rebound

It looks like a mouse hole I just fixed one & posted it just bigger & the horn is not the same design

the price is not bad though !

 

Steve's Welding

 

 

Steve's Welding:  Yes it is fixable, as long as one knows how to weld to the cast iron, then put a good steel top on it.  As I am sure you know, there is a big difference between welding on a forged iron anvil and a cast iron anvil.  And at least for this poster, getting the anvil from Vermont to California and back would cost more than the anvil is worth. 

 

As stated above, I agree with Jim Coke and would look for an anvil in better shape. 

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I have a mouse hole anvil already, arond 120 pounds. I saw this come up on craigslist and I have been wanting another anvil but they are pretty hard to find as you guys know. I dunno what I will do. I am atleast going to look at it since I already told the guy I would come down. Going to do some more research on the anvil and see what I can find out. Thanks for the speedy reply guys!

 

Matt

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Be sure to rebound test around the break. By what I see the face may be delaminating and that is a real problem. The tools are okay but I wouldn't let the seller make much of a bargaining chip out of them, nothing special there. The straight pein looks like a stone dressing hammer which make fine straight pein smithing hammers, I have two and love them. Still, not worth a lot, I'd maybe tell him I'd generously allow a sawbuck for the tongs If he wants to throws the rest in fine but no big deal.

 

I live in Alaska, the almost utter lack of smithing tools state, I've passed on nicer anvils and I have the equipment and know how to weld cast iron. Unless you really need a larger anvil I'd pass. I do almost all my forging on a 125lb. Soderfors and there's a 206lb. Trenton one step away.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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As said the anvil could be better. If this was your first anvil I'd have said to go for it but seeing as you've already got one I'd be inclined to pass. I wouldn't bother personally. 

 

Nothing particularly special about the tools.  Don't really know US prices on that front but would $50 for it all be a good price? They might be worth having at the right price. Depends what you can afford tbh. 

 

Andy

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Didnt buy the anvil! Thanks for your help guys, I just saw it on ebay for 400.00$ now but I don't think he will have any luck selling it, oh well. I had a pretty interesting day on sunday even not buying the anvil.   I went to a family friends house to look at some old blacksmithing items that he had. Once I got to talking to him a little he informed me that his grandpa and his great grandpa were both blacksmiths. One of them was a blacksmith in WWI and the other worked in the blacksmith shop at the Greenbrier Resort, WVA. He was telling me he would work the hand crank blower for his grandpa and remembers having to jump up to get the hand to crank all the way around. I thought I would share with you guys because I really enjoy hearing the stories people have about blacksmith things.   Here are a couple pictures of the items that he had. I don't know what the anvil is but it was pretty stout. Just some tools that his grandpa's made and used during their time. The blower is a Champion #400 all in working order. I gave that thing a couple cranks and man did it put out some air!

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First figure out the exact weight of the anvil.  Then carefully look at the condition.  From the photo, it appears to have a bit of sway on the face?  You can research sold items on EBAY to see what people are willing to pay.  Then ask yourself what you can afford and how much you want it.  Final consideration is what the seller will accept.  Goal is for both of you to to complete a transaction and both still be friends and smiling.

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Just wanted to comment on the original pictures of the early Fisher anvil -- I'll preface this with the fact that I have a few other smaller anvils with good working edges and in generally good shape.

 

In light of that anvil only having one good edge, I would be tempted to overlook that for a little lower price, at least for the size, good horn and (1) edge, and the tools.  As a matter of fact, if you caught me on the right payday, I might be the sucker that would pay asking price.  Its just a matter of opinion for me, but I like the shape of it, it seems to have better mass under the bick and heel than my Hay Budden or Trenton (both 100ish lbs.), and Fishers are hard to come by in OK, at least as far as I can tell.  Let alone an anvil that old.  I'm not saying I think you should have bought it, but if it was presented to me, I would be have bought it.

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Just wanted to comment on the original pictures of the early Fisher anvil -- I'll preface this with the fact that I have a few other smaller anvils with good working edges and in generally good shape.

 

In light of that anvil only having one good edge, I would be tempted to overlook that for a little lower price, at least for the size, good horn and (1) edge, and the tools.  As a matter of fact, if you caught me on the right payday, I might be the sucker that would pay asking price.  Its just a matter of opinion for me, but I like the shape of it, it seems to have better mass under the bick and heel than my Hay Budden or Trenton (both 100ish lbs.), and Fishers are hard to come by in OK, at least as far as I can tell.  Let alone an anvil that old.  I'm not saying I think you should have bought it, but if it was presented to me, I would be have bought it.

 

 

You still can buy it.  It is on an international internet auction site.  There are not bids at that price.

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