Im new to the site & learning a ton...I w ent junkin yesterday and found this...90lb Armatage...I'm so pumed! $160.00

The guy also had a 300lb...er buried in the dirt / weeds he said no way...lol.

How'd I do? Now should I oil it down or what?

Thanks...Bruce

Nice score. She looks good to go to me. Just get a stump or build a stand and get hammering. 

 

How'd I do? Now should I oil it down or what?

Nice find, great price!

I'm just a newbie, but my Mousehole (I believe that's what you've got there. They say M&H Armitage Mouse Hole on the side) sits outside. I cover it with a tarp when I'm done. The rust goes away quickly with a little hammer work.

If you really love the shine, I've heard you can leave an oily rag on the face, but it's nothing more than cosmetic.

It does say mouse hole on the side.

Ive heard that term on here before (MH)...I take it their a decent middle of the road type anvil?

Again, I'm no expert, but my understanding is they're pretty good anvils.

The best anvils would be Hay Budden and Peter Wright and maybe Fisher? Mouse Hole is kind of the class right below that. Good but not the best.

These anvils have a wrought iron base with a forge welded steel plate.

In the end, an anvil is an anvil. Doesn't really matter too much. When you start getting to professional quality anvils, a beginner like you or I probably won't notice the difference between the different brands.

Edited October 19, 201510 yr by falsevacuum

You did good. Mousehole's are an anvil to be proud of. They have a rich history and were around for centuries. That's assuming that yours still has good rebound and wasn't in a barn fire or anything that would have drawn down the hardness.

Bhutton, get the book Mousehole Forge, by Richard Postman.  It's about 108 pages of fantastic reading regarding the old Mousehole Forge where the anvils were made, the local area and the history of the anvils up to the recent owners of the forge.  I have a HB anvil but I enjoyed reading every page of Postman's book.  My son gave it to me along with Postman's Anvils in America, also recommended reading.

Again, I'm no expert, but my understanding is they're pretty good anvils.

The best anvils would be Hay Budden and Peter Wright and maybe Fisher? Mouse Hole is kind of the class right below that. Good but not the best.

These anvils have a wrought iron base with a forge welded steel plate.

In the end, an anvil is an anvil. Doesn't really matter too much. When you start getting to professional quality anvils, a beginner like you or I probably won't notice the difference between the different brands.

Ayup, you're no expert alright. A few makes arguably top your list considerably. You don't even have the facts straight on the ones you do list.

This isn't helpful.

Frosty The Lucky.

Edited October 20, 201510 yr by Frosty

Bhutton, your anvil is the same vintage as my 148 pounder MH, although your stamp is a lot clearer than mine. Mousehole Forge used this stamp from 1820 to 1835 (see this link); the "M&H" stands for Morgan and Henry, the Armitage brothers who ran Mousehole at the time.

And don't let anyone tell you that a MH is anything other than a first class anvil. I've had mine for thirty years, and the only problems I've had with it come from my own lack of skill.

Arkie...I will follow your advice...Sounds very interesting! Looking forward to it...Thanks a bunch!

Falsevacuum...Your advice is helpful to me...Thanks for replying. And I would be in the same boat as you...$160.00 anvil versus a $16,000.00 anvil...My begininer butt wouldnt notice...I just wanna swing and make thunder! LOL Thanks again!

JHCC...I had no idea of age...WOW! Who would have ever guessed? With my skill level being around a #1 im gonna rack up a list of problems...LOL Thank you for your helpful information! 

Frosty...Was that necessary? Well...Come on...Bump your gums some more...Give us some useful information towards this post if your gonna kick some poor guy around the block for trying to be helpful. I know your knowledgeable and have something good to offer.

 

Frosty...Was that necessary? Well...Come on...Bump your gums some more...Give us some useful information towards this post if your gonna kick some poor guy around the block for trying to be helpful. I know your knowledgeable and have something good to offer.

I've nothing useful to add. I apologize for my comment.

Frosty The Lucky.

I've nothing useful to add. I apologize for my comment.

Frosty The Lucky.

hahahaha, I had a little chuckle reading this as I'm sure many others did...I agree with Frosty on his first reply above.....

but I also think/know you have a great anvil there , nice find and congrats 

ps BHutton when your done with the book lend it to falsevacuum so he can flip through it as well, lots of helpful info in there 

I've nothing useful to add. I apologize for my comment.

Frosty The Lucky.

Deb, give Jerry back his computer!

I've nothing useful to add. I apologize for my comment.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thanks. I agree I overstepped my bounds, my mistake. Apologies for that as well.

 

I think you do have something useful to add: better information. 

Naw, I was just feeling crabby and I have a knee jerk reaction to anyone who starts a statement with, "I don't know . . .but in my opinion . . . "  I'm usually better at just moving on you didn't deserve a public putdown.

I'm not an anvil aficionado, I have very basic ratings: How's it's rebound, how's it's face, how're the edges. Other than that doesn't matter to me. Curiosity is a fine thing but age, point of origin, maker, etc. don't have much to do with the working characteristics unless you're shopping long distance. Even then a fire can make the best lineage moot.

Frosty The Lucky.

Even then a fire can make the best lineage moot.

That's true. A friend of mine was sold a total bill of goods on an anvil that was touted as "twice tempered" -- which really meant that it had been in a barn fire and annealed practically to the point of uselessness.

Well I'm more of the school that there are two types of anvils: Good ones and Bad ones.  Doesn't matter what's on the side if it's a good one or if it's a bad one.  Now some makes do have a higher percentage of good ones to bad ones (and some are all bad ones); but judge an anvil by it's rebound and face not the writing on the side!

So workability is what makes an anvil...Totally makes since. I'll have to see if i can measure my bounce / rebound height. (Appears good / fair from what I know)

I was astonded to find out this anvil is more than 150 years old.

Thanks for all the help / info...This is a very informative site!

Exactly, if you're buying a tool the only thing that matters is how well it does the job. Age, make, etc. is interesting but doesn't do a job. A tool's pedigree makes good patter at demos if you run out of things to say. That happened to me once, it still gives me the willies!

J: Amvils have been re-heat treated but it's a serious job of work and you need to know what you're doing. It's doable though but a fire victim anvil would have to come to me at near scrap price and even then figure at least a day just to heat treat. Finding help and prep time is the wildcard.

Frosty The Lucky.

So where is the 300lb one?  If the price per pound is the same...