Tubularfab Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Ok, I just looked at this anvil tonight in the dark - by tractor light. It was painted black a long time ago, and now is mostly rust. With the light I had I could find no markings on either side - looked with my eyes and by feel. It has seen a lot of use over time, but is in pretty nice shape. Rebound is not awesome, but there is some. It's fairly quiet. I don't see or feel any casting parting lines. There is no obvious line from a top plate. Please take a look at the pics and toss your opinion out. It would be a nice size increase over my 84lb Wilkinsons, but the appearance is making me think it's a cast copy of a good anvil. I was really rushed looking at it; with a little more time to study it I could have been more confident. So, what's really confusing me - are there ASO's of this size and looking this much like a typical London Pattern anvil out there? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesenish Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 looks alot like a mouse hole (shapewise) but cant really say... is there any markings on it left at all? maybe big dots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDobson Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 looks like a nice used but not abused English anvil. probably a mousehole or wilkinson. has nice edges and as long as it has halfway decent rebound (do a ballbearing test) id say buy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubularfab Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Yep - with the pointed feet it definitely looks like a Wilkinsons or Mousehole. My concern starts with the seller saying he had a few anvils, and a collector had come out to evaluate them. He decided this one was not good, that it was cast iron. Of course they were very hung up on it not ringing. And the seller is not that familiar on this stuff - he could be confused and saying cast iron instead of wrought iron... But, with the seller saying it was not a good anvil... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 You might try giving the anvil a gentle cleaning with a fine wire hand brush, then dusting the sides and feet with flour. Sometimes the markings will pop out then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falsevacuum Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 An ASO will have almost no rebound. I can full force smack my ASO and I get no kick back, it just leaves a dent instead. If it's got very little rebound, it MIGHT have been through a house fire, but that's doubtful. Someone other than me would know better. If you can dribble your hammer on the anvil, I think it's probably fine. (If you hold the hammer loosely and let it drop from maybe 2", does it bounce a couple of times?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 If it is a casting of an old English anvil, it is the best I have ever seen. It would have had to be done by a pretty good foundry man. They also would have had to do a lot of fettling to remove all traces of the mold, and that rarely happens. While some copy the square porter bar holes at the front and rear, under the horn and tail, nobody seems to copy the handling hole in the base. More modern ASOs seem to go for bold false top plates and big square feet. And they never seem to bother to erase the parting lines. While there is some chipping on the edges, it does not seem to be spalling off like cast iron, or even cast steel, like an abused Swedish anvil. I seem to be able to make out some letters and numbers at the waist. I think that it is the real deal, just painted and neglected. Paint and rust will kill rebound, you need a clean suface to test with a hammer or file. A dull file will skate on my Mousehole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matei campan Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 be aware that the rust can affect rebound. the thicker the rust the less rebound. remove the rust as much as you can with a wire-brush or with some sandpaper, so the ball fall on steel. to me that anvil it doesn't look like an ASO. that anvil has seen some use, if it was a ASO, it would be really damaged. the condition shows that it's a very good anvil (if it doesn't have hidden flaws - dellamination, annealed soft, cracks, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Its an early English anvil, not a cast copy. A cast copy would not have the handling holes in the waist and the base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkDobson Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 hey if they think its a no good ASO just use that as your bargaining point. might be able to get it really cheap because of what some collector said. i know id be all over it in a heart beat if it was in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Is the hammer in the picture the hammer you used? Realize that the rebound will vary by what hammer you use. It is legitimate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistedCustoms Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Looks just like my mousehole, not bad condition either. Unless there is a huge crack or weld hiding under the paint/rust I say go for it. Cast iron will have no rebound at all! It looks way to good to be a copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubularfab Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 Yeah - I was halfway there when I remembered I left my hammer next to the door at home. Amazing how easy 3 boys (5, 8, 9) can distract you getting ready to go somewhere! That hammer was one he produced when I asked. There is definitely rebound, just didn't strike me as great. But, I was wondering if the mostly plastic hammer was absorbing some... Looking at the pics I do think I see a 0 where you'd expect to see the "remainder" pounds of the hundred weight. Wirebrushing might reveal more... I think we've agreed on a trade deal, so this weekend I'll be able to study it closer. Thank you for all the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkie Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 This is just a WAG, but the hammer in the picture, the one you tested with, looks a lot like some dead blow hammers I've seen. If so, that would explain the not-so-good rebound. Take a better hammer with you when you return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottMitUns Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 I am fairly sure that is a dead blow ball pien hammer in the picture. try it with a wood handled hammer of the same size and I bet you will have a different outcome. Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubularfab Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 That anvil got away. The owner had agreed on a trade, and then backed out and sold it elsewhere. Overall he was pretty obnoxious to deal with, and I'm not terribly upset to not have to deal with him again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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