New to me Trenton Anvil

[EJRailRoadTrack]

After about 2 momths of heavy searching I finnally found a good anvil in good shape. Got in for about 4.30 USD a poundmade in 1898. I believe it is 150 175 pound range. A picture is worth a1000 words  so I'll just show some pictures of it.

-EJ

[Black Frog]

Please take a close-up picture of the Trenton stamp on the side, and the serial number on the front foot under the horn!  I'd like to add this to the database I've got going.

[SReynolds]

That looks exactly like the one I use. Funny. I otta snap a pic and post it up on here. 

I was informed it is a shoers anvil. Can anyone second that? Why the two pritchel holes and i was told the clip to forge a clip. Is that right? Don't some call them caulks?

I'd be interested in knowing what part of the shoe is forged there on side of horn.

[EJRailRoadTrack]

Yes sir it is a shoeing anvil. I believe (don't quote me on it) it makes the table area larger since you are using larger peices of steel. I THINK.

I'd love to see a picture of yours.This is going to be a very fun anvil to make my tools on.

-EJ

[notownkid]

Yup a farrier's anvil.  Clips are on the side or toe to keep the shoe from moving and caulks are on the bottom for traction.  My farrier did clips for years without a proper Farrier's anvil I feel cheated!!!!!!! 

[SReynolds]

Clips are up.....caulks are down.  Got it. Now, how does a farrier use that knub on the side of the horn? 

......and how come folks cannot agree on where the Trenton units were made. This site says Columbus ohio and also Trenton NJ

[Frank Turley]

Hard to describe with words. The "knub" is called a clip horn, even though it is not a horn. A clip can be drawn at the toe or side(s) of the shoe. To begin, the shoe is held at about a 45 degree angle off vertical, foot surface down, ground surface up. A small portion of the foot surface near the outer edge of the shoe is made to contact the far semi-circular edge of the clip horn. Working hot, that portion of the shoe is hammered back into the clip horn. As the hammering continues, the shoe is lowered bit by bit until it is no longer at 45, but plumb, ground surface away from you, foot surface toward you. If all goes well, you will be drawing a relatively thin projection, the clip, over the top of the clip horn. When the shoe is nailed onto the hoof, the clips are visible and are cold hammered toward the hoof wall to conform to the wall angle. Clips do not help hold the shoe on the foot. They keep the shoe from shifting on the foot, especially used on athletic horses, such a hunters, jumpers, and game horses.

After the clip is drawn, an inspection of the shoe's foot surface will show a slight crescent shaped depression which is where some of material came from to form the clip. Lots of farriers did not like this depression; they termed it "gutting out the foot surface." Therefore, most farriers drew their clips off the straight side of the anvil with the ball end of a ball peen hammer or a similar hammer of their liking. This preserved more of the foot surface.

 

 

[SReynolds]

correct. That is what I have seen in the videos, with ball peen hammer, along the side of the anvil. I have always pointed out the farriers anvil to folks(compare it to the other anvils) and mentioned the knub and refer to that as simply the "clip". Thanks. I will use the term "clip horn"

I found a few pics of said anvil. This is some years back and have polished it up. It's still very well worn ...............but I use it quite a bit. I recently remounted it atop a large section of elm.

[arkie]

Gary Huston has a video about making a clipping hammer.  In that video, at about 13:30, he shows how to make a clip on a horseshoe.  He doesn't use an anvil clip horn but rather makes it the old fashioned way on his regular anvil.  I tried three times to post this, but the bugs in the software prevented it...ARGHHHH!!!

Use the link without the quotes.

"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEOLR-j-ANA"