Lindsay Baker Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I am attempting to track the origin of this Anvil It has a W embossed on the side of it along with the letters AN 200. Can anyone help me with this? Lindsay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Welcome aboard Lindsay glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. I don't know anything about the trade mark but can make a couple educated guesses about what really counts. Utility. It's obviously cast which can be good or bad, depending. Have you been able to do a rebound test? Tap it with a small smooth faced hammer and estimate how much energy is returned by how lively it bounces? Or drop a ball bearing on it and estimate the % it bounces back. The rebound an anvil displays how much energy it returns to the work from underneath. The higher the incident of rebound the more efficiently an anvil moves metal. Some cast anvils are junk, some are as good as it gets and it ranges between, more junkers being made every day. Some like Fisher, have a steel face foundry welded on a cast iron body. Fisher's are quiet by anvil standards while still being high quality anvils. Where that one lays I can't say couldn't without laying hands and a rebound test on it. It's condition looks very good, not pristine but very good. Also someone put a lot of time and effort into that stand which tells me it was a working anvil and not likely junk. Thinking about it a little more and I suppose it could be a closed die forging which could produce the cast appearing trademark and "probable" model designation A N and weight(maybe), 200. Oh, just a last bit of curiosity on my part. You wouldn't be the Lindsay I had the honor of teaching a little blacksmithing to would you? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Location will play a part as well in identification. If I ask you to help identify a car telling you it's in Moscow Russia will probably slant it away from being a Ford... Does the anvil weigh 200 pounds or KG? If it was in the USA I would guess it's a West cast steel anvil; though their logo is listed as a W in an inverted triangle---might be a case where they had to switch logos as infringing on the Trenton trademark and so the earlier ones.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Baker Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 Thanks for your replies gents. My location is Edmonton Alberta Canada. I have talked with the longest serving employee here, who has just retired after 47 years. He told me that the anvil was left on the current site after the demolition of a large working blacksmith shop around 1947 or so. I'm familiar with the rebound and ring of a good anvil, so I took my trusty ball pein hammer and was treated to a resounding ring and at least an 80% rebound. 15 hours ago, Frosty said: Welcome aboard Lindsay glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. I don't know anything about the trade mark but can make a couple educated guesses about what really counts. Utility. It's obviously cast which can be good or bad, depending. Have you been able to do a rebound test? Tap it with a small smooth faced hammer and estimate how much energy is returned by how lively it bounces? Or drop a ball bearing on it and estimate the % it bounces back. The rebound an anvil displays how much energy it returns to the work from underneath. The higher the incident of rebound the more efficiently an anvil moves metal. Some cast anvils are junk, some are as good as it gets and it ranges between, more junkers being made every day. Some like Fisher, have a steel face foundry welded on a cast iron body. Fisher's are quiet by anvil standards while still being high quality anvils. Where that one lays I can't say couldn't without laying hands and a rebound test on it. It's condition looks very good, not pristine but very good. Also someone put a lot of time and effort into that stand which tells me it was a working anvil and not likely junk. Thinking about it a little more and I suppose it could be a closed die forging which could produce the cast appearing trademark and "probable" model designation A N and weight(maybe), 200. Oh, just a last bit of curiosity on my part. You wouldn't be the Lindsay I had the honor of teaching a little blacksmithing to would you? Frosty The Lucky. Hi Frosty. No Sorry not the same Lindsay that you recall from your blacksmithing lessons. This Anvil has a nice ring and at least 80% rebound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 I didn't think you were the same Lindsay but you never know. Just telling us where you are in a post isn't going to do much if any good, we aren't going to remember after we move onto the next one. It sounds like a nice anvil, let us know how it works for you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Baker Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 Thanks Frosty I have spent several hours on the internet searching for the manufacturer of this anvil. Any Ideas as to what else I could try? Lindsay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 I would suggest you call Richard Postman and talk to him directly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Baker Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 Is there a phone number available where I could reach him at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 55 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: I would suggest you call Richard Postman and talk to him directly! Speaking of Richard Postman, I got my copy of Anvils In America this week, the reference book often mentioned on IFI that 9 of 10 people say "I've got to get a copy....someday" It's a great reference work and was worth every penny. I got the hardcover and it's printed on quite heavy paper and well bound. If any IFI members can swing the cost and have been pondering a copy, I do recommend putting a little forge heat under it in your priority list. Pass on the over-roasted crappy $ 5 Starbuck's coffee a few times (one could make better coffee with forge coal) and make it happen. You won't regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 15, 2016 Share Posted April 15, 2016 Well I've always hauled any anvils I had questions about to Quad-State and talked with him there but I know others have used the phone system... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darious Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 it looks to be the trademark from JH williams and company circa 1915. I would start there Found it on Alloy-Artifacts.org if that helps at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Typically if it is solid cast it will have more of a thud or a "tink" so its good that it has a ring to it- or at least that's how the harbor freight ones are. Man that spring in the back round is BIG! Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 On 5/11/2016 at 4:39 PM, littleblacksmith said: Typically if it is solid cast it will have more of a thud or a "tink" so its good that it has a ring to it- or at least that's how the harbor freight ones are. Man that spring in the back round is BIG! Littleblacksmith Actually solid steel cast anvils will drive you out of the shop with their ring ask Frosty about his Soderfors. my cast steel Refflinghaus sound like a church bell. An anvil like a fisher that is partially cast iron will have a thud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Ling Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Thanks for correcting me, I had the harbor freight anvils in mind when I was writing that. Littleblacksmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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