Chris Brown Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I have a mouse hole anvil 112lbs how do i know when it was made? The third pic there is some numbers but i cant read them the 4 pic is where the numbers are located and how would i price this? Any help will be greatly appreciated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Price will depend a lot on what country you are in and can vary by more than a dollar a pound just on where in the USA it's at for example---I don't know how the prices range in Australia if that's where you are at. (WORLD WIDE WEB) Does it have a pritchel hole? they generally became standard in the 1820's; but some older ones had them retrofitted. Without more details I would say 19th century and probably second half as the feet are not real small and sharp. Anvils generally don't get a plus on age until before 1800; I still use one from 1828 in my shop on a regular basis. Should be weight stamped in the CWT system: leftmost number x 112 plus middle number x 28 (and can only be 0,1,2,3) plus rightmost number (and it can only be 0-27) Is that 112 a weighed number or just what you were told? I can't get 112 out of the numbers I can see. "guessed weights" are often wrong for anvils which is why we suggest weighing them. Lastly there is no picture of the face of the anvil---that's like trying to sell a car without telling us if the engine runs! Forgot to mention the ball bearing test to check if the anvil has been annealed in a structure fire---drops the price hugely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 That looks like the older brother of my 75lb anvil; If you're in the DC/MD/VA area, PM me, if you're looking to sell... Regards, RF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 On 5/3/2016 at 0:01 PM, ThomasPowers said: Forgot to mention the ball bearing test to check if the anvil has been annealed in a structure fire---drops the price hugely! Have you ever tried to harden & temper an anvil surface? I read about it I believe in Forge-Practice and Heat Treatment of Steel by John Lord Bacon. Looking for the chapter now. I was thinking about trying it with a piece of rail to practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Alexander Weygers gives instructions for hardening and annealing a rail anvil on pages 177-8 of The Complete Modern Blacksmith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigb Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Thanks I'll check it out, I have that book too. Been saving ash for a while, mostly from the charcoal grill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan William Perry Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 You can determine the age by the order of the words I have one similar and it was made in 1820-1835 it is orderd like this. M&H Armatige mouse hole ....... The numbers on the bottom is British stone weight -Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavalife Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 I also have a mouse hole anvil forged in the early 1800s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Anvils don't usually get much of a plus for age until they get before 1800. Lots of "old" ones out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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