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I Forge Iron

1886 Buffalo Skillet/Forge


BIGFO0T

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Hello, I wanted to post this on the forums because I have a lot of questions and I'm sure someone will know the answers. I tried to look up some information up online with no luck.

So here you guys go:

1: Is this piece rare and desired by the blacksmithing community?

2: How much would this piece be sold for?

3: What is the history behind this piece if any?

Thank you so much for your time and if you want I'd be more than happy to reply to anything said.

 

Mitch

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first off. this is probably located in the wrong area.. 

 

but since I'm here..   It' worth is only what someone is willing to pay for it.. 

 

it's not in good condition.. The forge pan is cracked, the tuyere is split apart.. Basically as it sits now it is not usable.. It  would need a lot of work.. 

It was originally designed to work with clay as the forge liner.

 

This was more than likely an Agricultural model vs used in a full time blacksmith shop.. Though it has some size to it so maybe a combination of both though back then most were running brick forges.. 

 

I'm sure someone will be along who might have more info.. Buffalo forge I have quite a bit of info on so this isn't in my files.. 

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You want that in Peso's or Euro's? Cause not knowing which of the 150 countries that participate in these forums makes it hard to give you an estimate.

Not rare and not particularly desirable in that condition; As a smith I wouldn't pay over US$20 for it myself.  If it was in mint condition then US$100 to $200

Probably used for fairly light duty smithing; when I lived in Ohio, USA pretty much every old barn had one for repairs with the bigger or more complex jobs were sent out to the professional blacksmith shop.

Current status would be best used as a garden display item.

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It has a different ratcheting system than I've ever seen on a pump forge before, so that makes it 'rare'. However, rare in terms of the many many forges available? no. 

As to the history, probably made small farm repairs for a farm blacksmith, hence the crack- or the cracking forge table could be due to time, so perhaps its seen some time outside unused. 

 

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25 minutes ago, Ridgewayforge said:

It has a different ratcheting system than I've ever seen on a pump forge before, so that makes it 'rare'. However, rare in terms of the many many forges available? no. 

As to the history, probably made small farm repairs for a farm blacksmith, hence the crack- or the cracking forge table could be due to time, so perhaps its seen some time outside unused. 

 

Thank you for your input! Just thought it might be something because of the date, ya know?

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48 minutes ago, BIGFO0T said:

Thank you for your input! Just thought it might be something because of the date, ya know?

It is something..  it's a nice old forge that if it could speak would tell of a birth a life and now maybe a new chance at helping someone else fulfill their desire to heat metal and bang on it..  or it might become a plant holder which to me is a death sentence. ...

 

If you are looking to sell it put 100.00 on it and be willing to take less..  or find a local blacksmith organization and see if they want it..   

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18 minutes ago, jlpservicesinc said:

It is something..  it's a nice old forge that if it could speak would tell of a birth a life and now maybe a new chance at helping someone else fulfill their desire to heat metal and bang on it..  or it might become a plant holder which to me is a death sentence. ...

 

If you are looking to sell it put 100.00 on it and be willing to take less..  or find a local blacksmith organization and see if they want it..   

Thanks man. I agree with not appreciating the history of it.

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33 minutes ago, BIGFO0T said:

Thanks man. I agree with not appreciating the history of it.

The questions you asked sounded like you were looking for information on it to sell it..

 

If you are looking for the information for yourself because you groove on it.  Then it's a whole different story..  

If this is the case..  then let it be known you want to use this and it's not for sale.   And then does anybody have suggestions on how to line it for use...

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11 minutes ago, jlpservicesinc said:

The questions you asked sounded like you were looking for information on it to sell it..

 

If you are looking for the information for yourself because you groove on it.  Then it's a whole different story..  

If this is the case..  then let it be known you want to use this and it's not for sale.   And then does anybody have suggestions on how to line it for use...

Do you think it can still be used?! 

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100+ year old equipment is common in smithing.  I have a William Foster anvil dated to 1828 and a post vise dated to pre-1800 that I use on a regular basis.  Seems like much blacksmithing stuff "wears like iron!"

To research stuff look for patent numbers/dates that can be researched online for US patents; also look for examples shown in historic Sears & Roebuck catalogs that are also available online.

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20 minutes ago, BIGFO0T said:

Yes. The fan blades have seen better days.

Seen better days is a broad description, are they rusty but still there? Parts rusted off? Would it hold up to use?  Restoration of a blower can be a little tricky let alone finding/ fixing some of the parts.  The pan could be patched and clay lined. The tuyere could be bolted back together and patched if needed. Upon other repairs.  It really depends on what you want to invest into it, and how far you want to go with it. 

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43 minutes ago, Daswulf said:

Seen better days is a broad description, are they rusty but still there? Parts rusted off? Would it hold up to use?  Restoration of a blower can be a little tricky let alone finding/ fixing some of the parts.  The pan could be patched and clay lined. The tuyere could be bolted back together and patched if needed. Upon other repairs.  It really depends on what you want to invest into it, and how far you want to go with it. 

Oh sorry about that. Yes they are pretty rusted but in its current state the wheel and belt still turn and the blower still produces air flow. And the blades could be cleaned up a bit.

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Claying a fire pot/ pan have been covered pretty extensively on other threads here. I'd look into those. 

I don't know if you have done much if any work with sheet metal patching, welding or whatnot.  I would assess the best way to patch the pan to help hold the tuyere in place securely. Sometimes a little disassembly is required to clean and assess where it's at. If you aren't comfortable with it maybe talk to a fabricator about it. 

As for the patent # Thomas mentioned look the thing over. Looked like the blower had some info on it. It would really help you to know what Was there to give it a good repair back to usable condition. 

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