Jump to content
I Forge Iron

Recommended Posts

Hello, All:

 

I will I'll start by saying I'm a long-time reader but I haven't posted a thread until now.

I picked up this blackjack anvil the other day and was hoping someone with more knowledge than I could help me with a few things. Mainly:

I've read in other threads that Hay Budden is the only manufacturer that puts serial numbers on the waist of the anvil. So is this blackjack a piece that was made by Hay Budden for a small shop back in the day?

From the serial number, approximately when was this anvil crafted? The serial number listed is 138625.

Also, I'm curious about condition and whether or not this will be a serviceable anvil and/or whether it's worth it from a cost perspective to repair it.

From my untrained eye, the face appears to be flat, the sides are not straight/flat; most have been damaged over the years. The hardie hole appears to be in good shape as does the horn.

When I turn the anvil over, there appears to be a crack in the bottom. I'm not sure if that indentation in the bottom was a part of HB manufacturing or if it was adder later to attempt to stabilize the crack.

There are also a few areas around the base where the metal doesn't look right. It looks as if some gum welds were done. I've tried to photograph that also (visible on the third to last photo on the back of the anvil)

Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated:

 

 

 

IMG_0560.JPG

IMG_0562.JPG

IMG_0563.JPG

IMG_0567.JPG

IMG_0568.JPG

IMG_0569.JPG

IMG_0571.JPG

IMG_0572.JPG

IMG_0573.JPG

IMG_0574.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see anything that needs fixing on that anvil.  Looks good for another 100 years. Trying to repair it will most likely lower it's value.  What is it that you think needs to be repaired to make it usable? Sharp edges on an anvil are a bad thing, even books on blacksmithing written 125 years ago say that!  and PLEASE NO GRINDING OR MILLING ON THE FACE!

As to it's serviceability as an anvil you need to do 2 tests: ring test.  This type of anvil should have a clear TING when tapped with a hammer with it not being clamped down to kill the ring. If it doesn't ring then there is a hidden crack and many times it can be issues with delamination of the face or a crack at the heel or horn weld. The second test is the ball bearing test.  This shows if the anvil has lost it's face hardness due to being in a structure fire.

The base is a standard HB type hourglass indentation with a standard handling hole in the middle of it.  There does seen to be a bit of a cold shut along the inner edge of the Hourglass but does not look like it has any effect on the usability of the anvil.

In your photos I do not see any serial numbers on the waist but I do see a serial number on the front foot.  I can name several manufacturers that put a serial number there, it's not specific to HB.  

138625 would have been made in 1907.  Remember that the older anvils were forge welded up from chunks of wrought iron and after a length of times those weld lines can start to show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome aboard Swinger, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the Iforge gang live within visiting distance.

I don't see anything in the pics that'd make me want to do anything with that beautiful old lady but beat hot steel on her. That'll put a proper shine on her face. Like Thomas said that bit of gnarlyness under the foot looks to be a cold shut made while forging, think rolling the edge on a knife blade. It's nothing, not even cosmetic unless you display your anvil upside down.

Mount her up and put her to work she has a couple few generations of solid hard work in her, easy.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, ThomasPowers!

I greatly appreciate the input. I wanted to make sure the issues I was seeing were typical on an anvil of this age, and have no desire to take power tools or abrasives to this anvil.

In all of the buying guides I read about not buying anvils that had a lot of chipping or delaminations. I didn't see any big delaminations, just a lot of chipping which had me concerned, which is where my condition related concerns and questions came from. I'm relieved to hear this isn't an issue. I am planning on picking up a bearing this week so I can test out it's rebound and have used a small hammer to make sure it rang, which it did just like a bell. The rebound with that hammer was also nice.

I don't think the fourth to last photo shows it well, but in the very center of the bottom of the Enville it looked like a crack at formed on either side of the hole. Is this an improper weld or an actual crack? Would additional photos help or can you identify it from what I've already provided?

Thank you for dating it, based on the serial number on the front foot.

 

Thank you, Frosty! I will make sure to add my location in the future (Eastern Washington). I'm looking forward to beating some steel on her as soon as I can scrounge up the parts to make a forge or finding An assembled gas or charcoal forge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rings like a bell says that that crack is NOT a problem.  And I see only pretty minor chipping myself save for that one spot on the left edge (when looking at the anvil from the horn end) and even that is not in a heavy use area and not as bad as many I have seen.

Not directed at you; but Folks if any little problem or flaw on your anvil disturbs you; please think of taking up machining as a hobby instead of blacksmithing.  OCD is a *virtue* in machining!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take another look at the cold shut under the foot and compare it to the things you keep calling cracks. Those are a couple more inconsequential sold shuts. 

Step back and take an overall look at the bottom. Doesn't it look like someone was bouncing a ball in a mud hole? The hammer and tool being used to form that section was mooshing yellow hot iron like it was pudding. They didn't clean up the cold shuts like those because they don't have any effect on performance.

When you pick up a bearing ball don't get a 1" or larger one. 1/2" is more than large enough to ignore minor imperfections in the face and bounce reasonably straight back. Pick up a couple few, you're likely to lose one, every ding makes for a wild bounce.

Frosty The Lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...