I finally took the plunge and bought my first anvil. It's a 200lb Fisher-Norris "Eagle". The auctioneer called it a "city" anvil because due to the manufacturing process it doesn't have the telltale high pitched ring. At least that's what he said. I think I may have gotten caught up in the bidding and overpaid a bit for this, but it's really what I was looking for, so I'm telling myself it's OK.

I know it's worth is in the eye of the beholder, so I'm not asking if I got a good deal or a bad deal, I'm asking if you would pay $800 for this anvil?

Do we have any Fisher experts in our midst? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

It's a tool that will last your lifetime and many others. The face looks to be in great shape.. I'm sure it will pay for itself with the work you produce on it, And if you decide to sell it again Call That auctioneer lol.  don't worry about it. It's a great usable anvil. Use it in good health.

And yes there is a Fisher expert here among us.  I'm sure he will post on this soon enough.

 

It's in very good shape (not mint but pretty darn good), nice size, collectable name.  That was a fair price.  

34 minutes ago, JSlayer said:

Do we have any Fisher experts in our midst?

Allow me to introduce you to @njanvilman

Anvil purchase can be an emotional business, if you add the pressure of an auction things get easily out of hand. 

Not saying you paid too much, since it depends where you are located. There are folks who would sell 200 pounds anvil for $2000 in Australia, and a quarter of that price in the UK with a bit of luck. 

You paid $4 a pound, sort of average price I think. 

I once bought an anvil on line without looking into it much. It is a Kohlswa and it was listed as 40 kilos yet when I got it it was 40 pounds  It's my smallest anvil and I like it a lot.

Depends a lot on where you are from.

 

Here in north-eastern US.  The average asking price for anvils is usually 4-6 per pound, no matter what make and condition.  That said, the sellers will usually take a lower price after about a month or two.  The average buying price here tends to be around 3-5 per pound.   I would say you did not get a "deal", but you did not get taken either.  You paid the average price for a nice, big, good brand anvil.

Your anvil looks to be in great shape. It is a good size too, for a hobby shop anvil.  If you ever get into doing demos or traveling, you can always look for a 2nd smaller anvil.  This one should last your lifetime and your children's. 

Enjoy it. It's yours now anyway.

Good anvil, good size, good price. No cause for remorse. 

Good score, excellent condition, very good anvil, good size, good price. The auctioneer did you a favor saying or implying the lack of ring was somehow a down check. (snicker) Though "City Anvil" is a good moniker they're quieter which makes them even more desirable. 

My only disappointment would have been you outbidding me.

Frosty The Lucky.

That looks like an early Fisher to me from the shape of the horn, mine has more belly to it and it was made in 1907. Mine is 260# and I love how quiet it is compared to my other anvils. 

Do you see a date cast into it?

$4/lb isn't bad at all for that anvil!

Mm ... something missing here ... no mention of restoring it?

Looks like a decent deal, they are great anvils and no they do not ring too loud, you will enjoy it, I really like mine.

Doug

Your anvil was made in the 1870's in Trenton, NJ.  Your anvil is just about 150 years old.  It is in terrific shape.  Good edges, flat faceplate, and no breaks.  You paid a fair price.  Others might chime in about a "score" or terrific deal they got. Ignore them.   This is your tool now, use it for a lifetime, then sell it for more than you paid for it.  

If you want any other information about Fisher anvils, either ask here or contact me on FaceBook at my site: Fisher & Norris Factory Museum.  There are lots of pictures and information posted there.

Thank you all for the feedback. There were a few people at the auction that commented they couldn't believe the anvil sold for that price and it had me wondering if I overpaid. Reading all your comments really puts my mind at ease.

@njanvilmanThank you for the information on my anvil. 1870's!!!! WOW! I had no idea. I don't want to do anything to hurt it, so would it be bad to try and remove the red paint? Is a wire wheel out of the question? I was hoping to uncover any other markings that might be hidden, but don't want to be excessive with the cleaning process. I've done nothing to this point, so I defer to your expertise.

I liked your page on Facebook and I'd like to order a Fisher shirt to help support the museum. Thanks again!

Best Regards,

Jason

Nice anvil! Looks like it will only need a light wire wheeling and probably most of the red paint will come off. If you soak a rag with acetone and wipe the painted area first it should soften the paint and probably take some off as well, assuming its just spray paint.

As Frozenfoge said, go ahead and remove the paint and gently wire wheel the anvil.  Then coat it with a light oil, or boiled linseed oil.  Then put it to work.

I doubt you will find any other markings.  But you never know.  Be sure to check the base also.  Fisher first started dating anvils on the base in 1879 and 1880.  After that they were under the heel.

All the information for ordering shirts is in the post on the FB site.  Any questions, ask away.

On 6/18/2017 at 1:24 PM, njanvilman said:

As Frozenfoge said, go ahead and remove the paint and gently wire wheel the anvil.

I wire wheeled the anvil today and I tried to be gentle, but there were a few spots I had to be a little more aggressive to get the rust off. I finally had to force myself to stop before the OCD wore that anvil down to a 100lb'er.

 

Very nice indeed. Give it a coat of wax or oil (some folks here like automatic transmission fluid; don't ask me why), and you'll be good to go.

On 6/18/2017 at 1:24 PM, njanvilman said:

I doubt you will find any other markings.  But you never know.  Be sure to check the base also.  Fisher first started dating anvils on the base in 1879 and 1880.  After that they were under the heel.

I didn't see any additional "markings" per say, but I did find something I didn't see before. There are two square holes on either end of the anvil, just above the waist, in the body. They were full of dirt and grease, but when I cleaned them out they are almost the exact same size. Also found a bunch of gouges under the base. I don't know if that was done for a reason by the manufacturer or afterwards by the owner. Not sure why someone would do that? Testing tools maybe? Any ideas?

@njanvilman can correct me on this, but I believe those gouges are from where the gating was cut off the final casting.

Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but I believe they were used during the production of the anvil.

I believe this picture show these holes in action.

 

Oh my, grinding on the face of an anvil.

The "gouges" around the two square holes and on the base are from impurities and turbulence, and shrinkage in the molten iron when pouring.  They are nothing to be concerned about.  The square holes were used to handle the anvil during grinding and finishing operations.

On 6/19/2017 at 3:02 PM, Kaleb said:

Somebody correct me if I am wrong but I believe they were used during the production of the anvil.

I believe this picture so these holes in action

That's a great picture! Thanks for sharing.

On 6/17/2017 at 10:41 PM, BIGGUNDOCTOR said:

Do you see a date cast into it?

Even after cleanup, I found no dates anywhere on the anvil.

njanvilman -  I wanted to confirm, I just sent payment through PayPal with my order in the comments section. I hope that was the right thing to do. Let me know if you have any questions.

Best Regards,

Jason