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I Forge Iron

My First Anvil, 200lb Fisher-Norris.....Buyers Remorse??


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56 minutes ago, JSlayer said:

@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

Got it.  We will get this out tomorrow morning.  Thanks for supporting the museum.

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Honestly, that's a great anvil.  You paid a fair price for it and I certainly wouldn't feel bad to pay eight bills for an anvil of that size and quality.

You've got a Fisher that's in almost new condition and a perfect size for all the work you could want to do.  Fisher anvils are, in my estimation, simply the best ever made.  Call me biased all you want, but I'm sticking by that claim.  Nice and quiet to work on without having to add magnets or wrap it in miles of chain -- and that's worth a fortune to me!

It's an heirloom tool that will outlive you yet needs no annual maintenance other than a quick wipe down with an oily rag.  As long as you take care of it, you can turn around and sell it in a few years for at least half what you paid.  That basically means you got to use it all those days for just pennies a month.

No matter how you cut it, you've got a great tool that's filled with history.  Honor it by doing the best work that you can.

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You might even say you got a great bargain. 150 year old Fisher anvil in like new condition. What else can you think of that's a 150 years old and in like new condition? You can work on that the rest of your life, pass it on to your kids, they use it all their lives and pass it on to their kids. And it could still look like new a 150 years from now. It becomes the family heirloom "Grampa's anvil" with stories to go with it. Priceless.

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Thanks guys! Here are the before and after cleaning side by side pics. I did exactly as instructed, I hit it with the wire wheel and wiped it down with some light oil.

I'm extremely happy with how this all turned out. I can't thank you all enough for the knowledge and encouragement.

Best Regards,

Jason

Before & After Right.jpg

Before & After left.jpg

Before & After Face.jpg

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  • 5 months later...

Hello J.  Great anvil you have there.  I recently acquired a Fisher as well however mine is only 130#.  njanvilman says mine is a first generation ( Late 1840's - early 1850's) .  I finally got the stand built and the anvil wire wheeled and coated with linseed oil.  So far I love it.  Good find!

IMG_20171118_113036133.jpg

IMG_20171118_113044746.jpg

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  • 6 years later...

I’ve read that these anvils area cast iron mostly but the top ( work surface) is a steel plate . It was built this way in purpose to take the “ping” out of it. I have one that is in great condition that my great grandfather used on a covered wagon in west Texas . He would travel to nearby ranches as a farrier and blacksmith. The anvil had the eagle and a 200 stamp. 

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Welcome aboard Brent, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you'll have a better chance of hooking up with members living within visiting distance and location has a lot to do with tool, equipment, supply, etc. availability and price.

Fisher anvils were steel face and horn face on cast iron body more for economy than to mute the ring. Wrought iron anvil bodies are labor intensive and time consuming where once molds and patterns were developed casting iron and welding the steel face in the mold were much less expensive. 

The muting effect of the difference in resonant frequencies of cast iron and hardened steel wasn't anticipated but Fisher sure took advantage of the serendipity. 

Congratulations on gaining a family heirloom. Take care of it and your great grandchildren will be able to brag about it while making stuff with it. 

We LOVE photos, post a few please. :)

Frosty The Lucky.

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