Just picked up this lovely anvil and can't wait to use it, got everything you can see in the picture for €400, the anvil is made by firminy in 1906, It's 156 kg and in very good condition, the gentleman sold it to me at a good rate as he knew I would use it and not stick it in a garden, I think I have a bargain, what do you think 

That's a deal for sure in my opinion. Beauty of an anvil too. Nice! 

Looks lovely; quick resuscitate it by pounding on some red hot steel on it's face!!!!!

Very ornamental as well.  Did you buy the postvise as well? 

It came with it, along with 34 pairs on tongs and other tools. I was stunned when he gave me that price I couldn't pay him quick enough.

Welcome aboard Jason, 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.

That's a heck of a nice score on the anvil, good price and great condition. Have you done a rebound test?

I see we were typing at the same time and just read your reply. HOLY MACKEREL! That's an all time SWEET score!

Frosty The Lucky.

Good for you! If you can contact him again I would make him something as a thank you gift. 

I have given away items , or sold at cost that I could have sold for more when I figured it was going to a good home. I have also received good deals that way too. I figure what goes around, comes around. 

I believe the same, that anvil will never be sold again, it will be used by me and when I cannot use it any longer will be given to another blacksmith, and yes as soon as my forge is up and running I will make him a gift, he also gave me a coin for luck, this will be placed under the anvil, call me a sentimental old fool but it feels right. 

Nice purchase! I like the sentiment.

My Grampa always insisted that if someone gifts you something sharp - a knife, scissors, or whatnot - you give them a piece of silver in return - usually a coin. The premise being that then the gift would not cut the ties of friendship. Don't know where that comes from, but I always followed it.

10 hours ago, John in Oly, WA said:

Nice purchase! I like the sentiment.

My Grampa always insisted that if someone gifts you something sharp - a knife, scissors, or whatnot - you give them a piece of silver in return - usually a coin. The premise being that then the gift would not cut the ties of friendship. Don't know where that comes from, but I always followed it.

It is a tradition in the UK, and here in France to, if someone gifts you a knife you must give them a silver coin 

Jason, do you know anything more about the origin of giving the silver coin? Would be interesting to know the background on it.

Gifting a knife, or a wallet is seen as bad luck over here in sunny england; the token silver coin makes it a transaction and presumably circumvents any erroneous luck

I have heard that you should ask for a penny in exchange for a gifted knife.  Here in New England we have similar but slightly divergent and somewhat more diverse folklore.   Personally I like T Of N's explanation.

My mother told me the same about giving a penny when you are gifted a knife or blade. I don't know the history of it. 

very nice haul especially knowing what people ask for some worn out tongs on "le bon coin". 

the anvil looks to be in very good condition. did you try the rebound? nice size, nice weight once you have it in its proper place.

I gave a knife to a German friend of mine once who introduced me to the tradition of making the gift a transaction by paying a token coin for the knife. He told me he picked it up when he sailed the oceans after setting of from home when about 16 years old. he is 80 now.

His explanation, you do not give "a weapon" you can only buy or make one it should be your choice and not a gift. I picked this tradition up since it made sense to me and when I would ask people for a coin in exchange for a knife, some would understand it as "avoiding the cutting of a friendship " tradition and some would not understand at all but nobody other than my buddy ever gave me the "weapon" explanation.  

My (second) French anvil is close to 95% rebound. About as good an anvil you can get and the shape in lovely to work on. The feet are starting to go a bit dodgy now though so I try to keep the work light.

On 7/22/2017 at 0:08 PM, Daswulf said:

My mother told me the same about giving a penny when you are gifted a knife or blade. I don't know the history of it. 

It's an old superstition. A knife is a weapon and can be misused. If you gift a knife that is later used for the wrong purpose you would probably feel responsible. if the receiving party buys it off you even for a token amount, it is not longer a gift. A bit out there but in Europe it extends to other objects like ties you can hang yourself with (apparently) or handkerchiefs that can bring tears ... just a superstition with not much logic to it.  

 

Lovely anvil Jason, hope to see it polished with elbow grease