24 minutes ago, Page76 said:

I concur... I'd never spend 1200-1600 bucks for an old anvil. Def buy new.

My rail does work fine that's why I'm not in a hurry or anxious to spend a ton of money on something else. Was just wondering if this old turd that I sent pictures of may be worth something.  But after talking to you professionals and finding out there's probably a .5% chance of it not being cast iron I think I'll pass. Thank you everyone

Don't turn your nose up at anything cast iron either though. All the Fishers were cast and they were excellent anvils. It just depends.

Yes that's what I've heard which is one reason I'm trying to get this one identified by some of you professionals. I can't find any pictures anywhere of an anvil that has extruded NO 50 on it

1 minute ago, George Geist said:

All the Fishers were cast and they were excellent anvils.

True, but they also had tool steel faces. 

21 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

$299 wil get an NC 70# regular farriers anvil from Centar forge. The are cast from maluable iron, and have two hardy holes. Not the greatest anvil in world, but comparable to the JHMs I have. 

I know some people like those girly anvils but I don't think of them too far out of the ASO category.

George.. I haven't been on this website long but I think I figured out you are the room know-it-all / troll.... am I right? If you don't have any help or Solutions why comment at all?

4 minutes ago, Page76 said:

George.. I haven't been on this website long but I think I figured out you are the room know-it-all / troll.... am I right? If you don't have any help or Solutions why comment at all?

Okay, hold the phone. George gave you the name and location of a supplier near you and offered his informed opinion about certain kinds of anvils (including a rather dramatic assessment of one brand he does not favor). That's scarcely being unhelpful. 

Let's not start making character judgements about each other -- a little politeness on all sides will make things go easier. Okay?

11 minutes ago, Page76 said:

George.. I haven't been on this website long but I think I figured out you are the room know-it-all / troll.... am I right? If you don't have any help or Solutions why comment at all?

Ok, I'm out. Deal with it yourselves.

George

Page76, I have seen anvils that I would have sworn were cast iron ASOs that turned out to be cast steel and good anvils.  There is that possibility so checking it out is worth it and if it is cast steel and has decent rebound is well worth the money. If it is just cast iron then not so much. I hope for you that it is cast steel. Doesnt hurt to check it out. 

Acualy George isn't that bad, lol. He is giving me a ration. 

George, I couldn't pass on the price when starting out. A 70&120# for $150 from a guy who desided he realy didn't want to work for a living

I might go check it out but the problem is I live an hour away from him. And the guy doesn't know anything About it have zero information about it. Says he bought it in an auction a long time ago and it's just sitting there collecting dust.  Just was hoping to run into some friendly people that could help me out with the subject at hand which is identifying the no 50 on the side and the general shape of it if it's worth looking at didn't mean to turn it into something that it wasn't

Page, it takes an hour just to get from Metrocenter to Cave Creek these days. An hour drive is nothing. Myself I don't think it's more than a 10% an anvil and 90% chance it's a door stop. 

To some an hour isn't a long drive. To others it is. Expense is the same in that regard. If you are patient then someone that knows more may find this thread. That may outlast the offer on the anvil. Several have stated their opinion on it. It's either not worth the drive, worth the drive or worth waiting and the possibility of the offer expiring.  

Good luck in any case.

Charles I totally agree an hour is not that long of a drive for your average person out here.  However  live all the way down in San Tan Valley and I drive to Gilbert every single day to and fro.  And when I get to work I get in a company vehicle and service the entire Valley.  With all that information being said the last thing I want to do on my day off is driving hour up there to look at it and an hour back empty-handed or being ripped off.. thanks guys again for your input I think you've talked me out of it and I think that's a good thing.

I grew up in AZ, out in Cave Creek Daz

Joy, joy Page. That's a heck of a commute. Drive out to Cave Creek and treat your SO to lunch at Harold's and enjoy the Blacksmith porn. 

Greetings ,

    THIS OLD BOYS RULES ON ANVIL PURCHASES...

   ( 1 )  Establish a budget and anvil size you wish

   ( 2 )  Double number 1 

   ( 3 ). Keep the cash in your pocket  

   ( 4 )  When talking to people always change the subject to blacksmithing and anvils.

   ( 5 )  If a prospective anvil purchase does not feel right walk away another may show up tomorrow..

 

    Good luck on the hunt

     Forge on and make beautiful things    

      Jim

I grew up in Illinois. Been out here for 8 years and absolutely love it.  No regrets. I think by the time Arizona got populated blacksmithing was a thing of the past and they left their old chunks of Steel out east and South and Midwest.  Very hard to come by and when you do find out they are around $1,000 Mark or higher.

4 minutes ago, Jim Coke said:

Greetings ,

    THIS OLD BOYS RULES ON ANVIL PURCHASES...

   ( 1 )  Establish a budget and anvil size you wish

   ( 2 )  Double number 1 

   ( 3 ). Keep the cash in your pocket  

   ( 4 )  When talking to people always change the subject to blacksmithing and anvils.

   ( 5 )  If a prospective anvil purchase does not feel right walk away another may show up tomorrow..

 

    Good luck on the hunt

     Forge on and make beautiful things    

      Jim

Love it!  seems like great words to live by for the Anvil Hunter

19 minutes ago, Charles R. Stevens said:

I grew up in AZ, out in Cave Creek Daz

Joy, joy Page. That's a heck of a commute. Drive out to Cave Creek and treat your SO to lunch at Harold's and enjoy the Blacksmith porn. 

Never heard of it.  But you got my attention!  I'll be looking into it.  Love cave Creek and fountain hills area! *Tips hat*

And as Thommas Powers said, ask every one. The cashier, the school teacher, the preacher, clients every one!

acualy when I was. Kid in school, APS still had a blacksmith at the Dear Vally maintimate yard weld shop. Most of the copper mines had boacksmith shops as well. The issue right now is that peaple aren't as densely packed out west and forged in fire is fueling a feading frenzy in the market. 

Simply adjust your image from 200 years of blacksmithing history to 2000 years. A 4x4 or 6x6 block is an anvil. Add a bick and a portable hole and your off to the races

Nope it wasn't the time period it was the population density.  Back in Ohio you might get 4 farms to a section each one with an anvil to make repairs on stuff; out this away I know a fellow with over 100 sections in his ranch and *1* anvil---with quite a history to it too!  So that's more like a 400 to 1 ratio.

I actually picked up an anvil that came from an AZ copper mine. 410# trenton; bought it just outside it's original birthplace, Columbus OH,  Fellow sold it to me for about 50 cents a pound as he was not a smith and was tired of moving it when he moved. (was mainly a trade deal; I traded him a 125# PW, screw and screwbox for a postvise and US$100 for boot, what I paid for the trade goods is left as an exercise for the student...) Of course it had some injuries from mine maintenance morons with air arc gougers and I moved it back out to NM (has at least 5000 miles on it by now) and had it fixed at an anvil repair day we had down here...

I have friends who go up into the mountains metal detecting around old mining camps; they've spotted several anvil abandoned when the seam ran out.

Remember any old industry generally had a full smithing set up" I personally know of a sugar refinery in KC and a glass works in Arkansas and even old auto repair places---got a 6" postvise from an auto repair place shutting down whose auction ad mentioned they had been in the same place since 1918...Old farm welding shops in rural towns can be a good place to ask---even if you have to eat a piece of chocolate pie and have a cup of coffee at the local diner to find out who owns that deserted building these days...

Hello,

I'm just curious if the anvil with the raised marking No. 50 was ever identified? 

Welcome aboard... Have you read this yet? READ THIS FIRST

If you had read the thread from the beginning, you would know, it has not been identified and probably never will be.