Dave M Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 It breaks my heart every time I drive by some yuppie house or fake farm that has perfect anvil just sitting on a stump or rock or just sticking out of the dirt rotting away . There are so many blacksmiths that could put these to good use and they would be used for many years . These are the same people who drive the prices up at the auctions because Betty Big Bucks thinks " boy that anvil and leg vise will make my house look like a cute little farm. Boy I need some cheese to go with my whine. . A 200+lb. trenton is what set me off this morning, just sticking out of the snow and mud infront of a condo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 i know what you mean. Or here there sitting in barns rusting away and the owner won`t sell cause:mad: " they use it to keep the door shut " , :mad:Local Farmer. I told him I`d build him a latch for the door but no it was even negotiable. LOl Thanks,Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I really like when they say "Oh, I can't sell that, I keep that around to bang steel around on." So I ask "Oh, you have a forge?" and the reply is "What's a forge?" :mad: Or the best one I've heard yet: "I really couldn't sell/trade/part with that anvil, Uncle "Insertnamehere" used to use that to fix stuff around the homeplace with it. But he's been gone 20+ years now. I think I will keep it for a little while longer.":o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I hear those ALOT:mad::mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I go to an old iron site occassionally and a collector there blamed the high price of anvils on us . hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 WHAT!!!!! Are you joking Bruce? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dablacksmith Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I hear people all the time talking about my brother father unkle ect was a blacksmith and died .I always ask what happened to his tools .. The usual answer is "oho we just gave um away " or "we are keeping them to remember him by" usually they are rusting in some field ... I keep asking tho cause I want to be the guy they "give um away "to !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dwyer Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 In my never ending search for anvils the most depressing stories were from two different people. They each threw away an anvil. Aaaaugh!!!! I actually did run into an anvil collector. He didn't want one just to make his wet bar more interesting. He nearly has a dozen of them stacked up. Has some real beauts too. Won't part with one for love nor money though. Says he buys them, doesn't sell them. On the other hand, sometimes these folks will loan them. A friend has loan me one for my high school blacksmithing classes. It's not just anvils either. Any old school technology is fair game for collectors and house/yard decorators. I run into the same problem trying to find draft animal stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Maybe we should be grabbing for a box of tissues to all those who donated their anvils, post vices, hand crank drill presses, tongs, hammers, etc to the war effort steel drives instead...at least those rusting away are still holding memories or some type of purpose for the owners. Besides...I would rather have a new one. Peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Several years ago, we had a guy here in Central Texas who was buying power hammers just to set in his yard. He did no blacksmithing but you could bet he would top any bid at the farm auctions to get one. A friend of mine was trying to find a 25-50 LG so was going to every auction he could attend and kept running into this guy. After the third time being outbid, he finally went up to the other man to see if he would consider selling one. The fellow smiled and invited him out to the house. My friend drove out about 40-50 miles but all the other guy wanted to do was show him the collection - NOT to sell one...I certainly don't mind folks collecting tools as it often saves them from the scrap yard but one can definitely get carried away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Hey guys, remember, that regardless of whether the tools are rusting away in a field (awww) or painted bright gold as part of someone's front lawn flower display (yuk!), they DO belong to someone else. There have been items I had tucked away out of plain sight (as I currently do not have the room in my shop) that have been 'liberated' as well as people knocking on my door almost demanding to 'have' the 'junk' I am not currently using. Just because items are not being used in the immediate sense or whatever means nothing. If I choose to allow my wagon parts to rot in my yard, that is my decision, not someon else's. Unless someone offers me a foolish amount of money..........maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I understand completely that those items belong to someone else. I respect that. I expect the same of my possessions. I understand collecting those items that someone appreciates and has an interest in. I've collected things all my life, and enjoy those collections. I even understand keeping something around for sentimental reasons. However, I don't respect anyone letting something go to WASTE just because they can. Anvils in flower beds rusting away is not use, it is waste. I think a better alternative would be one made of cement. Looks like an anvil, heavy like an anvil. Maybe we should have some made and try trading them for the yard ornament real anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerkid Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I agree with you Aaron 110% If they ain`t using them letting them rust they should sell them to someone who WILL USE them!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave M Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 I have had to cut up some nice old farm equipment for scrap to be hauled away because the first owner of the property would not part with it because someday they were going to fix it up, well that day never came and now they are worthless hunks of scrape.:mad: I had a neighbor with 40 vintage cars & trucks on his property, I asked if he would like to sell any of them that I would like to fix one up. He told me nope some day I hope to fix them up, HE was 80 at the time. The EPA steps in and tells him he can't store all those cars by the stream because they were leaking stuff, state steps in and all of them hauled to the crusher to go to china:o. Here is the sad part his family could use the money but they didn't make 1 dime, they had to pay to have them hauled away:(. estimated scrape value alone $6000 But what are people paying for modle A fords or T's or 52 chevy 2 doors it was just a waste. I too have had stuff stolen ( 40ft stainless steel 10" chimmeny). We are all just lamenting on how sad it is to see tools go to waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfb343 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 However, I don't respect anyone letting something go to WASTE just because they can. Anvils in flower beds rusting away is not use, it is waste. I think a better alternative would be one made of cement. Looks like an anvil, heavy like an anvil. Maybe we should have some made and try trading them for the yard ornament real anvils. I feel yer pain, as i have drooled over many o' yard ornaments, and listen up my friends I HAVE FOUND A WORKING SOLUTION. It doesnt always work, but I have lucked out a few times, this trick works especially well if yer blessed with the gift o'gab. The first step is to aquire several pieces of yard art of thing that are of low value to you or that are easy to get(eg wagon wheels, wheel barrows ,tractor parts, stuff you made, etc), second, get business cards(not a necessity but very helpful to yer ploy), third always carry a little flash money to sweeten the deal, wouldnt you pay $100 bucks and some POS that you found at the scrap yard for a nice HB 200 pounder or what ever the dumb yup has rotting in the yard... so in summary offering a trade can grease the wheels as well as offering a little cash, but you gotta act like yer spending you kids lunch money for it so you can make some more money as a starving artist, these skells LOVE "crafty type stuff" while yer getting your dream equipment you just may drum yerself up some business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_iron Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Gday all, You know I save the "damaged" tools in a box to the side, like the punch that cracked the other day. It can't be fixed, but looks fine. When I meet some one with good, useful smithing tools hanging on the wall, I offer them a trade of 2 or 3 bits for one of theirs. They are often happy to get more to hang up and I get something useful in return for my "junk". Hoping this will work for an anvil one day Sorry guys, I'm guility of anvil collecting, I have 4 plus the home made ones, and I'm just a hobbyist. Regards Rusty_iron, Brisbane, Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chyancarrek Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 A friend of mine got into one of those "my husband died and I don't know what to do with his tools" deals. (He was friends with the woman and late husband) Goes out to look at the shop - crumbling down, blacksmith equipment inside getting wet and muddy. My buddy tells her he'll pull it out and help her price it for consideration on being given a good deal to buy the whole lot. He spends a weekend getting things pulled and sorted out and the son comes roaring up in his car (after all the work is done) and says that "mom just told me what's going on" - "You're not going to rip her off!" That stuff is worth thousands of dollars!!". Widow tells my friend - " my son's pretty upset - maybe we better let this stuff sit until I talk to him" That was two years ago and according to my buddy it's all still sitting out in the rain. Makes ya wanna cry . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keykeeper Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 That's a total shame. WASTE. Plain and simple. Of course, if it is a total loss, that would serve the son right. Your friend should invoice the widow for his time lost that weekend. Would only be right, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 I was once driving near Fort Smith Ar and saw a 100# LG powerhammer sitting on a slab. I stopped and talked to the family. Their Father's shop had burned down and he had had a stroke a short while later and soon passed on. They were letting the machine rust away "in memory" of him. (went home and told my wife to *not* let my tools go to rust when I die but make sure they get to folks who will use them---except for my friends who might have been tempted to shorten the time to my demise in order to get their hands on them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noob blacksmith Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 the anvil i got was my great great grandfathers when i got it it had a large lair of rust and had been sitting in a shed with holes in the roof for the better part of 4 decades Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce wilcock Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 i can now see where the hold on to the anvil as you se it comes from ,as i get older ,the tons of shoes i have made and tools sharpend ,are a way of life not just a living and to walk into the shop after a spell under the doc,and put a hand onto the anvil reminds of a working life stood behind the block ,the men you have worked with shoing competitions and a whole changing world the anvil has been witness to growing from a boy and to a man then retierment, i know i will never make shoes to go onto pit ponies ,and sharpen miners picks they went in the 60s but at the back of the anvil it could be yesterday ,so dont be too hard ,it brings a tear to my eye too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete46 Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 What Makes Me Want To Cry; Is The Number Of Older Smiths Who Will Go To Glory W/out Being Able To Pass On Even A Little Of There Knowledge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Years ago I had my first anvil ( after the piece of rail track ). I was still forging in a wood stove. The anvil was a London pattern and was torn up ( face bad shape ) but I was glad to have it. Then a friend found me my current Hay Budden ( friend was and is still a collector of antiques ). This was I guess 18 years ago. I sold the old anvil to a friends dad ( friend and his dad are now both gone ). My trailer anvil ( 115 lb Hay Budden) came from Rich Cross ( UMBA ) and I am very greatful to have it. Son in law found an anvil when he was helping a friend clean out a garage ( 137 lb Arm and Hammer ). I recieved it for Fathers Day couple years ago. It will go in Midwest Old Threshers shop eventually. As a post script, years ago I was at a place in Kansas ( with family after a funeral ). I'll allow the eatery to remail annonymous. They had a PERFECT condition rivet forge outside on the foyer under the roof being used for an ashtray. I offered them good cash money and a replacement forge but they rufused. This is sad. The forge still had what appeared to be original leather belt in tight functional condition. The forge was not painted and was of course a nice antique reflecting the eatery's theme. I would drive there today if I thought they would turn loose of the forge. Such is life. Bruce, thank you for your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Bruce, The difference is the blood, sweat and tears you spent behind that anvil - you are entitled to your sentiment. The problem I have is with the people who are antique hogs and don't know when to stop. Thanks very much for your comments. I didn't do it for my whole life but I've spent almost 25 years behind an anvil - where did the time go?...H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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