ID Anvil?

[GMikeH]

This anvil belongs to a friend of a friend and only thing I know about it is that it weighs around 200lbs. I have looked around for an anvil that looks similar but I have not found anything that leads me to who the maker may possibly be. I will try to go look at it but its a few hours away.  Any ideas? It looks to be a top forged onto a base right? 

[John McPherson]

Judging from the shape of the horn and heel, the thickness of the feet, and the pattern of the chipping along the edges and around the hardy hole: 99.99% certain that it is a cast iron boat anchor.

Even if you got it for free, four hours in a car and a tank of gas later it would be a loss. Get a lump of steel from a scrap yard and don't look back.

[GMikeH]

I could agree with you but what about the weld line around the waist? Also I see not a single raised marking on the anvil and as far as the chipping is that chipping or corrosion? I have a Wilkinson anvil that has similar edges and its not a cast iron anvil. The major cast iron anvils such as fisher and Vulcan do not share the same shape as this anvil although there are some similarities. I think the vulcan is closest in shape but I have not seen a single vulcan with such a long waist as this anvil has. Maybe this is some cheap cast iron anvil, maybe even a harbor freight junk but The biggest question I have is why does the waist of the anvil clearly have what looks to be a weld line and not a casting line in my opinion?

Also, would a cast iron anvil have a handling hole in the waist? Maybe some did but looking around at fishers and vulcans I did not see any such holes in the waist. 

[NoName]

   Hard tellin not knowin. I keep looking at the pictures, to see the handling hole...that's the harrdie?  One question, thud or ring. Overall shape screams cast. Money says, thud. 99.999%

         N.N.F.                Beautiful, Manchester, Michigan. USA 

[GMikeH]

I agree, so much tells me cast and clearly cast no name as I have found not a single anvil that shares its shape. It kind of looks like a taller vulcan without any of the casting marks or even parting lines. I guess that areas that looks like it was forge welded could just be the result of horrible casting. 

I have a Wilkinson and Brooks anvil so I am not anvil poor I just figured if this is a 200lb decent anvil I may add it to my collection.

 

16 minutes ago, NoName said:

I keep looking at the pictures, to see the handling hole...that's the harrdie?  

Oh man, Your right that is the hardy hole. hahahaha My eyes were playing ticks on me. duh 

[John McPherson]

NOT a welding line, a join between two wooden preforms in making the mold, that they did not even bother to blend in.

To me, it screams cheap knock-off, after-hours work at a foundry with whatever was left in the ladle. And every town big enough to have a stop light used to have a foundry. No name = no liability.

But what do I know, I'm just some guy on the internet, telling you something that you really don't want to hear.

[GMikeH]

Yeah after more looking around at cast anvils I started to notice some did have the same appearance around the waist so enough conversing over this pile of junk. hahaha 

To be honest I heard what I needed to hear as I do not need another anvil anyhow. 

[ThomasPowers]

It's the very short drop from the face to the cutting plate and the shape of the horn that makes it look like a Vulcan. I wonder if someone used a Vulcan to make the top of the mold and something else to make the base?

Down here we see some very nice PW looking anvils with a mold line down the center of the face and horn....cast from whatever is left in the ladle at the end of the shift using a PW to make the mold from.  Sometimes a great alloy, generally not and then NOT heat treated.  (If I had a handheld spectrometer I'd be temped to pick up a "good" one and heat treat it---but many folks are selling them as "antiques". I expect to see them with false stamping soon.)