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It this anvil worth the money?


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Depends on weight, location and results of a ring and rebound test. 

"Looks" usable, but it's lost its better third since the hardy hole is often more useful than the horn. If the faceplate isn't delaminating and the rebound is good then it's good and usable. 

 

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Australian dollars? Canadian dollars? Singapore dollars?...?  Anvils seem scarce in Australia.  Of course if you were in the USA it would make a BIG difference if you were in Hawaii or if you were in Central Ohio.  Also what is the weight on that? Big difference if that is a 50 pound anvil vs a 450 pound one.

BTAIM I bought a heelless anvil in central Ohio, USA back in the late 1990's or early 2000's in better shape---face was flat and edges much less rounded, around 125# heelless for US$40 from a farrier at a fleamarket.  I thought that was a smoking good deal.  I also didn't need an anvil and so had no inducement to pay a high price for one. I still use it as a striking anvil as students have less chance of breaking it...

Have you read the thread on improvised anvils here on IFI?  The London pattern dates to only a couple of centuries and for a fairly limited area compared to other patterns that go back around a couple of thousand years.

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For some reason that top face is kinda screaming at me that the top's been replaced with weld and hand-ground.  Pics are hard to tell if that's true or not so maybe it's just my eyes.

Assuming it's actually good, $ 350 is still pushing it pretty hard for what it appears.  I'd personally pass unless it weighs well into the upper hundred range as better will eventually show up if you are patient.  Patience is an anvil-hunter's best friend.  

If it's say...150 or 175 pounds (originally)... and the top checks out, it *might* be worth it depending on where you are located.  You will likely need what is commonly referred to as a "portable hole" to hold hardy tools and that adds to the complications (do a search of this site for "portable hole" and you'll see some threads).

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Well it seems to have started life at 114#, so subtract missing heel weight and general wear and tear, you might be in the 100-110# range as she sits. If the top plate is original with reasonable rebound and ring, I would put it in the mid $100's or so in USD, here on the east coast of America. Too many unknowns from the pix to speculate any more.

Steve

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Thanx guys! Sorry I am located in South carolina. With the heel being missing I was thinking the price was a little high myself not to mention the wear it has. I found this anvil on the Letgo app. I might go look at it and check the rebound on it my self. Right now I have a crappy cast iron anvil and was looking for something a little better until I can afford something better.

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8 minutes ago, Grubguy18 said:

I am located in South carolina.

We won't remember this once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show location. That anvil would be better than cast iron if you could get it for around $100 U.S. although an improvised anvil would serve just as well. We have one that weighs 110 lbs. and cost $35 U.S. Check out the improvised anvil thread for ideas.

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I'd keep shopping unless I could pick it up for less than $100.  Imagine a used car lot selling you a car missing the rear-end from the tire on back and wanting nearly new prices :D  Let's say the face is good and hard.  If it started out at 114# a decent price is $3 per # so that would have been a $342 anvil.  You only have 2/3 there so I'd want to reduce that by at least 1/3 and start my negotiation at $228.  That's even too much, but the seller can't really argue with the fact that there's only 2/3 of an anvil there.  If it were me, I'd respectfully point out the missing 1/3 and offer $100.  The seller will probably counter at $200, so that's when you offer $125.  You might just take it home for $150 or you can just walk away.  I would not pay $350 for it.

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