Chris C Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 I sure hope I don't run into fake anvils...............I don't have the knowledge to ascertain the difference between fake and real. That's scary! Just give me a rusty 'ol anvil that was "once in great-grandpa's barn". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 You are making us feel we have wasted a large chunk of our lives here! The ball bearing test would show a bad anvil easily. (If it fails the ball bearing test; it's a bad anvil even if made by a top maker and if it passes; than it's a good anvil no matter who/how it was made!) The ones I have seen generally are missing any stamping as that doesn't transfer in the mold. They also tend not to have a pritchel and the worst one will have a parting line down the middle of the face! With the anvil bubble I expect to see them start showing up well fettled and drilled and stamped. (It will be interesting to see if they get the CWT weights correct for English anvils and pounds for American...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 Oh, don't get me wrong, Thomas, I've got my ball bearing in the truck. But I'd imagine (though I don't really know) there are some fakes that would bounce a bearing 60-70%. Of course, I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 If the fake is better than the real one which would you buy? Me I am interested in performance not brand names. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 Well, I didn't say it was "better than", I just said what if the rebound were 60-70%. It's probably a moot point because I'm probably never going to find an anvil anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1 Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 No second hand anvils in Oklahoma? Go for a new anvil. Farrier anvils make for good small project anvils and folks are paying more for an old beaten up anvil. Centaur forge is selling Cliff Carol wide face anvil 70 lb for $349 NC anvil 70 lb for $280 Now 70 lb is not a big anvil but 280 and even 350 are not a big price and this is a brand new good quality anvil. I have seen plenty people paying way more for wrecks i would use for door stopper or garden decoration ... perhaps due to the lure of them being "old" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodFireMetal Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 There is an auction tomorrow that I sadly can’t go to and it contains a number of anvils. I’m a newbie and on the hunt for my first. I know that prices can quickly get out of hand at an auction, since I watched it happen a year or 2 ago at one. Even the junkiest, smallest ones went for several hundred. Looking to the future, what is a reasonable price to pay for a 75-125lb anvil, in decent shape? Also a post vise and swage block. And what would you consider “auction overkill”? Thanks! -Bridget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I've been looking at new ones and the prices in the weights you've listed are anywhere from about $250 (US) to $650 and above. Depending on the maker and what style of anvil it is. There are so many wanting (and getting) that much or more for beat up, light weight anvils. I think if a person has the money, they should just buy new. And those prices are probably here to stay. But I'm sure someone with a much better perspective on it than me will be along shortly. I didn't see Marc 1s post, but I obviously agree with him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 Yup, you are correct, Goat Lady. Me, I've quit looking. I'll wait for one to drop into my lap at a fair price. Until then, My Vulcan will do. Just about have my cut-off Hardy tool finished for it. Not bad for my first effort. Guys were laughing at my little 5/8" Hardy shaft tonight...........but it's going to cut, and that's the whole point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 You should post your hardy in What Did You Do In The shop Today so we can see it if you haven't already Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 Aw, it ain't purdy enough to show yet............maybe next week when it's finished. I just couldn't finish it tonight. I had a "double-ended" colonoscopy today. One pipe down my throat to my stomach and the other one up...................well you get the gist. 2 hours under anesthesia and I just didn't have it in me. (no pun intended) And only about 3 hours of sleep last night. Twernt fun and I didn't get to eat anything solid from Tuesday evening's dinner until 1:00 today. I only managed an hour and a half in that hot building. I could probably have finished it if I'd ground it to shape on the 2x72, but I'm trying to learn how to swing a hammer properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Sorry! It sounds like you've had a rough go of it. Hope you get to feeling better soon. Heck, I've posted some of my stuff that I look back on now and think, what in the world were you thinking?! But it's something you made and pictures are well loved here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodFireMetal Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 22 minutes ago, CrazyGoatLady said: I've been looking at new ones and the prices in the weights you've listed are anywhere from about $250 (US) to $650 and above. Depending on the maker and what style of anvil it is. There are so many wanting (and getting) that much or more for beat up, light weight anvils. I think if a person has the money, they should just buy new. And those prices are probably here to stay. But I'm sure someone with a much better perspective on it than me will be along shortly. I didn't see Marc 1s post, but I obviously agree with him I guess you’re right...better to get new and know it’s good quality. Does shipping kill you on top of the new anvil prices? And as a small female newbie, what size range and style should I look at, taking into consideration that my forge and anvil will be toted in and out of a garage to the yard for use? I figured 75-125 because I could probably still wobble and roll it around on a round stump....or maybe use a hand cart under the stump to move it. I’m not expecting to do large scale projects. But I guess who knows what the future will bring. What kind of goats do you have? I have 7 Nigerian Dwarfs. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eventlessbox Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 There are a few of us on the forum who have posted our thoughts and experiences both good and bad with Kanca anvils. One of the retailers will ship anvils under 150 pounds inside the US for less than $20. My 110 pound Kanca cost less new than a comparable used anvil of similar size in my area. Definatly take the time to put in the research. This is a tool that with proper care will last not just a lifetime, but several. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 WFM: I don't know exact prices on shipping. I would suppose that would depend on the sellers shipping rates. But I'm pretty sure on most, it would depend on the weight. I'm 5'2" myself. My current anvil is a hair under 70 lbs. and I can pick it up and the stand it's on and move it fairly easy. Of course a stump or heavier stand mount would obviously be heavier. I'm looking at a heavier anvil because mine is too light for serious hammering. As you get further along, you may decide you want to do bigger projects. Being such a sizable investment, really put some time in researching what you may need. I personally would like something at least 120 lbs. with a thick waste. There are many here who are far more knowledgable than I about his. Just where I'm at right now. I raise Boer goats. The two kids are are Boer/ Spanish mixes. You should look at the thread Show Me Your Goats and post some pictures. I'd love to see them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 WFM,, Make a three legged stand for the anvil with wheels on the back two legs, that just touch the ground like on a hand cart, weld a horizontal piece of pipe on the front leg below the anvil then stick a pipe or pry bar in it, lift and roll where you need it. I would recommend using pipe for the handle so you can drill through both and pin it to ensure it doesn't pull out while moving, especially if you have to pull it. The larger the tires, the easier it will move, just don't get so large they get in your way of working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 6, 2019 Author Share Posted July 6, 2019 Decided if I "quit looking" I'd never stumble onto one. So......................Spent the majority of today driving and talking with any farmer of country livin' person I spotted out on a tractor, mower or just plain workin' out front. I live in the country and it's not considered proper to open a closed gate and just drive onto someone's property. I was talkin' anvils. Passed out 12 cards to people who said they would keep their eyes open. Recruited one feller who is trying to put together his own propane forge to come and join in on our Thursday night open forge. Only found one man who said he had two anvils in his shop, but he was away from the house. Said he'd look at them when he got back to his property and let me know if he was really interested in selling one. ( but I think he was at least entertaining the idea ) Didn't know anything about them, i.e. weight, brand, style, etc. So I'll just wait for a phone call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 One of my anvils is a 125# JHM Journeyman, and it is a nice anvil. They are around $750 new. Some others are Nimba, Jymm Hoffman, Holland, Rhino, and more that I haven't named. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 100# +/- 10# is a good starter weight. If you need more mass later you can pair it with an improvised anvil (see IA thread). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Thanks, Thomas. Are you settled back in NM now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 Well I have always been in NM these last 16 years, just 200 miles apart. Nobody knows the small NM farm town I am "near" down here so I use El Paso Area, as El Paso boundary is about 1 mile away. And, Nope, I'm hardly started good in the move back. I hope to get 2 bookcases back this trip and a load or two to my churches Barn Sale and expect that I will be bouncing back and forth awhile in my small pickup. 105 degF heat and thunder storms are not helping the process! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Well, I really meant..........are you back at home with your wife on a permanent basis. Small pickups and moving don't make a good combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Saw a rural propane delivery truck stopped at a country convenience store today. Jumped out of my truck and talked to the driver about anvils. Said he sees tons (no pun intended) of them...........just didn't know if any were for sale. He delivers to Jerry McClure, and OK Master knife maker. Said Jerry has several.............but I don't figure he's at all interested in letting any of them go at what I consider a reasonable price. I gave him my card and asked if he would mind asking anyone he sees who has one if they might be interested in selliing. Gotta keep askin' the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 Might offer a finders fee for any you end up buying from a lead he gives you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris C Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Oh, I'll reward him, for sure. Don't know his name or how to get hold of him. But if he contacts me with a lead, I'll let him know he'll be compensated if he finds one I end up buying. Not quite sure why I didn't think of that when I was talking with him. Should have at least gotten the name of the company he drives for. DUH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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