raworange Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Hello all, I am a new member looking to get into Blacksmithing as a hobby. I find anvils to be beautiful, functional pieces of history, and I have been searching for an American made anvil for my small shop. I do not intend to create large pieces, and will require some mobility out of an anvil. As such, a fairly light weight anvil is what I have been looking for at this time. This will also help it conform to a relatively low budget. I found an ad for an 88lb Arm & Hammer and am looking for some information. It looks to be in good condition, though one section of the face near the horn is rounded over. This may have been for a specific usage, or is it more likely repaired damage? The serial number is 47789, which I understand to be quite near the end of the production run. Is it possible to tell the date of manufacture from this? The logo is stamped fairly crudely, and does not have the lower section that says "wrought iron" as other Arm & Hammer anvils have. The final concern I have is that the entire waist is welded. I understand that later Arm & Hammer / Vulcan anvils have welded waists, but I cannot find many photos of original A&H anvils welded like this. Could this be a repaired crack, or would this anvil have began life this way? Asking price on this anvil is nearly $5/lb, which I understand is high, but anvils in my area (Southeastern Wisconsin) seem to be few and far between. Thank you all for any insight you may have, and I look forward to joining in the blacksmithing hobby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 A large percentage of anvils have a weld at the waist; they were forge welds and many top brands did them that way. Some of the later anvils switched to arc welding and had very good luck with them. (I have the base from a Peter Wright where the forge weld failed---an arc weld would probably have been better!) A&H anvils tend to not be dressed as much as some of the other brands; but are still an excellent anvil. (I have been using a 91# A&H for over 30 years now.) VULCAN ANVILS ARE NOT ANYTHING LIKE AN ARM AND HAMMER! Vulcan anvils had a cast iron body and were poured and so did NOT have a welded waist---either type of welding! Do the ball bearing test and the ring test and if they both pass I wouldn't worry about it . I would try to talk the price down a bit though. Lighter anvils with edge damage have often been used for shoeing, I've seen some out this way from ranches that were nearly ridgebacks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLAG Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Mr. R. Orange, I suspect that the vendor is trying to pay off his ancient student loans before his retirement, For five dollars a pound check out new anvils. You want an anvil and NOT a "vintage" antique. A brief list of good anvil manufacturers was posted 3 or 4 days ago. Check it out. Also see the improvised anvil thread which is posted as a sticky on this site. A slab of steel makes an excellent anvil. try it out, if you like hammering hot metal then consider a regular London pattern anvil. SLAG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 44 minutes ago, raworange said: Southeastern Wisconsin) Welcome aboard... we won't remember that once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to edit your profile to show location. This thread will help you get the best out of the forum. READ THIS FIRST Pictures of the anvil will help giving advice about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raworange Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 Thank you very much for all the info. Sounds like I can find better. Here is a link to the ad: Link Removed Here also are some of the photos. He said he would take $400 for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 At $4.54 a pound U.S. is a little steep however it does look to be in very good shape. The rounded over part is called a radius and is a good thing for working over the edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raworange Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 That's kind of what I was thinking. I have been searching for some time and there is very little that comes available in my area, especially a name brand like that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Good Morning, Almost new price!! Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 The section of the face that you say is rounded over is the radius ground in at the factory when new. Most later A&H's and Tretons have this, it is quite common for both makes. Here's another example from that vintage of A&H: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raworange Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) Thank you! It makes sense that that the rounded edge is a feature and not a flaw. I notice that the logo on that anvil is the same as the one in the ad as well. Good to know. Edited October 23, 2019 by Mod30 remove unnessassary quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 I'd Offer $275 and go as high as $325. It's a little small. It'd be a good portable anvil. It's in good shape. I would grudgingly go as high as $350 if need be. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 That anvil would be gone in a heartbeat at $325. prices have risen for anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raworange Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) I am going to take a look at it, see how it strikes me. I will do the ball bearing test and go from there. Thanks for all the input I have received! Edited October 23, 2019 by Mod30 remove quote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) I don't know about Wisconsin but here in KY four bucks a pound is about average. I saw a Peter Wright 165# for four hundred dollars. It wasn't in as good a shape as the one above but definitely in good condition. Pnut Edited October 23, 2019 by pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 In my neck of the woods, $4 a lb. is a good price. I've seen anvils that aren't even half as good a shape as that one is and around the same size going for a whole lot more. I'd still try to talk them down, but I'd probably go for it if it were me. But maybe the availability of blacksmithing equipment isn't as scarce in Wisconsin as it is here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 I've seen some high dollar asking prices lately---but I don't know if they actually sold any that high. I hope not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyGoatLady Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 It seems like most I see sit for a long time. But at the asking price of the A&H he's looking at, that wouldn't be there long. $7 to 9$ a lb. Is not uncommon around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raworange Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 I set up an appointment to look at it. I will keep this updated with what happens! Here is a link to another anvil on the local Craigslist. A 138 lb Hay Budden with an asking price of $550. I have not contacted this guy, so it may have sold by now. Remove commercial link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kozzy Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 $ 400 is no bargain but would sell quickly in my area. The weight is ok but a hair on the light side depending on what you are doing. And no, I don't mean "too" light, just that a few extra pounds can be nice to have for a shop anvil (vs traveling anvil). My take is that you can do better with a lot of patience...but you also won't be doing badly if you grab this one. It's right on that balance point where yes/no is pretty equal. If you find anything that tips the scales when you look, that'd help with a final decision. Don't let anvil buyer's fever talk you into it--be brutal in your assessment because it's not the only anvil in the world and another will eventually come along. At worst, you can find a great piece of scrap steel to tide you over until that happens. And once you buy an anvil, magically another deal comes along-- usually a little better. Murphy's law does that to taunt blacksmiths and keep that surly smirk on their faces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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