coltnutz Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Can anyone give me an idea of a fair value would be for A 250 lb (appx) Vulcan anvil run? I know that sometimes value is what I'm willing to pay but I never ran across a Vulcan. It's in fairly good shape but I couldn't seem to find any markings on it anywhere other than the typical logo. I have a 188 lb Wright and this anvil looks to be 50 lbs more. Any info on Vulcans is welcome. The seller wants $550. I don't mind shelling out $ for nice anvils but I thought this may be a little too high. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer3j Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 My 105 pound Vulcan cost me $250 and shipping. It has a good face, excellent edges- really about as nice as you could ask for in a used anvil. It was definitely used but the smith had great hammer control and worked the whole face. If I recall, Columbus made them in ,Ohio, of course. They are supposedly second tier anvils. I don't recall what their tradename was for the top of the line. Mine is very quiet but has great rebound, I cannot find any cracks propagating and I am comfortable with the size. The largest item I expect to forge is a one inch wide bevel edged chisel and plane irons for woodworking planes. I have my Vaughan-Brooks 196# on ebay right now- since the Brooks name is not as familiar as the great US names, it isn't seeing any bidding. I have to admit to some confusion- there may be more than one anvil marketed as Vulcan. I know that the type of Vulcan I have has the encircled arm & hammer symbol.I recall that this logo was used by another anvil as well. Maybe the real experts here can clarify. I don't think a bit over $2 per pound is considered high, even by the wise to the market guys here. Isn't a Wright in your size thought to be a true top of the line anvil? I haven't been in the anvil market long but I have tried to learn all I could. I have a feeling that if the Vaughan/Brooks sells, I will regret it. As a new fellow, I think that if you traded off the Wright for weight, you might regret too.mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 A lot of the price depends on the condition of the anvil, where it is located, who is buying and who is selling. The following may be of some help. Post photos if they are available, so we can see what we are talking about. True prices for anvilsAnvil prices? A search for Vulcan 250 has 68 hits. A search for anvil cost has 115 hits. A search for anvil price has 51 hits. The IForgeIron Archives may be your overall best source for general information on the subject. Use the search engine to your advantage. The IForgeIron Gallery has close to 9,000 images and uses a different search engine. Use the gallery search engine to your advantage also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coltnutz Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 Mike, Thanks for the interesting info. I am keeping my Wright but I just have a thing for anvils....I'm sure you can relate. I may bite if I can get it for $400. Thanks again for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coltnutz Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 Glenn, Thank you also for the info. THe anvil is located in Central PA and is in the back of a dark dingy garage although I was able to look at it up close with the available lighting and a flashlight. It is in very good shape, edges sharp and crisp, horn clean, overall very good to excellent shape. I could not see any other markings but could not really flip the anvil around for complete inspection. The seller bought it at a farm auction and just wanted to flip it for a profit. I don't mind paying a fair price. Not that it matters, someone told me he paid $200 for it. I couldn't care if he paid $1 for it, just want to pay a fair price. Thanks again for the info and I will search the archives like you suggest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 If it's in good condition $550 is probably a pretty good deal. It'd be a great deal here, shipping would add a couple hundred to that so it'd get snapped up within a day or so of the word getting out. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coltnutz Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 Frosty, Thanks for your input..........I may go look at it again this weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Not a bad price, $2.44 p/lb. But as you said, make the offer of $400.00, shoot the WORST he can say is no. Right? I have not used a Vulcan but those that have like them. You'd be wise not to get rid of the PW also. If you can afford them both, and obviously you can or you wouldn't be considering it, go for it. I'm sure we all would like to see some photos of it when it comes home. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 The confusion of the Vulcan is generally in the logo; Arm and Hammer Anvils, a traditionally made anvil, made in Columbus OH, uses the arm and hammer logo punched *into* the side of the anvil. (were you thinking of the Columbian cast steel anvils made in Cleveland OH?) Vulcan anvils have a steel face and a cast iron body and their arm and hammer logo is cast protruding from the side of the anvil. I don't recall where they were made but it wasn't Columbus OH. I thought it was the Illinois Iron and Bolt Company that made the Vulcans They are a good city anvil as they are quiet ; but the face of every one I have used seemed to be softer than most other anvils and tended to be thin as well---don't get one that has had the face ground-milled-etc down any! They also seemed to have some quality control issues. On my wall of shame is a Vulcan with the horn broken off and voids in the casting the size of pencils all along the horn/body interface and some even breaking through the surface around the horn plate! They are not as high a quality as a Fisher anvil and should not sell for as much money as a "tier 1" anvil. Asking price is high for that region but would be acceptable in the anvil poor regions. He may be going by e-bay prices that tend to mirror the hard to find anvil regions as that's a method they use to get them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucegodlesky Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 That's pretty high for this area of the country. There are still plenty of "tier 1 " anvils out there without paying HB prices for a Vulcan, My younger bro bought a 170# HB at auction over the 4th of July for $200, down around Raystown. I just bought a 270# Fisher for $100 and unloaded 7 wagons of hay. Good deal I thought :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian C. Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 The confusion of the Vulcan is generally in the logo; Arm and Hammer Anvils, a traditionally made anvil, made in Columbus OH, uses the arm and hammer logo punched *into* the side of the anvil. (were you thinking of the Columbian cast steel anvils made in Cleveland OH?) Vulcan anvils have a steel face and a cast iron body and their arm and hammer logo is cast protruding from the side of the anvil. I don't recall where they were made but it wasn't Columbus OH. I thought it was the Illinois Iron and Bolt Company that made the Vulcans . Correct. They were made by Illinois Iron & Bolt. I had a 100 lb. and a 200 lb. at different times. Lots of mass under the working area, no rebound. Sold one for $1.50 per lb. and traded the other (plus some $$) for my 147 lb. PW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Frosty, Thanks for your input..........I may go look at it again this weekend One point to consider when I say pretty good deal is where I live. You don't find smithing tools in Alaska for anything like what the lower 48 would consider reasonable. 10 years ago I paid $3.00/lb for a 200lb. Trenton in pretty good condition and was thrilled to get it. Just so you know, there are lots of guys here WAY more qualified to discuss the qualities of anvils by brand than I. I live in the twilight zone of anvils, nearly as bad as a Pacific island. If you go to the top of the page and click on "User CP" and edit your profile to let us know where you live, you'll probably find out a number of guys live close enough to lend you a direct hand. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coltnutz Posted July 26, 2008 Author Share Posted July 26, 2008 Thanks for the interesting Vulcan info. It has the raised logo, not the stamp. I need to let this work on me..... thanks, I hope to be posting some pics.......if I get it! WOW............both are great deals...thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 Vulcan logo standing out Arm and hammer logo stamped into the metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer3j Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 My Vulcan has about 7/8" thick face. The seam is barely visible. And the lower joiint between the feet and the mid-section doesn't stand out at all. I'll grant that is not as nice as the V & B, for rebound. Until it does something second class to me, I will accord my Vulcan anvil the benefit of the doubt.mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.