American Star anvils - any good?

[Flynn]

This one up for sale near me.  There are a lot of red flags on it through.  

First being the overall condition, this was either kept locked in a box for 170 years, or has been 'restored'.  Second is the paint.  Who knows what's under the paint.  Third is the price.  They're asking $595 and say it weighs around a hundred pounds.  I might take a few hundred over there and see if I can talk him down, but wanted what the experts here thought about it.  Any advice is appreciated!

 

 

 

[JHCC]

You are right that it's hard to tell through the paint. Your plan of action seems good: decide on the maximum you're willing to spend, and be ready to walk away if it's not what you want or if it's more than you're willing to pay.

[ThomasPowers]

Not restored TRASHED; I wouldn't spend the gas to go see it myself.  If you do take a ball bearing too though paint will throw that off.  AinA says they were a competitor of Fisher and used the same methods, steel face and cast iron body.  HOWEVER all the pictures shown of them have a larger distance from face to horn and it may be that that one has been milled thin to "clean it up".  If so it's worth about 50 UScents a pound---be sure to tell the dealer that whoever did that ruined the anvil and took the price down to just above scrap.  Explain why too.  It's like taking a belt sander to an old master painting to clean off the old varnish on it!  (I have found that dealers that like to :clean up" old tools react more to the price dropping because of it than any other argument.  Also if you imply that someone else did the dirty deed rather than them they will listen better---and perhaps learn.

[Flynn]

Thanks both of you!  I had come to the same conclusion myself after looking up other American Star anvils and seeing the greater drop between face and table that they started with. Breaks my heart! 

I did tell him about the likely milling and he added it to his listing, so he's at least not a horrible person at least.  

[JHCC]

35 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

HOWEVER all the pictures shown of them have a larger distance from face to horn and it may be that that one has been milled thin to "clean it up". 

In fairness, that could also have resulted from someone building up the horn and the saddle with Bondo. Why anyone would do such a thing is a separate question.

[ThomasPowers]

The flat smooth face would argue that it has been surfaced. I find it rare that a horn will need cosmetic work when the face of an anvil is pristine. (I have a Powell like that; but it also is missing the heel...)

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I'm also pretty sure the face has been milled, almost to the point it's nonexistent. It's a shame too because American Star anvils are usually very good, like Fishers.