ThomasPowers Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 Based on more pictures sent to me by PM: Diamond is indicative of a Trenton; check the underside for either a deep hourglass or a depressed oval; both used by Trenton. You need to get an accurate weight to know if that is a good price. It's missing about half the sweet spot so not a good choice for heavy large work. The weight stamp on the left side of the front foot looks like 230 to me and would be 230 pounds; sounds like the seller thought it was in CWT which Trentons are NOT! (2 3 0 CWT would be 308 pounds) (A common problem; sellers not knowing which anvils are stamped CWT and which are stamped pounds---a bathroom scale will show the true weight and should lower the price considerably!) The "second table" is a missing part of the face! Looks to have the face welded on in pieces, common in older and larger anvils, and the front piece delaminated. The body is soft and so will show deformation if hammered on. This is a serious flaw and the price should reflect that; as well as the *true* weight! US$3 sounds pricey for a badly damaged anvil to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeweniger Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 17 minutes ago, Buzzkill said: I'd bet that the "second table" is actually where a piece of the hardened face broke loose. I would not pay top dollar for that anvil, but if the remaining steel face has good rebound and there are no buzzing sounds to indicate delamination when tapping on the face it could still have a lot of use left in it. I believe you are correct, since there is a giant dent in that area I bet the anvil took a heavy hit and broke a piece of the face off. He did send me pictures of the trenton stamp as well as the numbers. I may offer 500 but I am patient for something less damaged, so I think I will walk. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 I dont understand the need for a vintage anvil. Its a tool so why pay new prices for a used tool unless you are a collector. considering the high prices of beat up anvils around here, I have no regrets shelling out $1040 for my new 165 pounder. it will be vintage when my great grandkids are using it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeweniger Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 (edited) I am a watchmaker by profession, I restore vintage timepieces that are priceless to their owners and are highly collectible. I guess it is in my nature to admire tools and such that have been around and have been in service for just as long. I looked at the Holland anvils as I am partial to Michigan in general and have read the owner/maker is a very stand-up guy on this forum. I still have one in mind for later down the road. I did manage to get a craigslist snag this morning on what the owner believed to be a Peter Wright 270-280lb range anvil. He didn't know much more about it and was negotiable on the price based on the table having some dents and the one edge has some decent chipping. I believe I got a good deal for approx. $3lb and it came with a German style cutoff hardy. I am extremely busy with work and a friends kitchen remodel right now. I will get better pics and measurements once I clean her up and go cut a nice maple round at my brothers in Michigan for a stand. Here are some photos I quickly took in the back of my truck. I was only able to make out and 8 stamped on right side of the front foot. I am not positive if it is a Peter Wright. Any help in identifying it would be appreciated, although I am extremely happy with it no matter the brand. Edited April 1, 2021 by Mod30 Remove excessive quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Flat base with ledges on the feet; my first guess would be PW. Look for a CWT weight stamp near the waist. those individual numbers seem to get stamped deeper than the logos and tend not to be in a spot worked over as much. CWT == English made + ledges + flat base => PW in my book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Thank is one good looking anvil and if I could have scored that deal I wouldnt think twice. Very nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeweniger Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 (edited) Yes Im a newbie but researched enough to know that it was a no brainer and I even told the seller he was giving me a great deal. He was happy to sell it to an enthusiastic guy whose putting it to good use. He inherited it and it sat as a "center piece" in his garage so it hasnt seen much use in his ownership. Edited April 1, 2021 by Mod30 Remove excessive quote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyanchor Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 You ended up with a much nicer anvil than the original you posted. The miss on the Soderfors was a fortunate for you. A little wire wheel and elbow grease and she'll be ready to rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Shed Forge Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Yes, very nice score! Good for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 It's a very good looking anvil and like Thomas, I'm leaning to the Peter Wright maker. If you put a picture of the side with the horn facing right there may be enough of the name & weight to confirm that. After you wire wheel it check the ring & rebound. That will tell you if it has ever been in a fire and lost the hardness to the face. Also I suggest not doing any grinding, milling or welding on the face which will do more harm than good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgeweniger Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Well its been a little while and I have yet to get to my brothers to cut a proper stump for my anvil. So much time in between that I actually bought another anvil As others had indicated they tend to multiply. Though I have been slowed down with a few side jobs I've taken on I still managed some time in the shop to build my forge and mess around with it a bit. As for cleaning up the original anvil I bought I was never able to find any definitive peter wright markings but I am fairly certain it is peter wright just maybe a very early one and the rebound is exceptional which is most important. The second anvil I bought was very cheap and I just couldn't pass it up. I am unsure if it is German or Swedish but it has an amazing shape and even better rebound. I haven't cleaned it up yet but I do not see anything that resembles a maker or weight marking on it. I purchased a bunch of old and new tongs as well as a couple nice leg vises that I have yet to mount. The main score was with some newer tongs/knifemaking equipment. The guy was happy his stuff was going to somebody that was putting it to use so he included his (3) Brent Bailey custom hammers which seem above and beyond as far as a quality hammer. I was ecstatic. I read fairly extensively on what type of forge I wanted to build as my "ebay special" got my feet wet but was breathing through 20lb propane tanks like it was its profession. I settled mostly on Waynes plans for a propane tank forge and a ribbon burner. It seems like it works very well but I still believe it needs some tweaking. I posted a video of one of the first fires and it is still smoking/burning out the crayon residue and paper left in the holes of the burner. The main question I have is if the use of plistix on the refractory cement is beneficial. Also should I rethink the "space" I left inside of my forge and cast it solid with the castolite 3000? As for now it has been getting railroad spikes hot enough to pound into submission, that's all I've really had time to mess with so far. I have not tried to get it hot enough to weld yet but have no doubt it will. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, I take criticism very well 20210522_091504[1].mp4 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.