Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 I just bought this anvil yesterday! I am very excited to start using it, and I want to know what kind of anvil it is. I have been reading and reading and reading these forums, and would love to know what it is. The seller said it is a 150 Fisher, but I have my doubts. The underside is concave in an oval shape. I don’t have the Anvils in America book, but it is on my list. Thank you, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Looks like a Trenton and in great shape. Very highly regarded anvils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyanchor Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 I would agree with Rojo, She be a Trenton (Columbus Forge and Iron) made anvil. Take a good pic of the body with the horn pointing to the right. Look for a diamond with Trenton in it. CFI made anvils with other names on them for retailers like Sears, Montgomery Wards, and some others. If S/N is A 144330, as I read it, it is a 157 pound made in 1916 anvil. Nice quality anvil in good shape ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Just looking at the silhouette you can tell it's not a Fisher! Please check the ring; tapping a FIsher you get a dull thwap sound. That baby should TING! Did you get it for a good price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 It rings alright! I haven’t had time to actually do some work on it. Isn’t it rude to ask someone the price? Kind of like asking someone how much they get paid or asking a woman her weight and age? Lol. I got it for $800, so not horrible. The guy knew what it was worth. I also did what I think Thomas recommended and brought more money than he was selling it for, and got a nice post leg vise for $100, again not great, but he knew what it was worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 How large was the leg vice; that can be an OK deal to a great deal depending. We try to get an idea about what the market is around the world for smithing equipment as a very common question we get here is how much is it worth. US$5 a pound is NOT a price to be ashamed of paying for the anvil in that condition! (Not a bragging price either.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 From the top of the jaw to the bottom was 42.5 ish inches. They are 5in jaws. That makes a lot of sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 5" for US$100 is not a bad deal these days! When I got out here 17 years ago I was told by local smiths that $25 per inch of jaw was the "going price". It hasn't gone down any since then. (I of course using TPAAAT beat the going price...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 Good! I feel even better about my purchase. I have another couple questions that should give me some more information on my anvil. After grinding it, I found marks one side, and a U under the heel. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 The power hammer marks under the heel would indicate it's an Arm & Hammer, also made by Columbus Forge & Iron. Both Trenton and Arm & Hammer are top drawer anvils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 1 hour ago, Will Brouwers said: After grinding it, When I read that it gave me heart palpitations. I hope you meant wire wheeling it. The marks in the top picture are from a long ago blacksmith testing punches and chisels he/she made for sharpness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 YES!! Just wire wheeling!! Sorry to scare you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Trenton and Arm and Hammer were made by DIFFERENT companies Columbus Anvil and Forging (Arm and Hammer) was a spinoff of Columbus Forge and Iron.(Trenton). Evidently not too acrimoniously as they were know to share the caplet depression bases at times. (I have a cleanly stamped A&H with a caplet base.) But separate companies, different locations in the same town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 Thomas, do you think it is an Arm and Hammer? There are no markings on the side except for one illegible marking that I posted in a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatLiner Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 The steam hammer marks are like a finger print. As far as I know only arm and hammer anvils have them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 Yes but around 1913 Trenton did use a dashed diamond as part of their logo, pg 352 AinA, they continued the dashed logo into at least the 1930s including with the Trexton anvils I see no evidence of the Arm & Hammer Logo; but the steam hammer markings under the heel usually points to A&H. Serial numbers for A&H top out around 51K while they go into the 225K's for Trentons; (144K would be 1916 BTW) So Given that I will say it's a Trenton with unusual heel hammer markings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 I guess you are right. I tried taking a pencil and shading over it on a piece of paper, but it didn’t help much. It is just killing me not knowing what the logo is on the side of the anvil!!! I took another few pictures, and although the heel looks rough in some, it looks fairly smooth from the side. Anyways, thanks for taking time out of your days to help me in my obsession of identifying this anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan N Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 1 hour ago, FlatLiner said: The steam hammer marks are like a finger print. As far as I know only arm and hammer anvils have them. Not true my Trenton has the steam hammer marks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 Dan, can I see the logo on your anvil? What is the serial number on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 "Anvils in America" by Richard Postman has a pages of Trenton anvils, Pick the one closest to your anvil's date and put it back on yourself! If it's a good anvil it doesn't make a difference WHO made it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan N Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 I was told it was built in 1900 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyanchor Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 AFAIK and remember...A&H S/N or weight was on the logo side of the anvil. American made Trentons, except for the very first ones, have weight and S/N on the front foot. S/N usually starts with an A. I have seen 2 early imported Trentons, one English and one German, had weight on the logo side of the anvil, but no S/N. I still vote for Trenton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Brouwers Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 Thank you all so much for replying. Thomas, I agree that if it is a good anvil, it doesn’t matter who makes it! However, I want to know all I can about my anvil. I am hoping to get the AIA book in the future. I want to know what logo is on the side of my anvil, and what the U by the pritchel hole stands for. I am so appreciative of all the time everyone has taken to look at and think over my anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyanchor Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Will, I understand wanting to Know as much as possible about your anvil. I am a history geek and love to know the misc. stuff that most aren't concerned with. I have a H Hudson Tool Co anvil, there is a one liner in AIA about Hudson anvils. Mine was made by HB in 1919 for the Charles William Stores. I dug into the C W store and I have not found much, but in their day, they were a NY based retail store, that did catalog sales of all kinds of merchandise, like Sears and Monkey Wards. They seemed to die off in the 1920's. Nobody else seems to care, but I find it interesting. There is a pic in AIA of a Trenton anvil with most of the Trenton logo ground off and re-stamped with the logo of one of their other customers. It appears to have been done before the anvil left CFI. There are things about our anvils that we can make fairly educated guesses about, like your U may be an inspectors mark, but then again it could be a something else. Keep looking and you may find someone who has the answer to your question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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