Deli Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Any info would be greatly appreciated. Got this for $27 last night. I would like to know what the "box" # means, and if it's a good anvil for a brand new bladesmith to start with? At least I hope to be at minimum my own knife maker! Lol. The working surface has a wonderful ring to it. Idk how or what to do for the bounce back test? And there's just a couple minor marks on the working section, and a small chip on the edge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Welcome to IFI! Ken Mankel used to make anvils until relatively recently. There's a good thread about them HERE. I think "Box 28" was his mailing address in Cannonsburg, MI. Wait a second -- did you say $27?!? That is one amazing deal; I know that a 75 lb Mankel farrier's anvil (basically the same as what you have, but a bit smaller) used to list for $450. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Howdy from eastern Oklahoma and welcome to the forum! You got an exceptionally good deal on that anvil, I don’t see reason why you can’t forge knives, or anything else on that anvil, to do a bounce test get a ball bearing and a ruler an measure how far the bearing bounces back up from dropping it, as far as the box 28 I don’t know what that’s about, I’ll have to check AinA, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 I found this in a search. So I'm thinking Box 28 is a PO box number, may be a silly guess though. Quote A post office was established on May 7, 1844, with the spelling as "Cannonsburgh". The spelling was changed to Cannonsburg on February 5, 1894. The Cannonsburg ZIP code 49317 provides P.O. Box only service. Cannonsburg continued to be at the center of township business through the end of the 20th Century when the township offices were moved to a new location 2 miles to the north, along the M-44 corridor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Deli, Welcome aboard. Glad to have you. That is a great score. I bought by first 100# anvil in 1978 for $25 but this is a better anvil and in constant dollars much cheaper. I suppose that it is a sign of these digital times that you don't know about box numbers. It is a post office box number for mail which is not distributed to a street address. Businesses and folk who do not have or want home delivery of mail rent a physical mail box at the post office and go there to get their mail. They get a combination or key to open the box to retrieve your mail. Now, start getting metal hot and hitting it to make cool things. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 I didn’t think about it being an address but that makes sense, I wonder if customers mailed defective anvils back how long it would take before the post office got annoyed tripping over anvils an gave the factory roadside service lol, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les L Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 I still have a P O box, they just put a card in your box to pick up a package at the counter that doesn’t fit in the box, but I would love to see their faces when an anvil arrived and I requested my package Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Same here, I’ve got a P.O. Box in town that I have my more important mail sent to because the rural route carriers switch drivers every now an then and a new driver on the route sometimes don’t get the mail to the right addresses and I don’t want my financial stuff ending up in the wrong mail box, so we rent a po box in town Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deli Posted December 22, 2021 Author Share Posted December 22, 2021 3 hours ago, JHCC said: Welcome to IFI! Thanks for the warm welcome. And yeah $27. I couldn't pull the money out fast enough! And I've seen other mankel anvils with diff box #'s on them. So I believe that would eliminate his address? 3 hours ago, George N. M. said: Welcome aboard. Glad to have you. That is a great score. I bought by first 100# anvil in 1978 for $25 but this is a better anvil and in constant dollars much cheaper. Thanks for the welcome. I know what P.O. boxes are because I have one, bit I've seen other mankel anvils with diff box numbers. So he changed his P.O.box # over the time that he made anvils then I'm guessing? Another question. The marks around the square hole, should I have them milled out, or they aren't really important since they aren't on the working area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Okay I just looked it up in AinA, pg 238-240 talks about them, says they are cast of 8630 steel, the first ones were a farriers pattern 95 pounds, they started making them in 1971, funny enough on the P.O. Box conversation, the very first sentence in the chapter about them starts with the address and it is a P.O. Box 29 lol, and the pictures also show a box 29 cast in the side, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deli Posted December 22, 2021 Author Share Posted December 22, 2021 OK cool, so it is an address then. I really appreciate you using your time to help a newcomer like myself with such a petty question! Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 As far as the square hole, which is called a hardy hole to hold hardy bottom tools, I wouldn't do anything to it, just forge the hardy tool shank to fit it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 22, 2021 Share Posted December 22, 2021 Your welcome Deli! I’m glad I was able to help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deli Posted December 22, 2021 Author Share Posted December 22, 2021 25 minutes ago, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said: As far as the square hole, which is called a hardy hole to hold hardy bottom tools, I wouldn't do anything to it, just forge the hardy tool shank to fit it. I meant the surface. I've read that people have the top of the anvils milled when they get scars in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Any material you mill or grind off the hardened face of the anvil will possibly ruin the anvil. The hardened face plate isn't that thick to begin with and you usually don't work steel over that area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Don’t worry about those little knicks! Your anvil is in perfect usable shape, If you think yours is ruff? You outta see the beater anvils I drag home lol! It’s dark out or I’d go get some pictures, my point is there’s no reason to modify your anvil, just use it as is an after awhile you will realize that it’s perfectly usable just the way it is, if you modify it with mills and grinders you could cause costly or irreparable damage, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Use you anvil for a year (2000 hours) before you do anything to the anvil. Never do anything to the anvil that can not be undone later. You may find the little things you worry about now make no difference in the use of the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Deli, Glad I could help. The change in PO Box numbers could reflect a change in the size of the box, up or down, depending on whether the business was increasing or declining. This is the best anvil deal, other than gifts or inheritances, that I have heard of in a long time. You may want to buy a lottery ticket unless you think this deal used up all your luck for the next couple years. If so, be extra careful. Since Mankel anvils were made in the last 50 or so years it is still a baby compared to many still in use. It should serve well for many generations. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Welcome aboard Deli, GLAD to have you! That has to be the SWEETEST SCORE on an anvil I've seen in I don't remember how long. Be VERY careful about what people on the internet say they've done or advice. Any steel you remove from the face of an anvil is gone for ever and takes years off it's useful life. Those little blemishes at the hardy hole might turn out to be a useful feature, I'm thinking they'd make nice raised veins on leaves. Regardless they aren't bad enough to risk damaging that fine old lady trying to remove them. She'll make a fine bladesmith's anvil and we'll coach you along the way. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deli Posted December 23, 2021 Author Share Posted December 23, 2021 Thanks to all of you!! I appreciate all the info, and being new to the blacksmith world I will Def do as you all have suggested and will hopefully suggest in the near future! I'm very glad to have joined this group or forum, as everyone has been very nice, respectful, and helpful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Learn as much as you can, have lots of fun, ask lots of questions, share lots of pictures, and most importantly practice safety! can’t wait to see your work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daswulf Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Deli, you'd be surprized at how much you learn by even reading threads that you aren't even interested in at first. It is hard to follow along with everything let alone going back to old posts so do your best. It is an amazing journey. Best of luck, tho you've had some good luck with getting that anvil at an amazing price. Use it in good health! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Here's a tip for free: having saved a TON of money with that SWEEEEEET deal, go spend some of that free cash on good tongs. Everyone obsesses about anvils, forges, and hammers when they're starting out, but your return on investment for two or three pairs of well-made tongs will be huge. If you can't hold it, you can't hit it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jobtiel1 Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 What JHCC said. When I started, I was discouraged by trying to make tongs without tongs without knowing a good way to do that. I bought a pair of wolf jaw tongs, and they are still one of my most used pairs! As soon as you have a tong that can hold stock for making more tongs, the rest come naturally when you need them. ~Jobtiel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 My go to statement on milling anvil faces is: to only remove as much as you are willing to remove from your own face---and do yours *first*! While that is a farrier's pattern; no reason you can't forge blades on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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