Found an Anvil

[revelator8565]

 

So we had to empty out my wife's grandparent's old home place. I discovered numerous great old tools. I also found this anvil buried in the back under years of junk. I took a wire brush to to clean it up. As I know nothing about them I searched and found you good folks. Says M&H Armitage Mous(no E) Hole Forge, 0.3.25. Can anyone tell me anything about it? Weight? Year or origin? Place of origin? And approximate worth?(just for curiosity, too cool to sell) thanks, Can't figure out how to add pics..doh

 

Doug

Kinston, North Carolina

[revelator8565]

 

 

Doug

Kinston, North Carolina

[ThomasPowers]

Weight is simple. Mousehole anvils were made in the UK. Old English anvils were weight stamped using the CWT system so your anvil would be 0x112 + 3x28 + 25 or  109 pounds when new. What did it weigh when you put it on the bathroom scale?  The two numbers are often a few pounds off. 

For more details; Richard Postman wrote a book on the Mousehole Forge that goes into detail including how to estimate the age by the stampings on it.  We would need a good clear picture of them to tell the general age.  Doesn't the "Read this first" sticky explain how to post pictures?

As for value: I have a used Ford car, what's it worth?  With that much information all you can say is US$200 to US$ one million +!  Like a used car, make, model, age, condition and special factors all play into the value.  Anvils in the USA generally range from scrap price to around 5-6 dollars a pound in good using condition---plus special factors!

[ThomasPowers]

Mousehole is a good brand of anvil and the thick waist is a plus in my mind. Condition looks GOOD, don't mess with it!  Around 100 pounds is a popular weight as it's fairly moveable; but still large enough to do a lot of forging on.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome from the Ozark mountains. Your Mousehole looks to be in very good condition. I'm envious seems we all suffer from anvil envy.

Some say it is the indisputable king of anvils. Wait till JHCC sees it. Have you done a ring & rebound test yet? That will tell you the true condition. Hope you have read about not doing any grinding, milling or welding on the hardened steel face, which usually does more harm than good.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Doug, glad to have you. She's a BEAUTY! A little edge chipping is nothing but what really catches my eye is the complete lack of chisel and punch marks in the body! It seemed to be an old timey thing to test punches and chisels on the side of the anvil. 

Do you plan on taking up the blacksmith's craft?

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

Very nice indeed. I've been forging on a similar Mousehole (aka The Undisputed King of Anvils) since the early eighties, and I assure you that yours will serve you well. I agree with what ThomasPowers says about the thick waist: with all that mass in the middle, a good Mousehole really punches above its weight. 

[revelator8565]

I am not a smith and do not really do any type of metal work.  I am a wood working guy but love any older tools, especially hand or non powered tools that I can find.  I'll try to youtube some videos as to how to do the ring and rebound test and let you know how it goes.  At this time I do not plan on doing any thing with it, definitely no grinding or sanding on it.  I will most likely build some sort of wooden stand for it to sit on and display it in my home with some of my other older cool toys.  Now that you have seen the anvil with the stamping, any guesses to the age/year made?  It also has another hole in the bottom in the dead center that is not pictured if that helps any.  Thanks for the info guys.

[JHCC]

M&H / ARMITAGE / MOUSE / HOLE / FORGE = 1854-1875

[George N. M.]

Frosty, I think the chiseling and punching was done on the side of the anvil to avoid having to get out a bolster plate to protect the face.  The sides of my Peter Wright is covered with this to the point that 90%+ of the markings are obscured.

This is a sweet anvil which is hardly broken in.  My anvil envy is kicking in.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

  

[Frosty]

That's plausible I suppose, George but you'd need someone there to hold the stock, chisel or swing the hammer, might as well have them lay the bolster on and it doesn't explain punch marks. I never quite bought the "testing" chisels, etc. either, why  not use a random piece of scrap instead of damaging the anvil? I haven't heard an explanation I like. Then again I don't like  to see tools abused so I may never hear one.

The bearing ball rebound test is as easy as dropping a ball BEARING from a distance and estimating how far it bounces back as a percentage. Using a ruler and dropping from the 10" or 100mm mark makes it more accurate.

Below is one of many Iforge discussions regarding rebound testing. Personally using a 1" bearing ball is bordering on silly, more isn't necessarily better. There is one very real advantage though, a 1" ball is easier to find amidst the clutter, drop anything that can roll or bounce and it WILL find the best hiding place in the area. It's a natural law, honest.

You can buy bearing balls by the pound at any bearing / driveline supply, industrial type hardware, etc., they typically sell a LOT for slingshot ammo. 

https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/57673-some-thoughts-on-rebound-ball-bearing-test/#comment-605810

Frosty The Lucky.

[revelator8565]

Thanks for the help every one. I’ll try the ball bearing.  I did take an old cross peen hammer and just lightly swung it, more like let gravity take it, from about 6 to 8 inches high and it bounced right back up to where I I started if not a tad higher. It also gave off a beautiful ring. I liked the sound so much I did it like 10 times. If I didn’t have all these wood working tools, I may could get into this smithing stuff.

Also, I showed it to a guy who I know tinkers with some smith work. He offered me $300 for it. I chuckled and I told him it wasn’t for sale. This is probably my new favorite old tool. Anything form the 1800s is a keeper for me.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Blacksmith's are noted for making wood working tools. Just think if you do get into 'smithing, you may never have to buy another hand wood working tool.

[TASCo_71845]

My grandfather had this anvil for years and it's been sitting in the back corner of the barn for 20± years. I cleaned it up today and looking for info and value. Thanks

[Will Brouwers]

4 hours ago, Frosty said:

I never quite bought the "testing" chisels, etc. either, why  not use a random piece of scrap instead of damaging the anvil? I haven't heard an explanation I like. Then again I don't like  to see tools abused so I may never hear one.

What do you think the marks are from then?

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

TASCo.... It's hard to give you a value, not knowing where in the world you are located. It has some damage that will affect value also. It weighed 107 pounds when made but probably lighter now due to the missing piece of face plate. You already know the manufacture. If it passes the ring & rebound test it is a good usable anvil.

[George N. M.]

Revelator, you'd be surprised how a new craft can compliment an existing one.  Besides making wood working tools you can make hinges, handles, hasps, locks, decorations, nails, and anything else you can think of.  There are a lot of us who do both.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[Frosty]

2 hours ago, Will Brouwers said:

What do you think the marks are from then?

That's easy, the smith drove chisels and punches into the side with a hammer. Why I don't know.

Frosty The Lucky.