One of our members has come down with a bad case of emphasyma, and is slowly parting with his treasured tools and other stuff. I came over and bought his anvil and hardies, and some tooling, taps and dies etc, and he decided to throw in his library Gratis, this is all I could fit on the ottoman, and you can see my boy (Brad) playing with the dog (Mighty Maggie)in the background,look to the top of the photo, you will see FW'S cookbook! I decided to include a shot of the anvil and stand as well.

One of our members has come down with a bad case of emphasyma, and is slowly parting with his treasured tools and other stuff. I came over and bought his anvil and hardies, and some tooling, taps and dies etc, and he decided to throw in his library Gratis, this is all I could fit on the ottoman, and you can see my boy (Brad) playing with the dog (Mighty Maggie)in the background,look to the top of the photo, you will see FW'S cookbook! I decided to include a shot of the anvil and stand as well.

This is a tough case of bad news good news Mike! It's always rough to read about a fellow smith having to get out of the craft, especially for health reasons. At least some of his gear is going to someone who can use it. Scoring his library makes it a little easier to bear a friend's failing health. Still. . .

Frosty the Lucky.

Here are a couple of things I got a hold of recently. The little stake anvil is about 1 1/2 inches sq. and 2 inches tall not including the stake. I know its old, aprox. 100 yrs. Its stamped Bohler Stahl on one side and Made in Austria on the other. So, I know it was made for the import tool market here in the US and was manufactured around 1900 ish. I looked the company up and its still in business in Austria. I thought it was pretty cool and will be nice for little things to work on. The other is a piece of wrought iron chain link that Jake Pogrebinsky sent to me. I don't know what to make from it yet but I'm gonna do something soon. First will probably will reduce it down to a more manageable sizes. I sure am happy to have it.

One of our members has come down with a bad case of emphasyma, and is slowly parting with his treasured tools and other stuff. I came over and bought his anvil and hardies, and some tooling, taps and dies etc, and he decided to throw in his library Gratis, this is all I could fit on the ottoman, and you can see my boy (Brad) playing with the dog (Mighty Maggie)in the background,look to the top of the photo, you will see FW'S cookbook! I decided to include a shot of the anvil and stand as well.

Hate to hear the bad news about your fellow member but like Frosty said it's good that his tools are going to someone that will appreciate them. Now about THE cookbook....one sold on eBay 3/25 for $157.50. I had watched it for several days while it was still below $50.00 and thought I just might try bidding on it. HA!! They have them on Amazon starting at $400.00 and go up from there! Just a bit of info thought you might enjoy...

Here are a couple of things I got a hold of recently. The little stake anvil is about 1 1/2 inches sq. and 2 inches tall not including the stake. I know its old, aprox. 100 yrs. Its stamped Bohler Stahl on one side and Made in Austria on the other. So, I know it was made for the import tool market here in the US and was manufactured around 1900 ish. I looked the company up and its still in business in Austria. I thought it was pretty cool and will be nice for little things to work on. The other is a piece of wrought iron chain link that Jake Pogrebinsky sent to me. I don't know what to make from it yet but I'm gonna do something soon. First will probably will reduce it down to a more manageable sizes. I sure am happy to have it.

Hey Bryan that's a pretty cool stake anvil. I like knowing at least a little about things I have, history is good to hold in your hand isn't it.

Have you thought of something to make from the WI Jake sent you? If you can't think of anything you could always take a day's drive and visit me, Deb and I are about 8 hrs south of you and will be more than happy to put you up for the night.

Frosty the Lucky.

Frosty, I tried to PM you but your messages were full. I would love to come down for a visit. I'll bring a couple of hammers and some sweets. Anytime is good for me. When is good for you?

Frosty, I tried to PM you but your messages were full. I would love to come down for a visit. I'll bring a couple of hammers and some sweets. Anytime is good for me. When is good for you?

Uh, PM? I don't think I've checked my PMs in a long time, maybe ever, so being full is probably to be expected. I just hope I haven't put anyone off. I sent you an E-mail through the site so we can yak.

Frostythe Lucky.

Nice little denglestock (scythe anvil)!

I took time out from trying to get the shop extension ready for the next SWABA meeting to get my #1 champion home yesterday. Folks will have to dodge past it to get in the shop; but I gave it it's first washdown to get the dirt off it. Next is a scrub with a degreaser and then start dis-assembly. I'll have to invest in some harbour blue paint as I was going to paint the entire thing in my tool colour! (and then add the flames to the base...) Funny thing some of the shop extension roofing is also Harbour Blue...

scrap yard $20.00

and a bucket or two of high tensile bolts (i use as pins, most in the boxs brand new)

I went to the scrap yard the other day to pick up some 1/2 inch round for a job and i found a 6 foot section of 10 inch welded SS pipe. it followed me home for 50 dollars and was set up and installed within an hour or two. Two days ago i went to my uncles to pick up a steel bench for my shop and his son had a portable forge that he used a few times. He told me it would look better in a working shop and gave it to me along with 100 lbs of coal and a fisher anvil. My uncle also gave me a post vice with six inch jaws. Now the shop is almost complete.

I’ve had an ad on craigslist locally here for several months. I was, truthfully, getting frustrated with the lack of response to the ad. I was complaining, upset and generally being a brat about it. I mean really. There are literally tons of blacksmithing tools in Fairbanks.

Well today, I found some. A response came in to my ad and I went to take a look. Holy moly, I hit a jackpot. A Champion 400 blower. It really moves air well. Has no skips in its rotation and moves smoothly. The clinker breaker and mounting bracket for it. Several fullers and swages. A couple of hot cut hardys and a pair of tongs.

One of the fullers is an Atha, one is a Champion. Several of the fullers and swages are made by Ballard Ironworks. One of the hot cuts is a Champion and one is an Acme. The tongs are Ballards 5/8th inch. I couldn’t be happier. I do have some work to do on them. The fullers and swages have seen hard use. They are from an old mine area on the Yukon River. I’ll need to grind off the mushroom heads on the tools. Narrow down the shanks on the hot cuts. And, we both feel we got a good deal for everything. So all things considered, I think I did good.

You done better than "good", you did great. Now what you gonna make with all of that new tooling? I guess with spring on the way you will be in the shop more, enjoy the new stuff. :P

I have some wrought to work with too. I need to get going on it and make something. Anything. Of to the shop to grind some mushrooms. :D

Exellent,Bryan,you're happening! B)

Excellent score Bryan! There are more smithing tools in your neck of the woods than mine, there was more mining historically and there's still lots of stuff laying around, it's a matter of finding it.

When I saw Jake's name on this thread I thought I was going to see a steam engine but it's sweet to see someone from our side of the continent scoring no matter who it is.

Frosty the Lucky.

Thanks Jake, funny how it all came together. You suggested I get a hand crank blower and a few days later I got the email from a gentleman who had one. Plus all the other stuff I got from him too. I am very pleased.

Thanks Frosty, I've been running an ad in Craigslist wanting to buy blacksmithing tools. I'll keep running one, you just never know what may pop up.

I just received these hammers. I found them on Craigslist last October quite far away from where I live and the seller didn't want to ship them. A cousin picked them for me. I just visited him last week and shipped the hammers while I was visiting.

That's a useful heap of tools! You do realise that most of them are struck tools and not hammers? It's not a good idea to use wooden handled tools under a power hammer.

Now is that all the hammers you own or just the ones you bought off CL?
Either way,looks like you need at least one BIG rack if not more.
Nice score!

Sam, yep I'm aware that a majority are to be struck. I just used the term 'hammers' for convenience. I don't intend to use any under my power hammer, but I will have to try to find a striker to work/play with me.

Thanks Bob. I bought all the hammers in the picture as a lot from a guy who was selling off his duplicates and hammers he doesn't use. I paid $300 for the lot. I have 7 or 8 other hammers, cold, and hot cuts already, so this will over quadruple my collection.

I've used the term "Handled Tools" when talking about the tool rack contents.

Nice set. I recently traded for some top swages to forge into hardy tools for my 1.5" hardy holes. *much* easier than trying to forge them from stock! (and the eyes could be drifed back out sometime in the future is someone wanted back as top swages...)

Nice score Mark! Patience has it's rewards doesn't it?

Frosty the Lucky.

Thanks Frosty. Patience sure does have its rewards. I thought long and hard about spending the $300, but I compared it to buying handled tools (thanks for the more correct term Thomas) indivdually on ebay and having them shipped. That would run at least $40/tool range, so I think I got a fairly good deal. Many of the swages are Athas so they are quite good quality.

The sawyer's hammer is particularly intriguing to me. I haven't seen many of them.

I just scored myself some nice tool steel in the rough. Looks to be 1-1/2". I have yet to measure it as it is all greasy. I also scored some MC Channel to make myself a stock rack(pic to follow when it's daylight and dry out).

I just scored myself some nice tool steel in the rough. Looks to be 1-1/2". I have yet to measure it as it is all greasy. I also scored some MC Channel to make myself a stock rack(pic to follow when it's daylight and dry out).

Axles are good steel but what I catagorize as medium carbon rather than tool steel. They make good hammers, heck, DANDY hammers. Don't worry, I don't think that particular grease will be a problem for the forge at all at all.

Frosty the Lucky.