I recently found an anvil today and I am going to pick her up Friday, owner said it was made in 1870, weights 152lbs and it is a england made anvil, still has the little tool on the top of it, What you guys think? i know she looks rough but I hope to bring this beauty back to life and give her a new purpose, anyone fimiliar with the england made anvils? Thanks and Godbless,Charlie

Edited September 10, 200817 yr by R.C.Edmondson

I don't know if they put pritchel holes in English anvils in the 1870s but someone with "Anvils in America" will chime in shortly.

The tool is a fuller.

I don't see much work needing to be done to put that old beauty to work, a stand and a fire should do it just about right.

Congratulations.

Frosty

thanks so much Frosty, I am tickled to death, cant wait to get her!!!

Looks a lot like my two Peter Wright anvils which are made in England

Very sweet find - well done!
I'm with Frosty - that anvil is itchin' for a hammer. She can go straight to work.
The guy might of meant that it was a "london pattern" anvil which is what your anvil is.
I agree with Neal, it looks like a Peter Wright - he was a famous anvil maker who came out of the Mousehole Foundry in London to make his own brand of anvils back in the 1800's.
Treat her right and she'll never let you down.
Have fun.
Aeneas

Picture #2 shows it has some markings - likely the maker's mark.
When you get it, try cleaning the area up and let us know what it says. Check for any other markings.
aeneas

Its a Wilkinson and he wants $300 for it, I would pass.

well lets say he wanted 200.00? not worth it?

i paid $800AUD for a 260lb circa 1840 wilkinson

The pritchel came in earlier than 1840 IIRC, though some early anvils have had one drilled to retrofit them with a pritchel.

1870 is not "very old" I'd only use that for pre 1800 anvils myself---my oldest is an 1828 William Foster myself but it's missing the heel and most of the face plate.

Less than US$2 per pound would be a quite good price where I live now in NM; but I was finding much better condition anvils for under US$1 a pound in OH when I lived there about 5 years ago. I think that if I did not have an anvil $200 for a usable 150# would make me happy even if it wasn't a bragging price.

Yeah I think mouse hole fore started adding pitcetchl holes in their anvils in 1830 (correct me if I`am wrong) My mouse hole was made in between 1830-1835 so a anvil made in 1870 ain`t VERY old.

Chris
PS nice Find

Nice anvil. Eventually you might wanna fix all the problems it has, but you can still forge with it, and it looks to be a real nice anvil. Good luck and nice find.

Best Regards,
John

Even at $200.00 I still would not, maybe $175.00? I just had a guy tell me he wanted $1000 for 200# fisher..I had a 220# Fisher in the back of my vehicle I bought for $200. If you look hard enough they are out there for a good price.

Its a Wilkinson and he wants $300 for it, I would pass.

This brings up a good question.

At 150+lbs, $300.00 rounds out to around $2.00 a pound.
Not knowing what the market price of iron/steel is - $2.00/lb sounds reasonable to me.
For those in the know (or at least way more experienced than me) is $2.00/lb a reasonable price for an anvil? :confused:
Or are there other considerations I'm overlooking?

Aeneas

That is a very reasonable price, I payed $250 for a 127 pound anvil, from Art. Should have paid about $375 for it, but he gave me a HUGE deal. Wilkinson anvils are amazing from my use so far. Little ring when mounted correctly, just gonna use a magnet or chain to finish deadening the ring.

here's my 1840's badboy...posted these pics before...but thought while people are talkin wilkinson i may as well the pritchel wasnt added later so it def means pritchel holes were fairly standard in atleast the early 1840s...it weighs 122kg (270lb) as it is now...couldnt see any markings as to its intended weight...but the proof is in the pudding eh?

$800 well spent? probably not...but anvils are pretty scarce down here in AU i have been looking for a good one for about 2yrs...and as soon as i saw this i had to have it...drove 400km to get it...

Edited September 11, 200817 yr by inazuma_x

GOFERIT, man!!! That's a nice anvil and $200 is not unreasonable.

If I lived a bit closer I'd tell ya forget the anvil and I'd take the worry off your hands. I need a couple more anvils as I have three of my kids who are giving the forge a try. I don't like trying to raise and lower my 250 pound anvils to kid height...
$200 for a 150 pounder would be a good enough price for me... Heck I have a hammer coming that weighs in at 2.75 pounds that is costing $125 plus $10 shipping... If we will pay nearly $50.00 per pound for a hammer, $1.33 per pound for an anvil doesn't sound too bad.

James

Price depends a lot on location: when I lived in OH, 1989-2004, I averaged a name brand anvil in great shape for under a dollar a pound every year. (exp my mint condition 515# Fisher was US$350)

Out here in NM anvils are rare; anvils in good condition rarer. I have not bought one in the 4 years I have been out here---though I did have a sweedish cast anvil in great condition given to me...

I like that. At say $200, not bad. I paid $75 for a 125# anvil that has the hard face half gone but has a great horn. I felt like I got the deal of the century when I bought it. If you are happy as a pig in slop then stay that way and don't worry about what you paid for it just get you metal hot and start forging. Also don't worry about the "defects" that may be or may not be present, just beat iron. Make something, make that anvil smile and you will too. There seems to be a lot of semi-nay saying but I think it is envy that you got an anvil and they don't or yours is better then theirs but man you are one lucky fellow to be able to beat hot iron on that anvil. It's spirit will bless you. Light the fires of the forge and let the smiting begin!:D