andgott Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 (edited) I picked up my 'new' anvils today! I'm pretty excited- As I have been looking for a long, LONG time now... Gotta love Craigslist! I don't know anything about them- other than the few things I have been able to find on this forum and on the web.... If anyone knows anything else, Please let me know! The first one is a 130 lb Arm & Hammer- It's in pretty good shape, and I've heard that they are pretty good anvils. Has a beautiful ring to it It's in pretty good shape- Nice flat face, and only a few nicks on the edges- The stamped 'Arm & Hammer' logo, name, & 'Wrought Iron' are clearly visible, as is the 130. It seems like a good anvil- And considering I got it for about 1/2 what a similar 78 lb one that I was bidding on E-Bay (plus, NO SHIPPING, since it was a few miles away!), a pretty good deal, I think. (Continued Below) Edited February 4, 2009 by andgott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlander Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 i use a mousehole just like that except mine is a bit swaybacked. nice scores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andgott Posted February 4, 2009 Author Share Posted February 4, 2009 (edited) And, The one that I'm most excited about- A Mouse Hole- I think this was the 'deal of the day'... About $1 a pound You can make out the stamp on the side of it- You can JUST see part of the 'ouse', Below that, 'ole', and the weight- 1 - 0 - 10 (I THINK) I can JUST make out where it says C & A in this shot.... Above the 'ouse', There is a '1 A' or something in the front of the foot... I'm not too sure of the date- I have read several pages that say if there is a step and NO pritchel, it is from ca. 1790-1795-I am passing on a rough guide to age that I am got from Jim Wallace at the National Ornamental Metal Museum. If the anvil does not have a step, and has an even smaller horn than the small one on other Mouse Hole anvils, and is attached directly under the end of the face, then it might not have a steel face, but could. This anvil would have been made in the 1750-1775 time frame. If it has a step, and is made by Armatage, marked as an Armatage Mouse Hole, then the face is hard steel. If there is no pritchell hole, it was made before about 1790-1795. If it has a PUNCHED pritchell hole, it is in the 1795-1850 manufacture range. Some of the older Mouse Hole anvils had pritchell holes drilled in them, to bring them up to a more "modern" configuration. (From this page) But, I have read elsewhere that the 'C&A' dates it to 1795-1820. Anyone know who is correct? Of course, There could be some overlaps, too... -Andrew Edited February 4, 2009 by andgott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Those are pretty sweet. I worked on a mouse hole and it was nice. That paints going to stink when you put hot steel on them tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
element Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 Looks like my mousehole but i got a round hole next to the hardy hole so yours might be older? Also the 1 10, is that 110 pounds? or 125 pounds or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I think it's 122lbs, first number is 112lbs, second is 28lbs and last number is pounds left over, if I remember right, please correct me if I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andgott Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 I had figured that as well, IF the 10 is correct- I'm not 100% sure its a 10... Borrowed from AnvilFire and rephrased The English hundredweights can be read as 3 numbers ABC where A is times 112 pounds, B is times 28 pounds and C is actual poundsAnvilfire and Jock Dempsey has stated that NO amount of text from the anvilfire site can be copied and used on other sites. I have removed the quoted anvilfire material and replaced it with different wording in order to provide the same information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 :DYa!! I was right (finally) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Outstanding! Makes me wish I lived closer to the lower 48 . . . sometimes. Those both look like fine anvils and perfect portables. (which also means you need to take some precautions that they don't go portable while you're not looking :mad:) There are a couple things you can do to make the stampings easier to read: First is to rub some chalk or lumber crayon into them and then wipe off the surface. The other is to light it obliquely (position the light so it shines along the face instead of directly at it) and take a photo. Taking some fine sandpaper to it first to dull the paint will help too. Doing both is even better. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Arm and Hammer anvils were made in Columbus Ohio, USA and are a great anvil with a welded up construction. One way to identify them is that they generally did not use a flattner on the under side of the heel and so you can see/feel the steam hammer hammer marks. They ring and should be mounted to reduce it and so save your hearing. No pritchel generally indicates pre-1820; though some anvils originally without a pritchel had one retrofitted later with a drill. Often you can feel the difference of a punched vs drilled pritchel by the punch swelling on the underside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
element Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Frosty what precautions can u do besides lock the door? You could weld it to a T shaft that goes through the floor into a heaping mass of cement..Or make it removable and you could hide it before leaving. Last thing i want stolen is the anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Locking the door is a good start and usually enough. A dog is good too. No matter what you do it'll only keep honest folk out. No security system is any better than the people on watch. Except dogs, they'll do their job whether you're there or not. Usually though keeping an anvil from walking off is a matter of NOT making it easy to take. Thieves are in general lazy and anvils are heavy so they're not sought after targets. . . Usually. I lock the shop door and we have dogs though not in the shop. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I agree with Frosty about the dogs, mine are great deterants. A shotgun works good to if you're home;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKForge Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Awesome deal there andgott! They are both sweet but I am totally into the old english anvils and that mousehole is very cool. Great find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andgott Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Thanks. DK- He had a second, Slightly newer (though in worse condition) Mousehole that he sold the day before for even less- Made me sick As for security, I have a monitored system installed in my studio, two dogs (not mean but they have a mean bark!), Plus the best theft deterrent ever- My neighbors have WAY better stuff, and don't keep it locked up. So, They will steal THAT first. Seems to me a thief would have to be targeting blacksmith equipment for them to snatch up an anvil- I can't imagine them wanting to run off with a 130 something pound block of metal otherwise! -Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
element Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 They wouldnt run with the anvil, They drag it! My uncle got robed of a generator that was bolted to the floor, and they cut the locks on the door and they pulled it on a sled on the snow a km before loading it on a truck. His cabin is some 500 feet from mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andgott Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Yeah, I suppose if they want something bad enough, They'll take it. Perhaps I could electrify mine- I've got a spare 220v circuit in the studio- That'll stop 'em! -Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Maybe, unless they find the breaker pannel, LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Booby trapping your stuff is a really BAD idea. Imagine the community reaction if a couple neighborhood kids got in and just wanted to play blacksmith. Even if it gets a thief you'll be charged as a criminal for using an indiscriminate lethal device. Locking it up out of sight works almost every time. A dog is an intelligent alarm system that's really hard to fool. A really good dog has built in friend/foe sensors and will let you know if you'll listen. Having a neighbor with better or more attractive stuff and no security is good for you, maybe best of all. After all, you don't have to be the toughest guy on the street, just tougher than someone else. Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Poulmas Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I use deadbolts that require a key to exit. (Double cylinder.) This way, if someone gets in through the window, they also have to break the door down to get anything out. I put the windows high enough so that getting an anvil through them would be very difficult, even with two people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt87 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Having a neighbor with better or more attractive stuff and no security is good for you, maybe best of all. After all, you don't have to be the toughest guy on the street, just tougher than someone else. Just like surviving bear 'encounters'; you don't have to be able to outrun the bear, just the guy next to you! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Shhhhhhh! Those of us living in bear country like to keep THAT little tip to ourselves! Man, I'll never hand YOU the beans! Frosty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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