Specific feedback on this specific anvil please.

The Appalachian · Sep 17, 2022

Gunny5821 said:
I would just check the want ads in your area. Alabama State Dept of Agriculture use to have a farm paper they put out every month, but finally discontinued it after about 75 years of publication. There were old anvils advertised for sale often.

I didn't realize old anvils were worth so much until I started doing some research. I got one that was my dad's, it would take two strong men to move it. It weighs close to 200 lbs or more, definitely a real nut buster to move. He got it from an old widow woman up on the mountain. She told him it belonged to her husband who used to work for L&N Railroad. He said he would stop by from time to time and ask her about the anvil, which she had sitting in her flower garden. She told him he could have it if he could pick it up, he eventually bought it for $100, and that was over 40 years ago. I've seen some of these 200+ lbs. anvils advertised for over $1,000.

Yep, most go for close to a grand.

If I'd only had the ability to go back to the 70s when my granddad's farm went to auction when he passed away and his entire blacksmith shop went down the road. I'd love to have all that stuff. Same old huge railroad anvil in there. They didn't buy anything needed for the farm, made everything.

The Appalachian · Sep 17, 2022

Can the admins lock this thread. Nobody apparently knows the meaning of the word "specific". I'll find the info I need elsewhere. Thanks.

user 48702 · Sep 17, 2022

The Appalachian said:
Yep, most go for close to a grand.

If I'd only had the ability to go back to the 70s when my granddad's farm went to auction when he passed away and his entire blacksmith shop went down the road. I'd love to have all that stuff. Same old huge railroad anvil in there. They didn't buy anything needed for the farm, made everything.

Agreed, that's the same way with my folks. I just came back to the house to eat a bite, but while I was down at his shop, I was able to measure his anvil. From heel to tip of the horn is 35" OAL, 13" in height, with a 6" X 21" flat work surface. The way he has it positioned up close to the building I wasn't able to tell who made it, nor did I see a weight stamped on it. He passed a little over a year ago and left me all the tools and shop tools and equipment. It's going to be a major undertaking just trying to decide what I'm going to keep or let go, but I'll definitely keep the blacksmith tools.

appalichian hunter · Sep 17, 2022

Stay away from it is my suggestion, there are better anvils around and you should be able to pick one up for a reasonable cost, My anvil is a Peter Wright dates to the civil war and in perfect condition, when I was putting together my forge equip my dad stopped bye one day and said he had something for me in his truck, paid 100.00 dollars for it I could not get my wallet out fast enough. Was at a civil war event at Old Bedford village a few years back and while talking to a ferrier told him about it offer ma 1000.00 for it site un seen. ITS STILL IN MY SHOP.

The Appalachian · Sep 17, 2022

appalichian hunter said:
Stay away from it is my suggestion, there are better anvils around and you should be able to pick one up for a reasonable cost, My anvil is a Peter Wright dates to the civil war and in perfect condition, when I was putting together my forge equip my dad stopped bye one day and said he had something for me in his truck, paid 100.00 dollars for it I could not get my wallet out fast enough. Was at a civil war event at Old Bedford village a few years back and while talking to a ferrier told him about it offer ma 1000.00 for it site un seen. ITS STILL IN MY SHOP.

Ok, now Google anvils for sale.

Your farrier was low balling you. TODAY, right now, you are going to pay a $$ grand or a LOT more for a usable antique, or you are going to pay darn near a grand for a name brand new cast steel anvil, OR, you are going to make do with a cheap Chinese anvil that everybody and their mother will tell you to stay away from.

A good one for a reasonable price is what I've ALREADY looked for, for the past 3 or 4 years. A good one for a reasonable price doesn't seem to exist in current times. Your civil war Peter Wright is probably lucky to exist at all. The Union smashed every anvil and blacksmith shop they found.

The anvils in my area are not for sale. Believe me. I've asked everyone I know who has one, I do have a few friends still looking around, but they were looking around 3 years ago too. As a welder in a 3 shift weld shop full of welders in the middle of farm country that's a pretty wide net cast.

I'm not paying for an antique. So my options at this moment are build my own, which I'm perfectly capable of doing, it's just time and money; or pick up one of these cheap ones and play around with it. It would probably do just fine with small jobs until something better comes along.

THUS THE FREAKING ORIGINAL QUESTION, SAVVY????

Colonial Boy · Sep 17, 2022

And thus the helpful suggestions by numerous people.

appalichian hunter · Sep 17, 2022

The Appalachian said:
Ok, now Google anvils for sale.

Your farrier was low balling you. TODAY, right now, you are going to pay a $$ grand or a LOT more for a usable antique, or you are going to pay darn near a grand for a name brand new cast steel anvil, OR, you are going to make do with a cheap Chinese anvil that everybody and their mother will tell you to stay away from.

A good one for a reasonable price is what I've ALREADY looked for, for the past 3 or 4 years. A good one for a reasonable price doesn't seem to exist in current times. Your civil war Peter Wright is probably lucky to exist at all. The Union smashed every anvil and blacksmith shop they found.

The anvils in my area are not for sale. Believe me. I've asked everyone I know who has one, I do have a few friends still looking around, but they were looking around 3 years ago too. As a welder in a 3 shift weld shop full of welders in the middle of farm country that's a pretty wide net cast.

I'm not paying for an antique. So my options at this moment are build my own, which I'm perfectly capable of doing, it's just time and money; or pick up one of these cheap ones and play around with it. It would probably do just fine with small jobs until something better comes along.

THUS THE FREAKING ORIGINAL QUESTION, SAVVY????

Touchy are we not, good luck with your junk.

The Appalachian · Sep 17, 2022

Colonial Boy said:
And thus the helpful suggestions by numerous people.

No, not helpful at all. Asking for specific information about a specific item and getting highly opinionated preferences about something else is NOT helpful. You don't own that anvil so you have nothing to bring to the table here.

Are one of those who assumes everybody asking a question is a newbie without a clue, and needs a dose of your pontificated education? That's not always the case bro.

The Appalachian · Sep 17, 2022

appalichian hunter said:
Touchy are we not, good luck with your junk.

Did somebody hurt your feelings?

Colonial Boy · Sep 17, 2022

OK, so not helpful, but well intentioned.

Robby · Sep 18, 2022

I have seen a few cast iron anvils, but they had what looked like a steel (of some kind) sheet laminated onto the flat area. They had been used for sure, as the horns were always battered to the point of unusable and the mortice for the hardy were always mangled pretty bad. I would stay away from the one shown, throwing good money after bad in my opinion. I made do with what I could make and scrounge till I found a proper anvil, it was well worth the wait and by then I had more than enough money in my anvil fund.
Good luck in your search, heck, looking back, the quest was half the fun, met a lot of very interesting people.
Robby

Old-Duckman · Sep 18, 2022

1BadDart said:
I'd rather have a piece of RR iron with the top milled flat than a cast iron anvil. It will be interesting to see how ling the horn will stay on the Vevor anvil, good anvils are made of cast steel. That's why they ring when struck with a hammer.

I do small forging of sterling silver, copper and pewter so I have a 40 pound anvil which is a perfect size for my needs. If I recall, I think it is a Peddinghaus I don’t remember if it was $245 or $425 (was probably $425) when I bought it new years ago but it wasn’t inexpensive and you get what you pay for.

Anyway I do have a piece of railroad track that had been ground flat by the machine shop where I work...grinding below the work hardened surface exposes extremely soft steel. I hammered the snot out of it trying to work harden it but to no avail. It is my “student” anvil now or used for other nefarious purposes.

Dusty_Traveler · Sep 18, 2022

I follow this fella on Instagram, and he always has a plethora of anvils. I mean hundreds of them. His business is buying, selling, and probably trading for antique blacksmithing tools of all kinds, and I'm sure he would have something that would work for you. He knows his stuff extremely well and is a good solid person too. Dallas, TX

https://blacksmithtoolssupplyco.com/
[email protected]

Nothing is for sale on his site, but just reach out to him and let him know what you're looking for. He's sharp.

jrdavis · Sep 18, 2022

For the anvil above if I were to buy it I would order a piece of 4140 plate and weld it to the face. A lot of old anvles were made that way. To cut your hardy hole drill it with a 1 inch bit the use a small 1/4 cold chisel to square it up( smaller chips are easy to than big ones)

Uncle Miltie · Sep 18, 2022

I have a friend who forges iron. He needed another anvil and looked around for at least a year for one. Drove 500 miles round trip to pick it up. And it was expensive.

The anvil you're looking at is inexpensive. Free shipping to boot. 100 lbs.

Buy the anvil and tell us how it works out.

Flying B · Sep 18, 2022

Apparently you ARE a “newbie”
If you are even considering that cast Chinese made anvil shows you have not done any research on anvils.

appalichian hunter · Sep 18, 2022

The Appalachian said:
Did somebody hurt your feelings?

My feelings are not hurt, seems your the one with a burr in yer britches, folks were answering your question and you just refuse to see the knowledge.

The Appalachian · Sep 18, 2022

appalichian hunter said:
My feelings are not hurt, seems your the one with a burr in yer britches, folks were answering your question and you just refuse to see the knowledge.

Ignorance is giving advice on Anvil A because somebody's brother's cousin doesn't like Anvil B.

You're not very sharp are you........

The Appalachian · Sep 18, 2022

jrdavis said:
For the anvil above if I were to buy it I would order a piece of 4140 plate and weld it to the face. A lot of old anvles were made that way. To cut your hardy hole drill it with a 1 inch bit the use a small 1/4 cold chisel to square it up( smaller chips are easy to than big ones)

Yes, and that technique goes all the way back to the discovery of making steel in the history of anvils. That's an option. Another option is welding up the working surfaces with 6013 rod, and then hard facing rod over that. It's been done, and apparently successful. Getting it surface ground afterwards isn't a problem for me.

appalichian hunter · Sep 18, 2022

As a tack, been there done that. Let me know how your boat anchor works out.

Specific feedback on this specific anvil please.

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