Lump
Well-known member
Our last non-automotive flea mkt event of 2010 was this past weekend. This new event of ours is not yet large enough to require the entire fairgrounds; thus we only rent half of it. So the other half was rented by a big annual Blacksmith show.
So when I got there, I hopped on a golf cart, and went over to introduce myself to the other event mgmt team, to secure arrangements for mutual gate security between our shows, etc.
When I got there, I was surprised to learn that these guys were really into metal fabrication and big old tools...not shoeing horses. The horse-shoeing trade is called "Farrier" work, and these guys are not into that. So I looked around, and what did I see? Anvils, vises, and tools EVERYWHERE!
Anyone want an anvil?
Is there any particular size, shape, weight, or flavor of anvil you would prefer?
Maybe you might like a larger one?
How about an anvil surrounded with large post vises? This lady has a nice "garden" setting with her old-iron-lying-in-the-grass look, doesn't she?
Here are some more. This vendor left them in his trailer, and allowed people to walk through, rather than drag them out to display. Smart!
Still haven't found one you like yet? Well...
....here are a few more, all lined up and ready for you.
Here is a lonely anvil, just begging for a home. It gave me that big-eyed yearning look as I walked by... And note the pedigree. We've all heard of steel and iron products from Sheffield, England.
Maybe you would like an uncommon style of anvil, or some cool accessories? Check these out.
Or perhaps you would be intrigued by a rare accessory for your anvil? This device was described to me as a dedicated hammer/jig accessory, which was used to make tin cans from sheets of steel by hand, WAY back in the day. It had a rolling type bar with grooves in it, to be struck with the hammer to create stiffener grooves around the can. Who knows?
You wanna see vises? Here is a good sized Athol vise which I missed for $30. When I visited Saturday the vendor's booth was closed. He had left it sitting outside with price marked. Next day I PLANNED to race right over and buy it, but my own event was packed, and I couldn't get away till 2 PM, and when I did...the vendor was gone.
I bought a large vise for myself, but I'll post that separately tomorrow night. So for tonight, let me post a couple of smaller ones.
How 'bout this miniature Wilton "bullet" style vise? (I put my eyeglasses in the photo for size reference.) It was cute as a new puppy, and I would have bought it just for fun...but look at the price on that piece of blue tape.
I left it there.
The same seller had another, even smaller vise. The interesting thing about that vise is the gear-driven method it is opened and closed. See the "teeth" in the side of the slide? The seller showed me how it clicked for each tooth, but said the vise must be missing some parts, so he couldn't show me exactly how it worked originally. Cool, huh?
I wish I could have shown you more pictures. I'll bet there were literally 500 anvils, and two hundred vises at that show. (I was so impressed that I ended up joining their Blacksmith club!) But I didn't have my camera on Friday, and on both Saturday and Sunday my own event kept me too busy to get over there until the action had died down, and most booths were covered under tarps.
Time to hit the hay for tonight. I've been up before dawn each day since Friday, and working outdoors till after dark...including tonight. Tomorrow AM I must be at my desk at my "real" job...
So when I got there, I hopped on a golf cart, and went over to introduce myself to the other event mgmt team, to secure arrangements for mutual gate security between our shows, etc.
When I got there, I was surprised to learn that these guys were really into metal fabrication and big old tools...not shoeing horses. The horse-shoeing trade is called "Farrier" work, and these guys are not into that. So I looked around, and what did I see? Anvils, vises, and tools EVERYWHERE!
Anyone want an anvil?
Is there any particular size, shape, weight, or flavor of anvil you would prefer?
Maybe you might like a larger one?
How about an anvil surrounded with large post vises? This lady has a nice "garden" setting with her old-iron-lying-in-the-grass look, doesn't she?
Here are some more. This vendor left them in his trailer, and allowed people to walk through, rather than drag them out to display. Smart!
Still haven't found one you like yet? Well...
....here are a few more, all lined up and ready for you.
Here is a lonely anvil, just begging for a home. It gave me that big-eyed yearning look as I walked by... And note the pedigree. We've all heard of steel and iron products from Sheffield, England.
Maybe you would like an uncommon style of anvil, or some cool accessories? Check these out.
Or perhaps you would be intrigued by a rare accessory for your anvil? This device was described to me as a dedicated hammer/jig accessory, which was used to make tin cans from sheets of steel by hand, WAY back in the day. It had a rolling type bar with grooves in it, to be struck with the hammer to create stiffener grooves around the can. Who knows?
You wanna see vises? Here is a good sized Athol vise which I missed for $30. When I visited Saturday the vendor's booth was closed. He had left it sitting outside with price marked. Next day I PLANNED to race right over and buy it, but my own event was packed, and I couldn't get away till 2 PM, and when I did...the vendor was gone.
I bought a large vise for myself, but I'll post that separately tomorrow night. So for tonight, let me post a couple of smaller ones.
How 'bout this miniature Wilton "bullet" style vise? (I put my eyeglasses in the photo for size reference.) It was cute as a new puppy, and I would have bought it just for fun...but look at the price on that piece of blue tape.
I left it there.
The same seller had another, even smaller vise. The interesting thing about that vise is the gear-driven method it is opened and closed. See the "teeth" in the side of the slide? The seller showed me how it clicked for each tooth, but said the vise must be missing some parts, so he couldn't show me exactly how it worked originally. Cool, huh?
I wish I could have shown you more pictures. I'll bet there were literally 500 anvils, and two hundred vises at that show. (I was so impressed that I ended up joining their Blacksmith club!) But I didn't have my camera on Friday, and on both Saturday and Sunday my own event kept me too busy to get over there until the action had died down, and most booths were covered under tarps.
Time to hit the hay for tonight. I've been up before dawn each day since Friday, and working outdoors till after dark...including tonight. Tomorrow AM I must be at my desk at my "real" job...
And, how would I know if he is correct, even if he was telling the truth? 
We have a scrap yard near here that does a lot of railroad scrap, I've seen rails in there. If you know someone that works for the RR they might be able to get you a chunk.