Help identify this anvil?

[damnesia]

I picked up this anvil pretty cheap today. It's definitely well used and hope it's not to far gone to not be able to use it. I haven't cleaned it up yet but I can't see any casting marks except for 1899 and a 5. Figured I'd check here to see if anyone knows what it is. If not I'll post pictures of it after I clean it up a little.

 

[warden]

It might be a Fisher Norris eagle anvil they manufactured from 1873 to 1979.

 

[damnesia]

Thanks for the response, it will at least give me things to look up. I wish the thing hadn't been as well used is was. Oh well that's probably why I could afford it ;-) I'm trying to see what the top is made of and if I can mill it flat again. I assume it's something to hard to mill.

 

[jumbojak]

Thanks for the response, it will at least give me things to look up. I wish the thing hadn't been as well used is was. Oh well that's probably why I could afford it ;-) I'm trying to see what the top is made of and if I can mill it flat again. I assume it's something to hard to mill.

I bet it'd clean up pretty nice with use. No need to remove the hard surface so it's flat. If you need flat there's a hardy hole you can make a tool to fit in.

 

[damnesia]

I paid $40 and feel pretty good about it. I got a lot of things that I've been looking for, for very little money the past two weekends. I'm trying to get around to posting it but there is a lot of stuff and taking pictures is going to tedious.

 

[jumbojak]

You stole that anvil. I think it's appropriate to say you ****!

 

[damnesia]

Happy to hear I didn't over pay. I have no idea what a good price is but felt the asking price was more than fair. It is definitely a Fisher. This is a good thing?

 

[thehorse13]

There is life left in the striking surface. Just leave it alone. You robbed the seller. As mentioned, you ****. A Fisher is an outstanding anvil.

 

[notlob]

That's cool that the date is shown so prominently. How much does it weigh?

 

[damnesia]

That's cool that the date is shown so prominently. How much does it weigh?

I don't have a scale so I can't weigh it, but I'd say it's approximately 50 pounds, give or take.

 

[damnesia]

I'm not going to sell this but I wanted to find out what an anvil is approximately worth so if/when I see another I know whether to grab it and not pay too much. I know it's a vague question because of the different manufacturers, sizes, condition, etc. So I guess I'm asking what is the upper limit that would be considered a good price to pay for something like this.

 

[rsanter]

You need to ask if you need a flat surface for what you are doing.
If you do then I would machine it but take as little away as I could. When you get to the point that the top is 85-90% clean and flat I would stop

Bob

 

[thehorse13]

I'm not going to sell this but I wanted to find out what an anvil is approximately worth so if/when I see another I know whether to grab it and not pay too much. I know it's a vague question because of the different manufacturers, sizes, condition, etc. So I guess I'm asking what is the upper limit that would be considered a good price to pay for something like this.

Manufacturer, age, condition and size all factor in to pricing. I can tell you that a Fisher that weighs about 228 lbs is on Craigslist for $1,250. It's bigger and in better shape than yours but from the same era.

Like anything else, experience in the marketplace will eventually educate you on pricing. If all else fails, just come here and ask.

 

[damnesia]

Thanks for all the info. I think I have one more question and I'll lay the matter to rest. Is the 1899 that is cast into the anvil the year of casting, patent, model or none of the above?

 

[thehorse13]

Thanks for all the info. I think I have one more question and I'll lay the matter to rest. Is the 1899 that is cast into the anvil the year of casting, patent, model or none of the above?

With Fishers, I'm told it was the year it was cast (made). The one in the photo below is date stamped 1939.

In case you're curious, the seller wants $750 for that one.

 

[jumbojak]

Fisher anvils are great for "city" work because they are very quiet. It's a very nice anvil especially at the price you paid. That would probably sell in the $250-500 range around here.

 

[Maui]

Anvil prices vary greatly depending on their size, condition, manufacturer, location, etc. Expect to pay anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 per pound for an anvil that weighs under approximately 250lbs. For anvils that exceed this weight the sky can be the limit.

And you paid less than $1.00 per pound for a Fisher. That is unheard of. Well done!

Maui

 

[damnesia]

I've been reluctant to ask this because it's probably an ultra stupid question, but here it goes. How much can this little anvil take? I bench press right over 300 pounds and I think i'm more concerned about what size of hammer to use. I honestly would like a very flat anvil with sharp edges to work sheet metal on, but this is not in good enough shape for that. This one will be used on the occasion where I need to heat steel and rough shape it. For instance, if I heat a piece of steel and hammer on it with a 4 pound hammer, is that going to crack the anvil or hurt it in anyway?

 

[Maui]

This anvil has some pretty significant wear on the edges of the face. As long as you are not hammering on the edges of the tool steel top face it is unlikely that you will damage this anvil by working hot metal on it. One thing you should not do with an anvil is to hammer unheated metal on it, ever. If you do this you WILL damage it.

Maui

 

[damnesia]

This anvil has some pretty significant wear on the edges of the face. As long as you are not hammering on the edges of the tool steel top face it is unlikely that you will damage this anvil by working hot metal on it. One thing you should not do with an anvil is to hammer unheated metal on it, ever. If you do this you WILL damage it.

Maui

Thank you!