Help Identifying 250 Pound Anvil

[apittmanii]

I purchased this 250 pound anvil last week from someone on craigslist who was moving and could not take it with him. It was $300. He said that it was a Fisher from the 1950s. it does seem to be a Fisher based on the stamp.

It had two layers of paint (now almost removed), as you can tell by some residual red in the creases. I'm not a blacksmith but it seems to ring very well in sections of the anvil.

--what would this anvil be worth in your area?
--any other information about this anvil besides that it is a 250 pound Fisher?

Thank you

 

[Zeke]

Well, what area are you in? In SoCal it would be 2wice that.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Definitely sporting the easily identifiable Fisher Eagle cast in the side. Any Fisher should be an exceptionally good anvil with great rebound and famous for not "ringing like a bell" when struck. I always liked that they had lugs on feet for securing them. Looks like you have a great anvil at a great price...easily sell for three times that amount nowadays. Ed.

 

[cvairwerks]

$2 to $5 a pound on average, here in North Texas

 

[555]

It would be about $750 in the Atlanta metro area based on the Craigslist ads I've seen. A good anvil is averaging $3.00 per pound.

 

[drivesitfar]

looks like a nice anvil. are all Fisher anvils welded at thier middle section? what was the reason? to dull the ring or make them easier to handle? speaking of handling nice find and just curious did you just pick it up and load it in your truck or do tell how you move it.

sorry i don't know a lot about Fisher anvils, but there is a book you can buy or that some members own Anvils of America is the name i think that tells all about anvils.

also here is the show your anvil thread if you would like to post it up over there too and we do have a few blacksmith members that might have a thought to give you. here's the link to take you right there in General Garage section.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33788&highlight=anvil

great size and great price. nice find

 

[sandman54]

i have a 800 lbs. fisher, a great example of an American Anvil. however all the rest of my collection is German anvils setting on cast iron German bases. Fisher,Hay Budden, and Wright are all very good anvils..

 

[Alchymist]

It's name is "Arthur".

 

[dkroth]

I can identify that. Yup, it's mine.

Please return it at your earliest convenience.

 

[Alchymist]

I can identify that. Yup, it's mine.

Please return it at your earliest convenience.

Would you have known it was yours if I hadn't told you it's name?

 

[jumbojak]

looks like a nice anvil. are all Fisher anvils welded at thier middle section? what was the reason? to dull the ring or make them easier to handle? speaking of handling nice find and just curious did you just pick it up and load it in your truck or do tell how you move it.
QUOTE]

Fisher anvils were a cast iron and tool steel top construction. Looking at that one it seems like it may have broken at the waist and then been welded as a repair. There was a sizeable anvil repair industry at one time. I've only looked at two Fishers up close but neither featured a prominent weld line like that. They are very quiet anvils, good for the city.

If I remember correctly Vulcan used a similar logo. They had a similar construction method as well, though they are nowhere near Fisher quality. The face seems too thick for a Vulcan. There's a Fisher museum in New Jersey and the curator could probably tell you a lot more about that anvil than anybody here.

 

[apittmanii]

It's name is "Arthur".

Doesn't seem to respond to Arthur. I tried, but it just sits there with a hard look on its face.

 

[apittmanii]

QUOTE] Looking at that one it seems like it may have broken at the waist and then been welded as a repair. There was a sizeable anvil repair industry at one time.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I think you are right. It does not resemble the casting on any other part of the base. It looks like... well, a weld line. That's disappointing. I'll have to check with the museum you mention, maybe they can tell me more.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I think what you have is a flash line where the mold wasn't fit so well prior to casting. Quite a bit of porosity on the side of that Fisher also....maybe a late Friday slam it out and meet the quota job. Any weld that could hold that thick a casting would be much wider at the surface. Ed.

 

[Voi]

--what would this anvil be worth in your area?

A Fisher #6 sold in my area for $160 last winter - I missed out on it. Guy was selling it as an 80 pound anvil but I looked up the real weight I think they're in the mid-50's range.

So it really sold for closer to $3 per pound.

 

[drivesitfar]

ORC: i'm not certain it's a weld either, but curious about what caused that cause it almost looks like 2 different castings.

Voi & ALL: you can't really price anvils or vises PER POUND. some names sell for more, condition and quality do make a difference and different areas have more or less. find out what they sell for in your area and if not any to be found that might tell you how much one will cost because shipping one will throw off the PER POUND cost a lot.

also huge ones and little ones seem to be in more demand. for instance a 10 pound rare vise might be selling for $700 so do we say $70 per pound. or a 200 pound vise selling on a great once in a lifetime deal for $100 do we say $.50 per pound?

if the anvil is welded and wasn't from the factory or when it was made that will effect the value, but it still looks like a good anvil so maybe having a BLACKSMITH look at it and use to let you know might be the best way to know it's value.

good luck

 

[apittmanii]

I have a response from the Fisher & Norris Factory Museum. I would highly recommend the page, there are hundreds of great anvil photos and history. It can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/FisherAnvils/

The response is:

"Yes, it is a Fisher. No, it is not broken and welded at the waist. That is the line where the top and bottom parts of the pattern came together in the mold. Sometimes this was better smoothed out before pouring, sometimes this is how is was left. The anvil appears to be in pretty good shape, not perfect, but very usable. The porosity is nothing to worry about. There might be a date on the sloping part under the heel. From what I can see, I would guess this anvil was made sometime between 1935 and 1950."

So, good to know! Not welded, but part of the casting as others have suggest.

He also said if there was no date under the heel (there is not), it's probably from the 1950's. That's consistent with what the original owner told me date-wise.

 

[drivesitfar]

AP: WOW. not only did you get a response on a SUNDAY, but good news too. CONGRATS on both accounts.

so are you just throwing this little anvil around from place to place or do tell how you got it home and how you are moving it. i know there was a time not long ago i could easily pick it up and move it, but as i'm getting a bit older it's getting harder to pick up and move a couple hundred pounds so i'm using tools and lifts now more often.

cheers

ORC: nice CALL!!

 

[bczygan]

It's a Fisher all right.

And just the size I want.

You **** so bad!

Bill

 

[apittmanii]

AP: WOW. not only did you get a response on a SUNDAY, but good news too. CONGRATS on both accounts.

so are you just throwing this little anvil around from place to place or do tell how you got it home and how you are moving it. i know there was a time not long ago i could easily pick it up and move it, but as i'm getting a bit older it's getting harder to pick up and move a couple hundred pounds so i'm using tools and lifts now more often.

cheers

ORC: nice CALL!!

Thanks! When I called the original seller, he asked "do you have a strong back?" Faced with a really good deal, I told him it was "strong enough" (lie). Well when I arrived he asked me to try to lift it myself into my truck (he previously hurt his back on the same anvil), so only wanted to help if needed. My lifting 250 was not happening. Got it about 4 inches off the ground. He then got the other side of the anvil and we hoisted into my truck easily enough. I'm always messing with generators, air compressors, and things like that so I bolted a truck crane to my garage put a remote hoist on it. Makes unloading a breeze!