Old Anvil information please

[CrotalusAtrox]

Hello anvil experts this is my first anvil and was wondering if you could provide any information about this SISCO 66# Swedish Anvil.

Age

Quality

And anything else that is relevant when it comers to anvils.

It has a ring when I hit it with a hammer and when I dropped a ball bearing it bounces back about the same hight that I dropped it from.

Thanks

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[drivesitfar]

CA: i'm not a blacksmith (yet), but I always like to learn more about anvils and other blacksmithing stuff so wanted to mark your thread and see if i can also learn a thing or two.

here's another site that i'm not sure has any information, but it might or maybe one of their members has some answers.

http://www.iforgeiron.com/

cool looking anvil and a nice size if it's only 66 pounds.

I'm not sure if one of our very skilled knifemaking members is still alive, but if you want to see some great knives and some talk on blacksmithing this thread has some very good pictures and some information.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286785&highlight=Blacksmith

good luck

 

[oldgoaly]

English weight conversion page, more links at bottom of page.
http://www.anvilfire.com/article.php?bodyName=/FAQs/anvil_calc.htm

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

I'm not much of an expert but I do have a copy of Anvils in America by Richard Postman. Sisco stood for Swedish Iron & Steel Co. Probably imported to the US up through the early teens. The Swede's produced excellent steels when metallurgy was not fully understood probably because of the quality of their iron ores from mines such as Dannemora.

Sisco Superior is usually stamped on the sides of these cast steel anvils. It should have a single handling hole centered in the waist below the heel. Being cast from very high quality steel they are tough and generally have very good rebound. Yours shows a little damage on the edge but is a perfectly usable high quality anvil as it sits. Careful though....anvil lust can be every bit as addictive as the vise vice. Ed.

 

[Zeke]

It has a nice big foot and the hardy and pritchel holes. Looks like a fine tool. I can see you do nice restorations but I wouldn't touch that anvil other than to lightly oil it to prevent rust.

Do you mind saying what you paid? When I look at anvils they all seem way overpriced.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

It has a nice big foot and the hardy and pritchel holes. Looks like a fine tool. I can see you do nice restorations but I wouldn't touch that anvil other than to lightly oil it to prevent rust.

Do you mind saying what you paid? When I look at anvils they all seem way overpriced.

I paid $125 Only thing I did was clean up some small cut marks on the horn going to leave it as is I like it.

 

[dragonslayr]

It's a Peter Wright............... looks like about a hundred lbs

 

[Black Frog]

Not a Peter Wright at all. For sure Swedish, I think I can see the "SISCO SUPERIOR" stamp to the upper left of the weight stamp.

Sisco was formed in 1907, they had offices in New York and New Orleans, the two biggest ports for incoming Swedish shipments. Sisco was a rebranded Soderfors anvil for U.S. import, very similar to the "Paragon" name of Soderfors anvils imported for the Horace T. Potts Co.

A lot more information has become available since the publishing of Anvils In America, hopefully there will be an updated book at some point.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Thanks Black Frog it does say SIS CO Superior and thanks to Drives guidance I posted it on I Forge and was provided with similar information about it. I am afraid I am starting another addiction these thing are just so interesting to me and I think about the history that comes with them. I missed a 100# Mouse Hole for $100 because I am traveling this week and hate that feeling. I will find more just need to look where everyone else is not looking

 

[drivesitfar]

CA: the only thing that keeps me from buying more anvils is that they are rarer and usually cost more than vises or i'd need to own a barn cause i too LOVE THEM.

just an FYI that you might already know. the chips off the edge probably was caused from hitting cold steel on the anvil. i know a lot of guys use an anvil just to beat stuff on, but i'm told the good blacksmiths actually put a piece of metal in their forge just to heat up and set on top of the anvil to sort of preheat before they hit any HOT steel on it.

as i mentioned i love old English and Swedish anvils and i learned a bit more about why when reading how the Swedes made them.

have fun with your new found addiction, but BEE CAREFUL

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Drives,

After researching this a bit more and getting some info from the guys over on I Forge the chipping is a result of these little guys being so hard that it just happens to SISCO's. Also it is a very desirable anvil due to its hardness and if I was to get into blacksmithing I could grind those edges round and use it like a rented mule. I am considering setting up a small forge up in Prescott but that is a future project only a few hundred others in front of that.

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
I believe what you say, but....

It does look (style) like my 150# Peter Wright!

You can get some hard facing rod and fix the chipped out spots and then file it like you want!

Just sayin!

 

[Cruzan80]

Style wise, it is a farrier's anvil. Most will look similar, except below the working area.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Style wise, it is a farrier's anvil. Most will look similar, except below the working area.

The OP's Sisco looks classic London pattern to me. When I think of a farriers anvil I envision something a lot more like this swelled horn anvil with the clip. This one also just happens to be a Peter Wright. Ed.

 

[Cruzan80]

Sorry, mental moment. You are correct on the London Pattern. Long day teaching.