You guys that blacksmith and such, what would be a reasonable dollar amount to pay for one?
I have no practical use for one whatsoever but have reached the point in my life that I have the resources
to possibly procure one.
I would say it is an entry level size, couple hundred pounds or so.
2 Ben Franklins or would I be insulting the guy?

Thanks, Zim

I've heard a dollar a pound should get you in the ballpark.

Depends who made it. $2 pound for normal. 5-8$ for better known makers

this,they are a hot item right now for some reason.

Five dollars a pound, and up. Depending on condition, maker, or some crazy rich woman that wants one for home decoration.

I've seen some scary things happen at auctions.





Charlie

Anvils are expensive now because many people now consider anvils an interesting looking antique, rather than a useful tool and because high metal prices in the past, motivated many people who had anvils, that they no longer used, to sell them to scrapyards.

Keith

I know less about anvils than Wiley Coyote.
My neighbor down the road has one and if I could buy it for a fair price I would try for it.
Where would you look for a makers mark or have any idea who made it?

Ya Ya , I know turn it over, etc.

Zim

What about centaur forge, never bought one from them not sure if they’re quality or not, but if you cant buy a old one it might be an option.

I figured $1/lb but I guess that's on the low side from the above comments.

They are hard to place a dollar value on. I have seen ones at farm auctions sell like they were cast out of gold. If it was me If I have to load it the dollar amount will be less If they are going to load it I would pay more.

I hauled a 250 pounder home last fall that was a freebie. I told my friend I didn't want to haul it from NE Washington to Bremerton and back. He loaded it anyway as he didn't think I would come back for it. That thing wrecked my fuel mileage haha
I have also seen some nice anvils cut and milled out of railroad track.

Zim-If it is a couple hundred pounds and you can get it for $200 it would be a real deal if, if, if, if (no, I am not stuttering)…

Is not a modern one made in India or whatever.

You can get some great references on a website for blacksmithing www.iforgeiron.com You can find out there about the various makers, etc.

Be a little cautious if it looks like it is really beat up. Sometimes a hunk of steel called an anvil has edges really beaten up, striking surface that looks swayback, it may have been in a fire, and all sorts of other things that may make it more trouble than it is worth. Take a hammer with you and strike the surface. If it rebounds well and gives a nice "ring" it is probably a good bet.

If it "rings" well, does not look like somebody pounded it constantly with a sledgehammer, and it is from one of the classic anvil makers and not Harbor Freight, a couple hundred bucks will give you something you can use the rest of your life and pass on to your descendents.

Moosetrot

Thanks Moosey, at 64 years of age I ain't fixin to wear one out.
Apparently I have barely worked long enough to afford one but I am running out of things to bang my head against.
This anvil was made before My great Uncle was drinking gin in Bombay me thinks.
If'n ya want to stop by and give me a hand to turn it over we can see if it says made in China on it.

Zim

Zim-You and I have both worked long enough to be able to just plain go buy something if you want it. I have a couple extra years on you as I recently turned 66 but still have the mind of an 8 year old and the beard of a 12 year old.

If you know that anvil had been around for a very long time and it's in decent shape, $200 is a good price. Anvils are like gold these days. My main user anvil is a Peter Wright (one of the more desired makers) and weights around 140 pounds. I "stole" it about 10 years ago for $125. Now I see similar anvils going for 500-600 on up.

Moosetrot

Zim-One thing I forgot to tell you. The makers marks are usually on the side of the anvil. You may need to wire brush crud and rust away to see it. Most of the older and very desirable ones have the maker's mark, etc. stamped into the steel. Sometimes they can be tough to read due to rust, paint, etc. Some of the more recent, but still desirable ones have a makers mark embossed, or raised on the anvil.

Most will also have the weight on them, either stamped or embossed. Keep in mind that some of the older ones, especially English, have the weight in "pennyweight" instead of pounds.

If that anvil says Trenton, Hay-Budden, Soderfors, Swedish Steel, Peter Wright, etc,, or it is has an embossed arm and hammer, and if it is as big as you say and in decent shape, jump on it for 200. I believe in acting on something like that fast before someone else jumps in. I would be on that like stink on a monkey.

Moosetrot

Moosetrot.....you’d be on that ,faster than a hobo on a ham sandwich.....

grab it Zim,especially if you can get it for 200.

Its like fur. It depends what it is and what shape its in. If there are chips out of it they most likely want more for it than its worth. I see them around here and offer a couple of hundred and offend them all the time. Someday somebody will say ok and then I'll have one too. You can pull them up on Craigslist and FB for $500+ all day long so everyone thinks theirs is worth something. Same as a new trapper in Alabama thinking his yotes are worth the same as Montannas golden triangle. Good luck. I hope you get a dandy.

I had an anvil in very nice condition. It was about 100 years old. A guy begged me to buy it for $6 a pound for 200 pounds. He drove 300 miles round trip. It was great for me considering my initial investment was quite small.

They are expensive here too when I see them. When my best friend died a coule years ago his wife gave me his "homemade" anvil. It is a combination of railroad tracks and 1" thick plate and weighs at least 100 pounds that works great for most things.

But if you have an anvil you have to have a heat source. I can get steel cherry hot on my wood stove but my "anvil" is too far away.

Zim, do you have a forge?

Pete

Everyone has a smart phone now so as soon as you ask someone if something is for sale they get on the phone and find where something'' just like they have'' sold for millions.... A good one is hard to find around here. People pay big bucks to buy them and set them on their fire place hearth for decorations. Get a good one.