Ebay Anvil: Worth it?

I'd stop at about $225 i.e. $2 a pound.

That face will need some work as will the edges. It appears to be a half decent anvil, but it's not a real steal.

Make sure it's never been in a fire. Drop test the face for rebound before finally accepting it if you win the bid.

This is on ebay, not a deal made on the phone. If you bid, and you are the high bidder, you bought it. Only way out is if the seller has described it and somehow screws it up so that he has promised it to be something which it is not, which, in this auctions case, would pretty much have to amount to the anvil being a fiberglass replica. Your not being satisfied with it,after the auction is over, aint gonna cut it! Bid, and back out, and you become a non-performing buyer.

Got issues or concerns, raise them before bidding, and see it in person if you can. I'd not get too exited about the anvil if it were not within an easy driving distance. What's a courier co. charging to ship a weight like that these days?

Whats a European cast steel anvil worth? Can you still get one of the

If you are getting tetchy about the price at or near what it is at now, you might as well get looking for a bargain somewhere else. This one is not going to be it. Guys that gotta have it for their "collection" are going to be going head to head with the desparate new guys that really want an old anvil.

Bid as much as you are willing to pay, though.

Remember that you do not "Win" an auction. You just have to be willing to pay more than anyone else is willing to!

If you need a good anvil, pay what a good anvil will cost. It will be money spent that you will never regret, once you get past the payments. If you are looking for an anvil to start out smithing with, buy a Harbour Freight Russian one, or something similar, a cheap angle grinder, and a belt sander, and tune it up, use it, and repeat as required. Spend your time beating metal, spend some time being sociable with other smiths (go to hammer-in's, join the local chapter of a Blacksmith' Guild, or ABANA, etc) and a decent anvil will cross your path in due time, complete with the ability to check such things as the bounce, and the like. Probably sooner than later, IMO.

That anvil in the auction does not look like it will be much of a bargain, to me, and I think you could do better.

Just my two bits worth, anyway.

Cheers Trevor Jones

Good advice throughout and worth at least 6 bits. :)

This guy has some definate opinions, as well as some very good advice, though the prices of the European anvils have gone up a signifigant amount since I first saw his site.

I'd keep looking. You could spend a lot of time trying to clean that one up. Unless you can build up those edges, you will be fighting them the rest of your life. (You use the edges as "fullers" all the time). Some Hay-Budden collector will be real happy with it. As Trevor said, get to know some blacksmiths. They often do tailgate selling at conferences where you can pick and choose. I think Trevor means the 110# Russian anvil. It's the only one that is cast steel rather than cast iron (as far as I know).

Pete Stanaitis

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Xorandnotor wrote:

Is this it?

I'd like any comments or advice on getting one of these as a wantabe's starter. Please consider me a complete idiot on this topic. (I read the link you gave and understand what must be done to it.)

Thanks

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That is just like the one I started out with. Not the best anvil in the world but it something to put hot metal on when you are ready to hit it. As you get to know other smiths you will start to aquire other better (sometimes...) anvils. I am a member of Blacksmith Association of Missouri and the contacts I have made have been invaluable. Definately find your local blacksmith group and join in. These guys and gals are more than happy to mentor someone who is just starting out.

Melvin

Yup. Lately the hardy hole is rotated 45 degrees.

Pete Stanaitis

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W> >

I just joined BAM so we could go to the conference. You guys sure have a nice group there. I expect to see a lot of people there who would normally be going to an ABANA conference.

Pete Stanaitis

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Anl I am a member of Blacksmith Association of Missouri

All:

Thanks for the input. I did not go for the eBay anvil.

I had given up on finding the 110 Harbor freight anvil, but after this thread I looked again and found one a state away from me. I'll probably start with that (after some serious elbow grease,) and just keep an eye out.

Thanks again.

I tried to buy one about two months ago. Gone. It still shows up on the HF usa site but not the regular site. The HF usa site looks like you can order it but at the end of the process they tell you to print out your list and take it to a store.

I went into the four stores within reasonable range hoping for one in stock - no luck. I called a couple unreasonable range stores in the state - no luck. One of the mangers checked the HF warehouse - no luck. I call HF - not available, not expected to be.

Bummer.

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Winston_Smith wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I had the same experience over a year ago.

They still offer their Cast Iron Simulated Anvil Door Stops though.

A "bounce test" quickly showed me that I'd be better off sticking with my old 2½' hunk of RR rail that'd been work-hardened by over 30 years of trains than to bother with one of their CISADS.

I picked one up at the end of 2007 at the store in Saddle Brook, NJ. At the time, they had two more. This was the 110lb steel job with the diagonal hardy hole.

Those may well have been the last ones in captivity.