Anvil ID? Thank you.

ron_m80

ron_m80

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I was lucky enough to get some great help finding good equipment again. I posted some shots in another thread last year, that equipment is still being rebuilt. I don't know what to call this, and that doesn't give this old stuff the proper respect I think it deserves.

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Beat regards,
Ron
 
I have not seen any yet, and I scraped the largest areas clean this weekend. It is very weathered on the sides though. I will check some of the other surfaces later today I hope.

One identifier is that the anvil seems to have a large bolt studded out of the bottom of the anvil I don't know if that is original or not. One other is that the face seems to have been added to the anvil rather than hardened as a single piece.
 
Not sure on other anvils but my fisher was made by dropping a hardened plate onto the cast iron body
 
My guess is a Trenton... The face is tool steel that was forge welded on when the anvil was made. Looks to be in good shape. With the long thin heel(common to Trentons) it will ring for sure.

It's NOT a Fisher Norris.

The bolt is most likely something that was added later.

Around 150#'s?

If it's a Trenton, there will be a diamond on the side with Trenton, or what looks like Trexton(goofy N) on some of them....

Looks good. Put it to use!
 
Probably something under all that paint or whatever it is on the side. I know I took a sanding disk to the side of mine and was able to clean it up enough to make out the letters to determine it was a sodofors on mine. Not sure if you would have the same luck or not. The top of yours looks really good. Try a big magnet under the heal to help with the ringing.
 
Brian Ayres said:
My guess is a Trenton... The face is tool steel that was forge welded on when the anvil was made. Looks to be in good shape. With the long thin heel(common to Trentons) it will ring for sure.

It's NOT a Fisher Norris.

The bolt is most likely something that was added later.

Around 150#'s?

If it's a Trenton, there will be a diamond on the side with Trenton, or what looks like Trexton(goofy N) on some of them....

Looks good. Put it to use!
Click to expand...

It is hard to judge the weight on this one, it might be 150'ish, but I couldn't be certian as it is bolted to a very heavy piece of steel.

I checked the sides, or thought I did. I was able to get the paint off, I will try to put a wire wheel to it later and verify some more surface areas with our without markings.
 
Brian Ayres said:
My guess is a Trenton... The face is tool steel that was forge welded on when the anvil was made. Looks to be in good shape. With the long thin heel(common to Trentons) it will ring for sure.

It's NOT a Fisher Norris.

The bolt is most likely something that was added later.

Around 150#'s?

If it's a Trenton, there will be a diamond on the side with Trenton, or what looks like Trexton(goofy N) on some of them....

Looks good. Put it to use!
Click to expand...

I would agree with Brian here. The markings on some of the Trentons I have seen were very faint, even without having been painted. Nice score on the anvil.

-Mike
 
Well I got home, and went to the garage and tackled the job of grinding off all that paint. So I am hoping now that I may know what I have. I am pretty sure Brian Ayers has been correct if I read his words properly.

Here are the cleaned up shots or her. I believe it is a hand forged anvil, not a weathered anvil from a scrap yard. I think this old girl has been looking for a home from that dusty corner I found it in. It was a damn shame seeing it sitting there with scrap paper and shoe polish on top of her. I am grateful to the man that let me buy it, I think I could sense the hesitation of the sale.

Here is the face.
facetop.jpg


Under the shoe end.
undershoe.jpg


Here is what is left, or whatever was at one time the stamp. I am amazed at the size of the steel with all the hammer/ forge marks on it. The guys working this thing into shape must have been tanks, with boilermaker forearms.
stampc.jpg


I think this means it's a #120 ? it is the horn end left side.
lthornside.jpg


And the right side of the foot, horn end. It may look like a 13, but it is a 43 and then a minor space followed by 2870.
rtsidehorn.jpg


Thank you for all who have had things to add, and for those that added links to great resources. I do love books on hot topics. Is this what I think, and what has been said it is?

I couldn't be more happy with this damn heavy chunk of metal.

-Ron
 
Last edited:
M.Griffin said:
I would agree with Brian here. The markings on some of the Trentons I have seen were very faint, even without having been painted. Nice score on the anvil.

-Mike
Click to expand...

Thank you Mike, I think that is exactly what I have here. I don't think the description could be any closer.

Thank you all for your time. I will for sure be putting hot steel on this thing.
 
Brian, nice call. Definitely a Trenton and according to the serial number made in 1915. She's a beauty Ron, I'm jealous:thumbup:.
 
Thank you for checking on the serial number Mr. Quesenberry, and your kind words. I hope to someday produce something as high in quality as what you make, with just such a tool.

-Ron
 
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