[TheForge] New Anvil!!

[Ron Childers]

Rick, that sounds suspiciously like the same anvil I bought a few months ago
in Thomasville, Ga. We negotiated the price; I paid the guy and went to get
the truck. When I returned, another guy was hugging it. I said "Quit
drooling on my anvil, you'll rust it". We exchanged pleasantries and I told
him it was the very same anvil Wiley Coyote used to chase after the
Roadrunner. By the way, an antique dealer told me yesterday an anvil isn't
an "antique" until it's over 100 years old although A guy at the local flea
mkt has several China cast iron ASO's for which he wants more than I paid
for the Acme. I will look under the heel of mine, but I suspect it is an
initial of Mr. Ulrich who forged it.

Ron C



Rick at Rafter Lazy C wrote:

>Hello  all  -
>
>    I just had to gloat a little bit.  Last weekend the Illinois Valley
>Blacksmith Assoc. had their get together at Pontiac, Il.  They always have
a
>good time there, and I don't make many meetings of any kind.  Happened to
>get there though and am I glad I did.  There were tailgaters galore and I
>was in my element.  Had a heck of a good time, and then, I happened to see
>an anvil that caught my eye.  I have been looking for a wrought anvil for a
>long time and this one, as I said caught my eye.
>
>   Long story short, I bought it.  Brought it home, cleaned, wire brushed,
>cleaned, wire brushed, etc. till I had it looking pretty good.  turned it
>upside down and did it again.  Then put a good thick coat of black paint on
>it.  (Still upside down, no paint on the face!)  The edges of the face were
>chipped a bit, but rounding them took care of most of that.  Some one used
>it for cutting with chisels (on the horn) and that is cut up quite a bit,
>but I will have to learn to live with it.  Hopefully someday most of them
>will be hammered out.  Not going to grind as it would take 1/16 inch or
>maybe more to get them mostly out.  Don't want to take all that metal away.
>
>    Looked it up in the book I got there (at Pontiac) a year or so ago.
>'Anvils in America', by Richard Postman.  Excellent book, by the way.
Found
>out it  is an Acme /Trenton.  Made by the Columbus Forge and Iron Co. who
>made all the Trenton anvils.  This one, and many others, was made for sale
>by Sears, Roebuck, and Co. and so the name on it is not Trenton, but Acme.
>According to the book, and by the serial number, it was made in 1913, the
>same as the 22 caliber rifle I have.
>
>    Now for the wierd question.  Under the heel, (on the bottom side of it)
>and right near the pritchel hole, is stamped a U.  Does anyone have any
idea
>what this would signify?  If you say it belongs to you, I am not going to
>give it to U.  I can't find anything in the book about markings under the
>heel.  Doesn't mean it isn't there, but if it is I can't find it.  Just
>wondered what you guys thought.
>
>    All the anvils I have worked on have been cast, and BOY does this ring
>and have a great bounce-back.  The face is way harder than the cast anvils
I
>have worked on.  Really nice 100 pound anvil.  Bob Tuftee, if you listen in
>here, thanks for having it for sale, I like it a lot.
>
>
> Rick Crawford at Rafter Lazy C
>Home of Smoky Forge and Lem the Wonder Mule
>email = rick at rafterlazyc.com
>home page = http://www.rafterlazyc.com
>forge page = http://www.smokyforge.com
>