[TheForge] Crazy

[Andrew Vida]

Mike wrote:

> So now we have to think about anvil forgeries?  Yow!  

	Mike, I swear to heaven that was the first thought that crossed my 
mind.  The guys at Matchless antiques leave me shaking my head a bit, 
too.  They seem to place a lot of stock in the opinions of Postman, 
which I can understand for some things, but unless he is a well trained 
and experienced appraiser of blacksmithing antiques, there is no way I 
would trust his OK on that much cash.  This thing is pretty easily faked 
by any competent smith.  Spend a few hundred on a righteous stamp and 
who but a true expert in detecting forgeries of this kind would have a 
clue?  Right.

	It should be very entertaining to see whether some dope actually ponies 
up the dough for this thing.

	If you think about it, a sufficiently determined and skilled forger 
should be able to make a virtually undetectable work.  They could even 
start by reforging a mousehole anvil of the correct vintage.  That would 
even leave the metallurgical trail looking genuine... mainly because it 
would be.  A few tool marks and a year or so in the rain... who's going 
to tell, if the forge work is righteous?