Well, yes, it's technically possible to reharden the face, but remember the steel face on that one was only about 3/8 to 1/2" thick when brand new to begin with; the rest of the anvil is non-hardenable wrought iron. Ok, I didn't think of that using different filters on the camera. We just took the railing out of the box for installation and were disappointed to see three places where the railing was nicked. They have been used for centuries to forge and shape metal and have a long, storied history. Another method to identify a Trenton anvil is to use the AIA and look up the serial numbers. December 21, 2010 in Beginners Place, I bought this anvil a short time ago and I'm not sure of it's make. 1892 was their first reported usage. Mousehole Anvils are renowned for their strength and durability and have even won a Gold Medal at an international exhibition. Turn it straight up where it's 2" wide and 8" tall, build a solid stand to hold it there. Sometimes its presented on an anchor; other times, youll see shives of wheat. Propane Forge Temperatures- Everything you need to know. Three of the anvils in our workshop bear their distinctive corporate mark a mouse followed by the word hole. You will also need to factor in special shipping and handling fees associated with buying an anvil online. The blacksmith's anvil is usually of wrought iron, but sometimes of cast iron, with a smooth working surface of hardened steel. Weight is 125 lb. It says J. How to Repair an Old Anvil The Complete Guide, How to Build a Simple MAPP Gas Forge with Fire Bricks: A Step-by-Step Guide, How to Forge With MAPP Gas: A Step-by-Step Guide, How to Hot Blue Steel with a Torch- A Step-by-Step Guide. Alan will come along in a bit to correct me and to tell you more if I am wrong. Either purchase or library loanfantastic reading about the history of the Mousehole forge and the area. Not bad, only two slams. It has a clean face and edges, but the rebound is not good. here are the Images with approximate measurements. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. (Please see the red squares around the divots.). how did the English weigh anvils and figure the marking? Whether you're a beginner starting out or an experienced detectorist, I've got something for you! I added some shot of it in the original note! As a metal detectorist, finding little treasures with signs of corrosion is par for the course. Anything else I should be looking for? The thread you attached to is from 2019, which is not the worst bit of thread necromancy we've seen. As well as being famed as the national centre for steel manufacturing and the birthplace of silver plate, Sheffield was also home to the worlds most famous anvil forge. The only other mark I can find is a stamped number 2 in the middle of the front foot. Water voles generally dig burrows in banks, with a series of holes close to the water's edge or even under water. Happy hunting to all my fellow anvil stalkers. It produced pig iron and wrought iron. Fascinating. 02-02-2012, 10:12 AM. While they are very useful, as a blacksmith I often find myself using other things as well. The square handling holes in an old anvil are called mouseholes. I just got Postman's books on mouse hole forge and anvils in America. All I can tell you is it's English, 1830-1870s, Mousehole-type feet and horn. MOUSE HOLE FORGE Excellent state of conservation for its age VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND IN THIS CONDITIONS weight 382 lbs measures 35,5x5,8x13 height inch dated 1896 (deduced by Mousehole Forge by Richard A. Postman) MARK: M&H ARMITAGE (unreadable) MOUSEHOLE (unreadable) FORGE SHEFFIELD WARRANTED PATENT (mouse) HOLE marked on one side foot 1.5.55 M&H MOUSE HOLE FORGE eccellente stato di . Steel face on a wrought iron body. The one posted in this thread is thicker and wider in the . Blacksmith Anvils Book Set: Anvils in America & Mousehole Forge (2 Book Set) Richard Postman. anvil, iron block on which metal is placed to be shaped, originally by hand with a hammer. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. He only took about 3/16" off and it did not seem to effect the hardness of the face. I hope I gathered enough tips to shorten your antique anvil identification process. To harden one in the first place you'd need to heat the whole thing up to temp, then quench the face enough to allow the retained heat in the body to temper the face a bit. With a bit of patience and due diligence, you can find a great anvil that will last you a lifetime. Mousehole is one of the oldest anvil makers dating back to 1628 in Sheffield, England. I am wanting to get into forging and I just found this. I had all I could do to slide it out of my car onto my table with wheels on it. Steve Gillis, That marks are on it is the hundred weight on the left side, it is 1 2 14. YES I see the impression as MITAGE apparently, the AR got worn off, Have Fun! You cannot paste images directly. That's a sweet looking anvil. All that was required was a declaration before two witnesses and almost anybody had the authority to conduct the marriage ceremony. In England a bend in a river with a deep spot is known as a mousehole and Mousehole Forge was located at such as spot. I'd honestly rather have seen you weld it up. But theres one kind of anvil that stands out in particular: the Mousehole Anvil. ), On the other side of the anvil I can see what looks like small round divots in the center, and then four round divots near the bottom in a diamond shape. Thank you! They will have some dings and dents, but this should not affect the performance of the anvil. It doesn't matter, what's done is done. To rust or not to rust. The anvil remains a local symbol of romance and marriage to this day. (Please see the small red arrow. I'm the other guy withan M & H Armitage Mousehole;here it is: yes the subtle bulge is a classic indicator of punching over drilling. M-H Armitage Mouse Hole Anvil. As an affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The old anvil factories used a sort of waterfall-type quenching thing to keep enough cold water falling on the face to cool it fast enough that the hot mass of iron behind it didn't draw the temper faster than the quench could harden it. Not that I would attempt to try this myself but It must be possible to re-harden the faceis it not? Sign up for a new account in our community. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. It's definitely English, and between the size of the horn and the lack of a pritchell hole I'd put it as being made between around 1820 and 1830. By Tools such as the . Roger from KY. Work/Play/Travel Safe. Scrap iron my specialty. the reason you lose rebound behind the hardy is because you dont have as much mass under the heel. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'diggersanddetectors_com-box-3','ezslot_14',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-diggersanddetectors_com-box-3-0');And here we are!A short antique anvil identification guide for those in a hurry. Is it possible this anvil was welded up? We're happy to help anyway we can. You must log in or register to reply here. I think I have managed to find a letter "L" for the most part dead center of the anvil on the right side. And if your anvil's weight falls under 100 pounds, it might be new and cheap, at about $50. Joe Lyddon - Alta Loma, CA USA - Home: http://www.WoodworkStuff.net My Small Gallery: https://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/index.php?media/albums/users/joe-lyddon.1389/, Had it been the "ACME" brand, I would have thought Wile-e sold it to you! To correctly identify an antique anvil, you must analyze the markings, shape, imperfections, the metal used, and unique characteristics to narrow down the anvil makers identity. And when you strike it with a hammer, youll notice a much more audible ring than its American competitor. Because of this, their tendency to chip along the edge was well-known.Courtesy of Imgur.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'diggersanddetectors_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_11',704,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-diggersanddetectors_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); The two leading identifiable markers for Kohlswa anvils are the serial numbers and the wordsKohlswa Swedenon the body. I was able to pull out the letters LOT on the first line and EF E D on the second line. Mousehole overflow sluice with wooded mill dam behind. Post reply Insert quotes . It gets a little dead over the heel. On one that old, the face may be made up of several tiles of steel welded on side by side. Small body of about 6 inches long, including the tail. Strong smells. On 12/17/2015 at 2:58 AM, falsevacuum said: On 12/17/2015 at 3:06 PM, Ian Sayers said. 6. And most of the time, a little effort and elbow grease will uncover something hidden. I believe the 1820-1835 date is correct. A fascinating story, Brett! Mouse & Rat Food Shop All. Or am I mis-seeing things? So lets get into! Clear editor. There is a coastal English town named Mousehole and it was well known as the site of a brief French invasion about the time the forge was started. So , 112+28+20 = 160. I look forward to hearing from Alan too!! However, copper does experience another form of corrosion that could be confused with rusting. Good luck! I think you may be thinking of TwistedCustoms's anvil. Whereas forged anvils often have identifiable handling holes used during the forging process. I actually do have a hot glue gun, so I could do both methods. The ones on line have and different name- that of the manufacturer in them It is 23 3/4" long, the top is 4 3/4" wide, it is 11 1/4" high and the base is 11 1/4" x12 1/2". Dave, Downers Grove, Il. I'd have to agree. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. It's wrought iron with a thin steel face forge welded on, and looks like a little delamination in one of those pics. And if you still need help figuring out what kind of anvil you have, the true experts, like the AIA or anvilfire.com, are the favorite authorities to try next. I really wish I could pick something up on the right side so it could be possibly dated. But you must focus on the other characteristics if there arent any markings. . ismit_18 (0) 0%. By What Kind of Steel Are Old Anvils Made of? Although that didn't really work either, I've slowly been sanding lightly, and I've found another line of letters. Variety is the Spice of Life!! $365.00 VINTAGE M&H ARMITAGE "MOUSE HOLE" FORGE 165-POUND BLACKSMITH ANVIL This is a rare vintage M&H Armitage "Mouse Hole" Forge 165-pound blacksmith anvil. I'm thinking glass bead would remove enough of the rust without destroying any of the marking that may still exist. March 5, 2019 in Beginners Place. These anvils were first crafted with wrought iron top half and tool steel faceplates. . Dippers and kingfishers can sometimes be seen on this stretch of river. At any rate, I forged on it a couple of hours this afternoon and I love it! But more recent anvils made use of forged steel. Like Fisher anvils, Mousehole changed its mark a minimum of twelve times in its history.Courtesy of Johnny.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'diggersanddetectors_com-leader-2','ezslot_13',701,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-diggersanddetectors_com-leader-2-0'); Some period anvils have markings withM&H Armitage Mouse Hole. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. JavaScript is disabled. Mousehole Forge is the only known manufacturer to use dots/periods between the weight numbers, such as 1 3 14. KING and Queen of Cones. If you have local knowedge of specific styles of European anvils we need your help. Read More . I have a 135lb Mousehole,5 times better shape,paid less than half that price! The diagonal hardy hole is a modern disaster created by foundry pattern makers looking for the easiest way to make a square hole. Long story short, he walked away with some old nails, a horseshoe, and some old coins that werent anything to write home about. As long as you only work hot steel on it it'll still probably outlast you. The foot shape makes it look like a late-period M&H Armitage Mousehole, but it could be any of the 100 or so anvil makers from the greater Dudley-Wolverhampton axis west of Birmingham, England. Anvils 150 lb and greater will ship motor freight. Livestock Identification Supplies Shop All. That style has been around since the 18th century. Its easy to think the antique anvil you found has no markings. The inscription has suffered a good deal from corrosion; but the following inscription B. renders it easy to supply most of the damaged letters. > Is. EASY, on a balance scale using hundred weight, quarter hundred weight and pound weights. Opens in a new window or tab. ), Below that looks like either four number 1's towards the bottom or possibly 1911? I'm sure it was broken off. Lastly, you could locate the anvil manufacturers mark as their chosen methods can give you the answer you need. She weighs in at 88lbs. Ive talked about rusting metal a lot recently. #11. I want that knife to look so good you just have to pick it up, feel so good in your hand you can't wait to try it, and once you use it, you never want to put it down ! More information can be found by googleing "mousehole forge". Most enthusiasts have a copy ofAnvils in Americaand will kindly look it up for you. If I were needing a 100 pounder, I might jump at that one. Just for fun you ought to polish it up and wipe some lemon juice or something on it to see if any lines show up. On anvils with an all-steel top half, or on all-steel anvils in general, some variation on this theme can be used to get a nice progressive hardness differential through the whole thing. Hog Rings & Tools Shop All. I'm not sure if this was made during manufacturing, or if it's proof marks from a chisel. Small Pet Hay & Treats Shop All. The anvil has English weight markings of 1 - 2 - 5 which translates to 168 pounds but has an weight of 165.70 pounds on a digital scale. or Best Offer. anvil english mouse hole; By TwistedCustoms December 14, 2015 in Anvils, Swage Blocks, and Mandrels. At the time, competitors used scrap metal and casting instead of higher-grade material. It has the pritchert and hardy holes. Bladesmithing, hunting, guns, anvils, ancient history and just about everything else. We carefully select our blacksmith and farrier anvils, and we offer products from industry-leading brands such as Cliff Carroll, NC Tool Co, Emerson, Scott and Texas Farrier Supply. There is also a mark under the number 2, it is three horizontal lines and another line going from the top line, on its left corner, towards the bottom line, on its right corner. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. bladesmithsforum.com In areas where mice travel, the smell will be especially pungent. Traditional anvils are usually made from cast iron, while Mousehole Anvils are forged from high-grade steel.