Posted  by  admin

Arm And Hammer Anvil Serial Numbers

Arm And Hammer Anvil Serial Numbers Rating: 3,7/5 7012 reviews
  1. Arm And Hammer Anvil Markings
  2. Arm And Hammer Anvils

May 3, 2012 - With the low serial number I am going to guess it is from the early 1900's. Arm and Hammer is considered to be one of the better anvils.

To my eye that looks like a Hay Budden anvil manufactured in Brooklyn, NY until 1925. A five digit serial number in that range IIRC would place it roughly in the early 1890's if it is a Hay Budden. However I do have one problem with that. Your serial number is on the left foot. To the best of my knowledge Hay buddens were marked on the right foot. This anvil is either a Hay budden, a Trenton or an Arm & Hammer. Those three brands used serial numbers. Because the serial number is on the left foot I'm leaning toward Trenton or Arm & Hammer (all very high quality anvils BTW). Lift the anvil up by the horn so it is leaning back on the heel so you can see the bottom. Hay Budden anvils have an hourglass depression in the base. Trenton anvils have an oval depression. Arm & Hammer anvils may or may not have a depression, if so it is oval but their main distinguishing characteristic is a roughly finished underside of the heel.
The definitive authority on anvil identification is Richard Postman. Positive answers can be found in his excellent book 'Anvils In America'.
http://www.amazon.com/Anvils-America.../dp/0966325605
---------- Post added at 05:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:03 PM ----------
Tip the anvil on its side with the horn pointing to your right. Pour some flour on the side of the anvil and gently brush it way so flour is left in all the little scratches & depressions. You might be surprised to see some markings emerge, a logo or letters and numbers.
  • Forum Actions
  • Quick Links
  • Thread Tools
  • Display
  1. Hot Rolled
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Colorful Colorado
    Posts
    963
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    16
    Likes (Received)
    50

    Can anyone tell me more about this anvil?

    Got this thing at a local estate/going out of business sale. Needed a skidsteer to get it on and off the truck.
    I can't find any markings on it. The back end appears to have fallen off some time ago.
    Its sitting on top of a planetary gear from a truck (the base).
    I'm not looking to do blacksmithing, but it seems like a nice thing to have around.
    Anything I should do to it before I start to bang on it?
  2. Titanium
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Southcentral, AK
    Posts
    2,580
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    1657
    Probably a Vulcan. It has a thin hard faceplate (only about 3/16' thick) and a cast-iron body.
    They're... adequate. Better than the all-cast-iron Harbor Freight anvils, but nothing to write home to mom about.
    Doc.
  3. Diamond
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Metuchen, NJ, USA
    Posts
    5,496
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    4432
    Likes (Received)
    905
    Look down low on the sides, possibly covered by the welded-angle clamp that's holding it to the base, for three groups of numerals. These express the weight of the anvil in an archaic style.
    First number is the number of Hundredweights (cwt.) which are 114 lbs avoirdupois.
    Second number is in Stone, which are 14 lbs adv.
    Third number is pounds.
    If you see this weight marking, you can be sure the anvil is OLD.
    Of course, your anvil will not weigh as much as it might be marked because it is missing a big chunk.
    The base is cleverly designed. Does it swivel on the truck planetary?
    JRR
    Last edited by SouthBendModel34; 04-08-2009 at 07:56 PM. Reason: spelling avoirdupois
  4. Stainless
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Huntsville, AL U.S.A.
    Posts
    1,169
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    17
    Likes (Received)
    65

    Been in rough company???

    Been in rough company???
    Yes, they broke an anvil
    Ray
  5. Ries
    Diamond
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Edison Washington USA
    Posts
    10,142
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    924
    Likes (Received)
    5151
    The hundredweight system is only marked on anvils imported from England.
    An English anvil could be OLD, but it could be as recent as 1900.
    But if this is a Vulcan, that is an american made anvil, and should have an arm and hammer logo on it, on the side.
    If the weight is marked on american anvils, it will be in pounds, easy to understand, no code required.
    Vulcan made anvils as late as 1970.
  6. Plastic
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Washington,USA
    Posts
    21
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    6
    Originally Posted by Ries
    The hundredweight system is only marked on anvils imported from England.
    An English anvil could be OLD, but it could be as recent as 1900.
    This is not correct. Many anvils made in the US were marked in this manner. It was the normal manner of marking weights on anvils.
    I have an American made anvil marked in this manner and know from experience and research this is true.
    That poor anvil certainly did not lead a pampered existence!
    Alden
  7. Diamond
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Metuchen, NJ, USA
    Posts
    5,496
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    4432
    Likes (Received)
    905
    Cadzook,
    Noting that is your Post #1, welcome to the PM community. Your screen name is good - I take it as a take-off on 'Gadzooks' with a CAD slant. (Having written that, I'll be embarrassed if my take on it is totally wrong.)
    Timekiller,
    'They broke an anvil' - oddly enough, this is the second anvil broken through the hardie hole that I've seen in my lifetime. The other was a small-ish one, probably originally a 100-pounder, used as a doorstop at an antique shop in Whitehall or Fort Ann, NY.
    Just exactly how a non-flawed anvil could get broken in this fashion is unclear to me unless somebody pounded a wedge-shaped object into the hardie hole.
    Have heard that during the Civil War, the two sides would vandalize any anvils they found in the opponent's territory on the basis that they could be used to make or mend war material or cavalry horseshoes. The preferred method was knocking the feet off the anvil off with a sledge. (Source: OLDTOOLS mailing list.)
    [On Edit] This caused a demand for anvils after the unpleasantness was over. The Fisher & Norris works in Trenton made anvils without their eagle trademark to fufull this demand in the Southen states. The federal eagle was not a welcome sight below the Mason-Dixon line during the reconstruction period.
    From the same source, I learned of another form of anvil abuse called 'firing the anvil' - using a powder charge to fling an anvil skyward during various celebrations. (I'm not kidding!)
    JRR
    Last edited by SouthBendModel34; 04-09-2009 at 02:57 PM. Reason: Added the [On Edit} paragraph
  8. John Madarasz
    Stainless
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Country
    UNITED STATES
    State/Province
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    1,219
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    273
    Likes (Received)
    410
    Just exactly how a non-flawed anvil could get broken in this fashion is unclear to me unless somebody pounded a wedge-shaped object into the hardie hole.
    I've read that working a very cold anvil can cause a break like this. General rule of thumb is 10 lbs of sledge per 100 weight of anvil.
    Too much sledge on the heel...a cold winter morning....Anvil kaput.
  9. Titanium
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Southcentral, AK
    Posts
    2,580
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    1657
    As I said, this anvil is very probably cast iron. The top face plate is/was only about 3/16' thick.
    Somebody beat too hard, too long, on the heel, and the cast iron cracked through the hardy.
    Doc.
  10. Andy FitzGibbon
    Titanium
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Country
    UNITED STATES
    State/Province
    West Virginia
    Posts
    3,976
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    406
    As a kid, I once saw an 850 lb. Fisher anvil with the tail broken off through the pritchell hole. The owner was at a craft show where Dad was blacksmithing and somehow we ended up going to his house to see it. This would have been in the northwestern Pennsylvania area.
    Andy
  11. John Madarasz
    Stainless
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Country
    UNITED STATES
    State/Province
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    1,219
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    273
    Likes (Received)
    410
    We'll have to wait for the OP to weigh in again on the markings...there definitely looks to be some markings on the body of the anvil not shown in full...you can just see it from the backside if you look at the left body.
    I was more making a point about striking a very cold anvil, causing it to break. Cast steel, wrought iron and cast iron would all be susceptible to breakage from cold. The OP is from Colorado...cold weather country.
    That's an abused looking tool regardless, that looks like it suffered many a day at the hands of an unskilled 'smith'
  12. Diamond
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    South Central PA
    Posts
    13,255
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    2030
    Likes (Received)
    3213
    Originally Posted by SouthBendModel34

    From the same source, I learned of another form of anvil abuse called 'firing the anvil' - using a powder charge to fling an anvil skyward during various celebrations. (I'm not kidding!)
    JRR
    Yup. I seen it on the TeeVee - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_c0B00Ax3w
  13. Stainless
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Huntsville, AL U.S.A.
    Posts
    1,169
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    17
    Likes (Received)
    65

    Being in the Heart of Dixie

    Southbendmodel34,
    I see a number of damaged anvils down here. The horn was regularly broken off and some just the mid section survived.
    Yes, they do 'shoot' anvils too. Stack two anvils base to base filling the void in the bases with black powder and light them off. OH! Watch Out for the Flying Anvil! Local city, band the practice, which was used to start the annual fiddlers convention
    I've wanted a broken anvil so I could advertise could fix anything but a broken anvil or broken heart. Never found one with the broken part(s)
    Ray
  14. Aluminum
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Greenville, Ga
    Posts
    136
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    6
    I have a book where the author says that many southern anvils had their horns and/or tails broken off by union troops during the 'War between the States'.
  15. Plastic
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Washington,USA
    Posts
    21
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    6
    SouthBend34, thanks for the welcome. As for the name, your theory was good, a logical assumption amongst machinists. But, the Cad comes from my '49 Cadillac (that is it's name and license #). The rest is correct.
    Thanks
    Alden
  16. Aluminum
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Okla.
    Posts
    135
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    0
    Likes (Received)
    21
    Speaking of broken anvils, I have seen one broken horizontally across the 'waist'- the narrow part between the upper and lower parts.
    The smith had then fixed it by putting a 1/2' steel (or iron) fish plate on either side, joined by 1/2' dia. solid rivets.
    I asked the owner how the anvil could could possibly have been broken like that. His theory was that it had been caused by firing the anvil, as described above.
    Unfortunately, I don't have a picture.
    Rick W
  17. Hot Rolled
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Colorful Colorado
    Posts
    963
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    16
    Likes (Received)
    50
    Thanks for all the replys guys.
    I'll try to fins some markings underneath the base holder. I couldn't find any on the side. Maybe it was marked on the part that fell off the backend?
  18. Diamond
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    South Central PA
    Posts
    13,255
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    2030
    Likes (Received)
    3213
    Just saw this clever way to fix a broken anvil, thought I should post it here.
  19. Asquith
    Diamond
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Somerset, UK
    Posts
    5,007
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    471
    Likes (Received)
    1654
    It'll never catch on, not with me. I wouldn't be able to lift and swing one of those buggers. Give me a hickory shaft any day.
  20. Hot Rolled
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Indiana USA
    Posts
    571
    Post Thanks / Like
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    7
    Can anyone tell me more about this anvil?
    Yup, it'd be a handy thing to have on hand if you were looking for something to drop on my hero...Wile E. Coyote.
    It wouldn't happen to say 'Acme' on it by any chance would it??
Quick Navigation

Arm And Hammer Anvil Markings

Antique Machinery and HistoryTop
  1. 352 lb Arm and Hammer anvil repair. Nov 15 2012 Filed In: - Amos Tucker, -352 lb Arm and Hammer anvil repair. Bringing the beast inside the shop.
  2. Find great deals on eBay for Blacksmith Anvil in Blacksmithing Tools. Vintage Large Craftsman Cross Peen Hammer Blacksmith Anvil Tool. The weight '92' and the serial numbe. Great VULCAN Arm & Hammer Blacksmith Anvil Knife Maker or Forging. Number of bids and bid amounts may be slightly out of date.
  • Site Areas
  • Forums
  • Manufacturing Today
  • Specific Machine Forums
  • Open Discussion
  • Commerce
  • Machinery Manual, Brochure and Photo Archives
  • Forum features
Arm and hammer anvil markings
«Previous Thread Next Thread»

Bookmarks

Arm And Hammer Anvils

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  • BB code is On
  • Smilies are On
  • [IMG] code is On
  • [VIDEO] code is On
  • HTML code is Off