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Hay Budden Anvil

SBLatheman

Titanium
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Location
South Bend, In
I have a HAY-BUDDEN anvil with a base that I have not been able to find any information on. The anvil is 150 pounds(155 lbs. per my bathroom scale),
serial number 207415. The base is cast and weighs 180 lbs.
Can one of the anvil experts tell me the Mfg. date?? Is the base unique ?? Any idea of the value of the set?
Thanks in advance
Ted
 

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Ted, if you don't get any answers here in a couple of days you might try over at iforgeiron.com They're always happy to talk about an anvil.
 
That's a pretty nice anvil. Hope you get your answers. I helped a friend of mine sell one that was probably a little nicer shape, same weight. He got a lot of $$$ for it.

Hard to believe the road runner drops them off any old cliff willy-nilly like they're nothing at all. :crazy:

-mark
 
Too learn about anvils then I suggest "Anvils in America" by Richard Postman. I would say the definite work: large hi-quality printed format, very well illustrated and not at all cheep. Not a price guide and probably not worth the cost just too sell one item. There are 40 pages on HayBudden. Over 500 pages in all. Reading Postman would tell you where they fit in the scheme of things - history and quality wise. Hay Budden is a well respected and sought after maker.

The date mfg is 1913 for #207415.

I dont know about the base. My gut feeling is it not origional. FWIW. Maybe it is time I re-read the book myself.

I see real world prices all over the map on anvils.
 
Too learn about anvils then I suggest "Anvils in America" by Richard Postman. I would say the definite work: large hi-quality printed format, very well illustrated and not at all cheep. Not a price guide and probably not worth the cost just too sell one item. There are 40 pages on HayBudden. Over 500 pages in all. Reading Postman would tell you where they fit in the scheme of things - history and quality wise. Hay Budden is a well respected and sought after maker.

The date mfg is 1913 for #207415.

I dont know about the base. My gut feeling is it not origional. FWIW. Maybe it is time I re-read the book myself.

I see real world prices all over the map on anvils.

Thanks, Peter, and all.:cheers: There is a lot of good info on those sites.
Prices are all over the map:willy_nilly::willy_nilly:
The base seems to be unique(rare?). I haven't found anything like it...yet:(
Ted
 
I have a HAY-BUDDEN anvil with a base that I have not been able to find any information on. The anvil is 150 pounds(155 lbs. per my bathroom scale),
serial number 207415. The base is cast and weighs 180 lbs.
Can one of the anvil experts tell me the Mfg. date?? Is the base unique ?? Any idea of the value of the set?
Thanks in advance
Ted

Per the Richard Postman book "Anvils in America" The company started making anvils around the late 1880's, and went out of business in 1926, selling "well over 300,000" anvils...currently "one of the most sought after anvils by both professional and hobby smiths", ..."Rolls Royce of American Anvils"

your serial # says that it's the old style original serial #system used before 1915. the anvil is from the 1913 to 1915 period...closer to 1913 or so since the # is quite high. The last old style serial # documented is 218321, and that anvil was purchased in 1914, but Postman puts a +/- 2 year guess around the old serial # system

Advertisements from 1913 through 1923 show over 100,000 anvils sold alone during that period...

If I had to guess I would put that anvil in the 1000.00 range or more to the right collector. It's very clean and the face and edges are real nice. I'd carefully strip that grey paint off the anvil and stand with some low impact stripper.

No clue on the base either...you might want to strip it and look for some markings. If the base is a Hay-Buddin it would probably make the tool much more collectible imo...none of the old HB advertisements (and there are quite a few) show, or mention, a cast base that I see
 
Per the Richard Postman book "Anvils in America" The company started making anvils around the late 1880's, and went out of business in 1926, selling "well over 300,000" anvils...currently "one of the most sought after anvils by both professional and hobby smiths", ..."Rolls Royce of American Anvils"

your serial # says that it's the old style original serial #system used before 1915. the anvil is from the 1913 to 1915 period...closer to 1913 or so since the # is quite high. The last old style serial # documented is 218321, and that anvil was purchased in 1914, but Postman puts a +/- 2 year guess around the old serial # system

Advertisements from 1913 through 1923 show over 100,000 anvils sold alone during that period...

If I had to guess I would put that anvil in the 1000.00 range or more to the right collector. It's very clean and the face and edges are real nice. I'd carefully strip that grey paint off the anvil and stand with some low impact stripper.

No clue on the base either...you might want to strip it and look for some markings. If the base is a Hay-Buddin it would probably make the tool much more collectible imo...none of the old HB advertisements (and there are quite a few) show, or mention, a cast base that I see

Great information and good advice.
Thanks,
Ted
 
I have heard of (but never seen) anvils with factory bases.
The ones I heard of were in a railroad shop, up in Kansas some where.
Supposedly the bases were serial numberd to match the anvils.


Hay Budden is generaly regarded as one of the best anvils made.
The size and condition of yours makes it rather desireable to the blacksmithing comunity.

Value varies widely with location. Areas that settled early have lots of old anvils in barns and dont bring as much money. Places like Oklahoma that settled in the twilight of the blacksmithing eara have very few anvils and they bring a good price.
 
This might help:

HABA For Sale

Paul
Paul
Thanks for the link - some interesting stuff in there. I was surprised to see Mousehole Forge anvils in America. I grew up within half a mile of the Mousehole in Rivelin Valley, Sheffield and although the interesting activity had long since ceased, it took me back to my childhood. I think a firm made wooden furniture frames there when I was a boy in the sixties.
This is apparently the gravestone of one of the family
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30120216@N07/4461112858/

It had never occurred to me before why the nearest pub at the bottom of Wood Lane is called the Anvil! I've had a few pints in there!
Steve
 
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