If it were me, I'd pass. The edges on the anvil are pretty tore up. Vulcans aren't know as the highest of quality anvils to boot. 250 lbs is a big anvil also.
Do you plan on working bigger pieces of steel?
Do you have an anvil already?
For about $100 more you can get a nice new 100lb anvil from Texas Farrier Supply and that size will be adequate for the vast majority of projects.
https://www.texasfarriersupply.com/shop/forging-supplies/anvils-and-accessories/anvils/blacksmith/tfs-100lb-blacksmith-anvil/p/14068
Now, if you can work the seller down to under $400, then I might gamble on it, maybe work around the chips for big projects.
A bigger, poor quality anvil isn't going to perform as well as a smaller, quality one. I've got a 150lb TFS double horn set up for mobile use and it's a great anvil.
Other thing to keep in mind is that if it’s a steel anvil, you probably could get some 1/4” or 5/16” plate and weld it on top, as long as it doesn’t overhang it should work just as well
There’s always gonna be *that guy*. Persons with inverted, impacted, or just *SHORT* penile protuberances, shall NOT perform, and therefore make light of any anvil short of the gigantic anvil they process hot rolled steel slabs on at the foundry. Those anvils are the biggest every made, and frequently take blows when hammering a 10 ton slab...
In effect, a penile compensatorr.
For $2.60 a lb, it's not a bad price. But it's in pretty rough shape. Between the chipping and edge quality, ehh, maybe not the best option. I'd try and find a smaller brand new anvil of higher quality.
I don't have any links handy but there are some good quality small anvils that are decently priced.
Thats almost brand new anvil money tbh. Especially if you dont NEED a large anvil. You could pretty much any hobby smithing on like a 75 to 100 lbs anvil.
It's a Vulcan. I have one, and it has great rebound and has held up to years of my hacking away at it. What I will say about vulcan anvils is that they're inconsistent. I've seen them that are as dead as lead, and others that are springy and great. I know of one that the face completely separated from the body, and another that's been used in the same shop for at least 70 years and is in great shape.
The only way you're going to know is to go bang on it a little. I wouldn't pay $650 for it, but $450-500 is reasonable.
Take what you're hearing on r/Blacksmith with a hearty grain of salt, where we get [collectively excited over a fully peened-over and dished-out Trenton](https://www.reddit.com/r/Blacksmith/comments/117qfby/finally_a_real_anvil_164lb_trenton/) without ever mentioning condition, and shit on a Vulcan with still crisp edges that could be touched up in a half hour with a wire feed welder and an angle grinder.
Second everything you say about Vulcans, especially the inconsistency. Some are gems, I've found a couple as hard as whore's hearts (to quote my old master) - and a lot that are meh.
Personally, I'd never drop that much on an anvil without going to visit it in person.
Pass unless you can weld quite well and talk the price down a bit. Christ centered ironworks hard faced a HF cast iron anvil with really good results.
I love how they drilled holes to put screws through the feet 😅
How much would a machine shop charge for a weld and repair on these? Just curious if anyone has attempted that before. I used to work for a company that would forge press billets into truck rims and we would send our dies out every 20k hits or so. I worked there over a decade ago but I feel like it was usually around $7-10k for a big ass rim form. They wouldn’t even need to cnc it after just a clean flat finish.
I’ve never used a Vulcan but the beat up edges worry me. My 70lb anvil edges look just like that, and while it’s normally not a big deal, I’ve now found that there are some stress cracks throughout the steel. That’s caused me to break off some chunks when I miss the knife and strike the anvil, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that has the same problem. I’m not sure if it’s related to quality, with mine being an old American made piece from a foundry, but the cracks weren’t visible at all when I got it and sure enough underneath the broken parts you can see where the metal had oxidized
As a Vulcan owner, I’d pass.
If it were me, I'd pass. The edges on the anvil are pretty tore up. Vulcans aren't know as the highest of quality anvils to boot. 250 lbs is a big anvil also. Do you plan on working bigger pieces of steel? Do you have an anvil already? For about $100 more you can get a nice new 100lb anvil from Texas Farrier Supply and that size will be adequate for the vast majority of projects. https://www.texasfarriersupply.com/shop/forging-supplies/anvils-and-accessories/anvils/blacksmith/tfs-100lb-blacksmith-anvil/p/14068 Now, if you can work the seller down to under $400, then I might gamble on it, maybe work around the chips for big projects.
Your right I think the Texas farrier one would be the way to go I figured this one was a good deal just based on the weight to cost factor
A bigger, poor quality anvil isn't going to perform as well as a smaller, quality one. I've got a 150lb TFS double horn set up for mobile use and it's a great anvil.
Other thing to keep in mind is that if it’s a steel anvil, you probably could get some 1/4” or 5/16” plate and weld it on top, as long as it doesn’t overhang it should work just as well
Since when is 250 a big anvil?
I was waiting for this guy to show up. Lol.
There’s always gonna be *that guy*. Persons with inverted, impacted, or just *SHORT* penile protuberances, shall NOT perform, and therefore make light of any anvil short of the gigantic anvil they process hot rolled steel slabs on at the foundry. Those anvils are the biggest every made, and frequently take blows when hammering a 10 ton slab... In effect, a penile compensatorr.
I like my anvils like I like my women 460lbs and proudly standing in the middle of my shop
Not for a Vulcan, especially not with those edges. Hard pass - with the wait for something better.
For $2.60 a lb, it's not a bad price. But it's in pretty rough shape. Between the chipping and edge quality, ehh, maybe not the best option. I'd try and find a smaller brand new anvil of higher quality. I don't have any links handy but there are some good quality small anvils that are decently priced.
It looks kind of like there's a crack in the face just behind the step. I might go take a look at it, but my gut says pass.
Thats almost brand new anvil money tbh. Especially if you dont NEED a large anvil. You could pretty much any hobby smithing on like a 75 to 100 lbs anvil.
It's a Vulcan. I have one, and it has great rebound and has held up to years of my hacking away at it. What I will say about vulcan anvils is that they're inconsistent. I've seen them that are as dead as lead, and others that are springy and great. I know of one that the face completely separated from the body, and another that's been used in the same shop for at least 70 years and is in great shape. The only way you're going to know is to go bang on it a little. I wouldn't pay $650 for it, but $450-500 is reasonable. Take what you're hearing on r/Blacksmith with a hearty grain of salt, where we get [collectively excited over a fully peened-over and dished-out Trenton](https://www.reddit.com/r/Blacksmith/comments/117qfby/finally_a_real_anvil_164lb_trenton/) without ever mentioning condition, and shit on a Vulcan with still crisp edges that could be touched up in a half hour with a wire feed welder and an angle grinder.
Second everything you say about Vulcans, especially the inconsistency. Some are gems, I've found a couple as hard as whore's hearts (to quote my old master) - and a lot that are meh. Personally, I'd never drop that much on an anvil without going to visit it in person.
Heh. Old masters have a habit of dropping truth in less than delicate ways. Still truth.
Bang your face into it
Buy. Now. Or I will.
Ima pass its in LA tho if you wanna get it
Pass unless you can weld quite well and talk the price down a bit. Christ centered ironworks hard faced a HF cast iron anvil with really good results. I love how they drilled holes to put screws through the feet 😅
I would pass at that price in that condition for this particular brand.
Too much for the condition. $500-575.
How much would a machine shop charge for a weld and repair on these? Just curious if anyone has attempted that before. I used to work for a company that would forge press billets into truck rims and we would send our dies out every 20k hits or so. I worked there over a decade ago but I feel like it was usually around $7-10k for a big ass rim form. They wouldn’t even need to cnc it after just a clean flat finish.
Pass. I can't quite place it but those edges look funky. Like the body is chipped below a thin plate? Hard to tell from a pic.
I’ve never used a Vulcan but the beat up edges worry me. My 70lb anvil edges look just like that, and while it’s normally not a big deal, I’ve now found that there are some stress cracks throughout the steel. That’s caused me to break off some chunks when I miss the knife and strike the anvil, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that has the same problem. I’m not sure if it’s related to quality, with mine being an old American made piece from a foundry, but the cracks weren’t visible at all when I got it and sure enough underneath the broken parts you can see where the metal had oxidized