Rust removal item #2 for the week...Mouse Hole Anvil-Wife found at garage sale!!

[keykeeper]

So, I'm at work today, with my cellphone set to silent/vibrate so as not to disturb the environs of my job. I didn't have it on me, it was charging across the room. Luckily, nothing was going on and heard it buzzing away. "Who is calling me?", I think to myself. I go over and pick it up, "Oh crap, it's the wife!" I step to the side and answer it, thinking it must be an emergency, she knows I have a busy day today.


Wife:"Did you get the message I sent you?"
Me: "No, I'm charging my phone, didn't hear it buzz."
Wife: "Well, look at it, and call me right back! I found you an anvil for $(not telling yet) at a garage sale!"


NOW, I'M INTERESTED IN TALKING. (But I figure it's some little beat down Harbor Freight cast iron doorstop.)


I hang up, check out the picture, and call her right back.

Me: "BUY IT. GO NOW. DO YOU NEED CASH? HAVE THE GUY HOLD IT UNTIL YOU GET BACK"

I had no idea of the brand, but could see some of the markings in the picture she sent me by text, and knew it would be a decent anvil!!

Here's the best part..............

wait for it..................
 


wait for it..................




                                       $20


Hey, everyone deserves a lucky grab every now and then. She tells me the guy was planning on junking it when the scrap price went up again!!!

Total weight according to the English stoneweight markings on the side = 108 lbs.

Gonna drag my scale out to the porch and weigh it here shortly!!!

Sniff...sniff....Man, I love that woman.....

[Papaw]

Outstanding!! What a deal, and what a wife!

[HeelSpur]

Your a lucky man Aaron, all I ever get are gopher calls.

Take that lady out to dinner :-)

[johnsironsanctuary]

Heelspurs comments +1!

[keykeeper]

Well, I weighed it, and the poor thing lost 3 pounds over the last 100 years or so. LOL

Weighed in at a nice 105 lbs. Checked it with a hammer, and it still has some good rebound on the face.

I think cleaned up and dressed, this will be a great little user anvil for me. I may just oil it real good for now, then hit it with a wire wheel later on.

I'm still stoked she found this for me!!

[wvtools]

Aaron,

Great score on the anvil!!  I was going to give your wife a hard time the next time I see you all at the flea market because she had to call you even though it was only 20.00.  But then I realized it is a good thing that she had to call you.  It means she is not paying attention to how much you pay for blacksmith tools.

JMH

[john k]

Now that is one time thing if there ever was one!   I cannot make out the name, but can sure read mouse hole, and for its age it is pristine in my book.    With anvils  often going for $3 a pound, that, ,,,, that is a heckuva deal.  Go buy a lottery ticket now.

[Nolatoolguy]

She's a keeper, that's for sure.

Wife an anvil that is

[tucker]

there is a fishing village in cornwall called mousehole.with english markings it could be
from there.its near penzance.lucky man.!!

[mikeswrenches]

Very nice find indeed!!

If I remember correctly, and that is problematic at times, the absence of the pritchell hole means it was made prior to 1830.  There is a lot of information on the web about the Mousehole Forge.  Even a book, link below.

http://www.bluemoonpress.org/index.php/books/moushole-forge.html

Mike

[keykeeper]

there is a fishing village in cornwall called mousehole.with english markings it could be
from there.its near penzance.lucky man.!!

It is definitely an English anvil. The markings, though somewhat obscure in places from time, are for sure those of the M & H Armitage Co. Mouse Hole. My understanding this was in Sheffield, England. The weight markings are another indicator, as American made anvils didn't use the English "stoneweight" system like this.

mikeswrenches- I remembered something about the pritchel hole being an indicator of era of manufacture, just hadn't had much time to research it yet. Thanks, I'll check into this.

Neil-Yep, think I'll keep them both....lol.

John K- I was thinking the same thing on the lottery ticket!

wvtools-she actually called me while she was heading to the bank to grab some cash!! Good woman, no doubt, to be supportive of my obsessions like this!!

[anglesmith]

Aaron, Can you get access to Richard Postman's book Mouse Hole Forge? On page 66 he shows and dates the markings of M/H anvils he has measured, only two have four lines! The one that looks like yours is,
        M & H
    ARMITAGE
       MOUSE
         HOLE
     0 .  0 .  0 weight numbers
 He dates this at ca 1820 - 1835 In his earlier anvil book his dating is different! worth having a look at that this book also. The lack of pritchel hole points to an early rather than later anvil.
It certainly looks like to me you will be working on an anvil heading towards 200 years old!!
Graeme

[scottg]

20 dollar anvil?? And delivered, you didn't even have to go find it yourself??
Man you really suck!!

  Its going to take some serious grinding to clean up the working faces if you want to use it for fine work. But certainly worth it!
 I am green at the gills here   
yours Scott

[keykeeper]

20 dollar anvil?? And delivered, you didn't even have to go find it yourself??
Man you really suck!!

  Its going to take some serious grinding to clean up the working faces if you want to use it for fine work. But certainly worth it!
 I am green at the gills here   
yours Scott

Here's the real kicker to the story.........my wife found it, because a fellow I know in the resale business stopped by our house and told her about it while I was at work. The only reason he didn't get it for me was he didn't have enough cash on him (the whole town is having sales this week)!! He knew I was always looking for a good anvil, based on our past dealings. Good fellow to know. I may have to buy him dinner, as well as the wife!!!! He actually stopped by later Thur. afternoon to check and make sure we got it!!!

As for grinding, it won't be too bad, mostly just surface rust. If I do "fine" work, I have my smaller 70 lb. Vanadium Anvil with nice face for that, plus hot filing makes for even nicer finish.

[keykeeper]

Aaron, Can you get access to Richard Postman's book Mouse Hole Forge? On page 66 he shows and dates the markings of M/H anvils he has measured, only two have four lines! The one that looks like yours is,
        M & H
    ARMITAGE
       MOUSE
         HOLE
     0 .  0 .  0 weight numbers
 He dates this at ca 1820 - 1835 In his earlier anvil book his dating is different! worth having a look at that this book also. The lack of pritchel hole points to an early rather than later anvil.
It certainly looks like to me you will be working on an anvil heading towards 200 years old!!
Graeme

Graeme,

That is great information. I found the book online for sale, but didn't want to buy a copy just yet. Appreciate the research for me! I may just rehab this and show it off at our conferences and get-togethers!