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Anvil Horn?
- Thread starter John L
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2005
- Messages
- 95
everytime i bend over to pick something up off the floor i bang my head against the stupid horn,,,, not sure if its knocking sence into,,, or out of me...
- Joined
- Dec 3, 1999
- Messages
- 9,437
On most anvils the horn doesn't really provide a huge amount of use in knife work.
I used to forge to shape "S" guards and the like on my horn, but now I heat them with a torch and bend them either with pliers or over top of a fixture (MUCH more accurate and less scale).
However, on my Gladiator, since the entire anvil is hardened tool steel, the horn is very effective for drawing.
Now jfr- my dad's farrier uses the horn on his little anvil just as much as the flats.
edited to add- I forgot to mention I usually refine the blade point on my horn. I knock most of it down on the leading corner of the face (or in the press
) then take it down finer on the horn.
I used to forge to shape "S" guards and the like on my horn, but now I heat them with a torch and bend them either with pliers or over top of a fixture (MUCH more accurate and less scale).
However, on my Gladiator, since the entire anvil is hardened tool steel, the horn is very effective for drawing.
Now jfr- my dad's farrier uses the horn on his little anvil just as much as the flats.
edited to add- I forgot to mention I usually refine the blade point on my horn. I knock most of it down on the leading corner of the face (or in the press
) then take it down finer on the horn.- Joined
- May 27, 2005
- Messages
- 40
First of all some knife makers make other things also. Beyond that, the horn, having a rounded surface (like a big fuller), can be used to move material faster than a flat face. I also use it sometimes when shaping the point.
That said, most things that are usually done on the horn can be done other ways so I wouldn't turn my nose up at a big, hard, solid anvil that was lacking one or had a damaged one. Many oporations can be done on a well radiused edge or you can use a bickern or other tool that's either free standing, vice mounted or a hardy tool.
That said, most things that are usually done on the horn can be done other ways so I wouldn't turn my nose up at a big, hard, solid anvil that was lacking one or had a damaged one. Many oporations can be done on a well radiused edge or you can use a bickern or other tool that's either free standing, vice mounted or a hardy tool.
The information in the post caught my eye, so I just had to chime in :foot: I use mine quite a lot for opening up tomahawk eyes. Once I have an opening for the eye cut into a billet or railroad spike, or am ready to open up a forged-down hammer head, I use the horn to get the eye opened up before using my hawk drift to finish it.
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2005
- Messages
- 655
The horns on all my anvils are too big for opening Eyes on hawks, but I do use them a lot for the other work I do (decorative ironwork)
I have 4 anvils in my collection without horns, two are sawyers anvils, one had the horn broken off during the Civil war, and the other is a large stake anvil designed for nothing but blade work.
Anvil horns can be easily replaced by other simple tooling, but don't forget, the anvil was the first "multi-tool" anyone really had. The added benefit of the horn is, it's usually at just the right height to catch you in the crotch, and keep you from having kids, all without surgery! (well, maybe some surgery, and a blood transfusion, depending on how hard you catch it!)
Tony
I have 4 anvils in my collection without horns, two are sawyers anvils, one had the horn broken off during the Civil war, and the other is a large stake anvil designed for nothing but blade work.
Anvil horns can be easily replaced by other simple tooling, but don't forget, the anvil was the first "multi-tool" anyone really had. The added benefit of the horn is, it's usually at just the right height to catch you in the crotch, and keep you from having kids, all without surgery! (well, maybe some surgery, and a blood transfusion, depending on how hard you catch it!)
Tony
John your pronblem is obvious your arms are too short
COver the horn with foam rubber or get longer arms. I just bought an anvil from the estate of a good friend. He gouged a hole in his leg on the horn and beat the end of the horn flat with a sedge.
horns are good for drawing out, precurving and banging you leg against.