Anvils? Noob here

T

theAntihero

Joined
Nov 11, 2011
Messages
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So im thinking of doing some basic neo tribal knife making. I have several sets of leaf springs from some junk cars and brake drums to make a brake drum forge and i like knives and building my own things so its kind of a low cost entry to see if i like it.

What i dont have is an anvil and im not even really sure where to start with one. I mean Harbor Frieght sells a 55lber for like 60 bucks but that seems rather small to me.

I really wish i had taken up a friend years ago when he wanted to give me his ancient anvil but i had no idea id want to do this.
 
In my opinion you would be better off with railroad track than with a harbour freight anvil. The issue is they are not so much anvils as they are poorly made cast iron in the relative shape of an anvil. Keep an eye on Craigslist and the like and you never know what you might find. I picked up a 170 lb Mousehole for 100 bucks and a 131 lb Peter wright for 200. Check out the anvil fire website as there are quite a few pictures of railroad anvils and some good tips on how shape the track to suit bladesmith needs.
 
Thanks for the responses, i figured the Harbor Freight one was junk really, its FAR cheaper than what ive seen used anvils go for.

Ive always heard them called railroad ties but i guess im wrong. They are about 3 feet long, maybe 3 inches thick at the thickest and have holes thru the center, ill snap a pic later.
 
Ok, i have a couple of these laying about. I have no idea what they are, i use them for weights in winter for my truck.





 
They are rails of some sort, however I have never seen them in that style. Could possibly be part of a switching system or a siding. Or agree cars if you have or had them in your area. They will work, probably as good or better than a harbour freight, but not as well as a proper anvil. As to your question on size, I have 130 and 170 because that's what I could find. It is often said that bigger is better which is about half true. Currently I find my 130 easier to work with than the larger 170 because it has considerably better rebound. So rebound can be more important that overall size, to a certain point. Personally I feel that about 70 lbs would be as small as I would go for blade smithing and general light forging. If you plan to make Damascus by hand or use a striker (second person to swing a larger hammer while one holds the work) I would not consider going below 100 lbs. Keep in mind this is all personal opinion
 
one thing to think about too is ferrier and blacksmithing forums... you might check and see if there are going to be any gatherings of those folks in your area. lots of times you can get good deals on stuff at conventions/events/shindigs/hoe-downs etc...
 
Grayzer86 said:
They are rails of some sort, however I have never seen them in that style. Could possibly be part of a switching system or a siding. Or agree cars if you have or had them in your area. They will work, probably as good or better than a harbour freight, but not as well as a proper anvil. As to your question on size, I have 130 and 170 because that's what I could find. It is often said that bigger is better which is about half true. Currently I find my 130 easier to work with than the larger 170 because it has considerably better rebound. So rebound can be more important that overall size, to a certain point. Personally I feel that about 70 lbs would be as small as I would go for blade smithing and general light forging. If you plan to make Damascus by hand or use a striker (second person to swing a larger hammer while one holds the work) I would not consider going below 100 lbs. Keep in mind this is all personal opinion
Click to expand...

Thanks, i have no idea what they are either. But they weigh above 80lb a piece if i had to guess
 
h20oni said:
one thing to think about too is ferrier and blacksmithing forums... you might check and see if there are going to be any gatherings of those folks in your area. lots of times you can get good deals on stuff at conventions/events/shindigs/hoe-downs etc...
Click to expand...

Good idea, thanks!
 
I wonder if that's a piece of street rail, like when the tracks cross over a street. Might also be trolly or mine rail too.
 
I started out with a 2.5' length of RR rail set on end against a post. It worked great and I still use it occasionally. I've seen guys mount them in a bucket of concrete, bury them in the ground, and cut and weld them to make horns and hardie holes. If you can get one with a smooth end or get it cut smooth, you've got a GREAT starter anvil. If my neighbor hadn't given me his traditional anvil, I'd probably still be using the rail.
 
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