Getting Started

Just look for something that gives a good bounce to your hammer. It may not rebound like a good hardfaced anvil, but it's cheap:)
 
Well, it seems that I keep on getting more questions. Do yall make your own tools. I'm talking about most everything- hammers, chisels, tongs, drifts, fuller, etc.
 
There are a lot of tools that are worthwhile to make on your own. Punches , fullers , drifts, chisels , all yes. Tongs are a differant story for me. I made a few pair and decided they were crap. You can still pick up tongs pretty cheap on e-bay and at junk store. Every now and then you will see an add on e-bay for a bunch of tongs for $10 each. Hammers are easy to scrounge also.

Dont worry to much about the steel for a scrounged anvil. Most of the steel i hammer is hot and fairly soft when i hit it, so it doesnt bounce much anyway. I think we are to concerned with rebound of an anvil because of the way smiths used to bounce the hammer off the anvil face to raise the hammer for the next strike.
 
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