Inquiries to opinion on Anvils

[Ed Braun]

I've probably read the info on AnvilFire, iForge, and various other forging pages a hundred times in my quest over the last two years to find an an anvil. My ASO boat anchor has only done me more harm than good, but

I've toughed it out, sticking to my guns, and trying to find proper big iron--though I've worried more than once I'd have to go for a new 80lb Sugary if nothing appeared soon. I've already suffered one stress fracture from trying to work on my ASO, but what it does to my work is what hurts more.

In short--I may have found not only Holy Grail, but several with the choice to choose.

I braved the tornado weather down here today to look at a fellow who has a rather ample collection and got to inspect his big Peter Wright and Trenton, but unfortunately are beyond my means to move--the PW topping 475 and the Trenton at close to 600.
I will be meeting this gentleman, hopefully, tomorrow morning at his other shop to look over a selection of Hay Buddens, Peter (AND Henry) Wrights, a possible Trenton, and a turn of the century Kohlsaw.

I've wanted a Peter Wright--and there's supposed to be a 260lb PW there...but the Kohlsaw, if indeed pre-1900, intrigues me. It's likewise at the 2-note mark (I believe 250), but i don't want to pass the chance on missing out on something else if I try to "play it safe" and just grab the Peter Wright.

Given the sheer volume of opinions I've read, the mixed preferences and so on, I was hoping some of my fellow hammerheads might loft their own 2 cents on my extraordinary luck (if it holds water tomorrow).

 

[Wulf]

Kohlswa anvils are cast steel, whereas Peter Wright, Hay Budden, and most of the other old anvils are made out of a wrought iron body with a steel face plate welded on top. Personally, I prefer the cast steel anvils. There are no voids or weld issues that you sometimes find on the two-piece anvils and they tend to have exceptional rebound. I have a Soderfors which is another old scandinavian cast steel anvil and I absolutely love it. When you go check out these anvils, bring along a ball bearing that you can bounce off the face to test the rebound. If you don't have one handy just bring a small hammer and bounce it off the face in several spots to make sure the rebound is strong and consistent throughout. If the anvil has a flat face, sharp edges, and good rebound you will be a very happy man.

 

[Ed Braun]

Oh, trust me--I've kept a 1" 52100 Ball bearing with me the past two years, although this has been the first chance I've had need aside from one Vulcan painted lady someone tried to pass off as a true Arm and Hammer, and a poor abused Hay Budden that someone had broken and let sit through a fire (lost its temper).
My ASO (go and head and laugh, but it was free) is a Harbor Fright 50# slag-sponge that I had a piece of AR500 welded across the top...that brough its original 15% rebound up to about 25. The Vulcan had about the same, the dead HB had a little less.

Today's chance to try the heavies was eye opening to say the least--85-90% rebound on the PW and almost 100% from the Trenton when dropped from 18".

Thanks for confirming though that the Kohl is indeed cast steel--I'd heard mixed things and wasn't sure.

 

[Mike Turner]

I am not a anvil collector so names mean nothing to me. What I look for is a anvil that will suit the job I intend to use it for. For bladesmithing and general blacksmithing I want a large wide face, for horseshoeing I want a narrower face with a big swelled horn.

Now for weight I like to keep my hammer weight to anvil weight about 50:1. My shop anvil is a 300# Vulcan I do most of my forging using 1# to 4# hammer on this anvil but I do use a 6# on occasion and sometimes a 8# striker. I can tell the using the 6# hammer is not as efficient as the 4#, yes it still moves more material. My shoeing anvil is a 125# JHM and I only use 2# 2.5# hammers on this anvil.

So if it was I going to look at anvils I would ignore the names I would be looking for one at least 300# flat wide tool steel face and has good rebound.

The anvil I would really like to find would be a sawyer anvil and another would be a bridge anvil like what Jerry Fisk uses. Go down to 3rd picture http://www.fisk-knives.com/progressive_Persian.html

Good luck with your quest and don't get hung up in the collector hype, you are looking for a tool not a collector piece.

 

[javand]

PW, Kohlswa, Trenton, Fisher, etc, you're comparing peaches. There's no better choice between brands, just individual examples. Don't over think it.

Pick the biggest one with the nicest face, for blade work you really benefit from as flat a face without sway or saddle as possible, especially for bevel forging.

If you've got neighbors that are annoyed easily or you have sensitive ears, a steel bodied anvil like the Kohlswa or PW can be disadvantageous compared to a cast iron bodied Fisher, although regardless of vague generalized common mis-information, theyre all equivalent performers.

One thing to keep in mind also, is that the more centralized mass anvils are better for blade work, as opposed to the farrier patterns with long heels and horns. As someone mentioned, a sawyer's pattern is basically ideal, but they're rare.


Good luck, sounds like no matter what you're coming home with a winner.

 

[Ed Braun]

Thank you Mike and Jav for a cautionary, needed word--over thinking is my prime fault, and why I am at once flustered and too eager. I am aching to get back to forging--patterning damascus bar is one thing, shaping a blade is another. I've not done any true forging since I broke my hand in October and let it heal at its own pace.
My main point this point was the solemn common sense in your responses, and why I posted in the first place. There is a lot of hype out there, and the consequential word of experience by people in our field and similar set ups that make a difference, snap me out of my thoughts, and put me to a firm decision.

I am going to shoot for the cast steel--provided the face is even and the edges fair. If necessary, a customer has the proper filler rod to fix any worn edges, the face is what matters.
The larger horn and heel of those hay buddens I've seen is more of the farrier pattern, and what I've looked to avoid, keeping focused on center, work face, and squareness.
This will be a serious working anvil--I've the good fortune with my teaching schedule that I'm home during the peak of the work day, so neighbors won't be an issue. Likewise, there's a couple of 250lb magnets a friend gave me that will ride side saddle.
No, sir(s), after my career in academia, the degradation, demoralization, and just plain aggravation trying to do my job...could I afford to support my family at this trade, I would become a full time smith; without regret or looking back.
Thus why choosing an anvil to work with for the next few decades has weighed upon my mind.

Gentlemen, I won't lie--I'll disclose the full details of the deal when a piece of metal is sitting pretty and uncontested in my shop, but, for the time being, the fellow I'm getting the anvil from gets them from a blacksmith hoarder in north Fla. The few rare bits he showed me (such as a Henry Right stake anvil that was 5 feet long and weighed 150lbs) were enough to convince me that should someone want something like a Sawyer, he could possibly get it. While I may not need one (a sawyer) after procuring my own anvil, if someone here wanted it, they'd at least know where to get one.