Nimba?????

BIGBEAR · Jun 3, 2006

Hey guys. Have any of you used a Nimba anvil?????? If so I would really love to hear what you think or feel about them. I am seriously thinking about getting the Gladiator at 450 lbs. All comments and opinions are appreciated.

deker · Jun 3, 2006

BIGBEAR said:
Hey guys. Have any of you used a Nimba anvil?????? If so I would really love to hear what you think or feel about them. I am seriously thinking about getting the Gladiator at 450 lbs. All comments and opinions are appreciated.

I know at least one guy who has a Nimba and he can't say enough good things about it. If you like the pattern of the Nimba, you may want to check out Euroanvils as well. They have a 500lb in a similar pattern for a lot less $$ than a Nimba. I have a 335lb Euroanvil and it's really a very nice hunk of steel. Also, John from Euroanvils/Blacksmith Supply is great to deal with. Bear in mind that if you don't want the extra table, etc on a Euroanvil they can be gotten without it for the same price.

Either way, when you decide we want pics

-d

jhiggins · Jun 3, 2006

I had the Nimba Centurion. It was the best anvil I ever beat on - bar none. When I hurt my shoulder, I kept it for a few years, but eventually sold it. Nick Wheeler has a Gladiator, and he loves it. Jon Loose also uses a Nimba. Russell and Willene Jaqua are the nicest folks to do business with, and before you consider buying something made overseas, please consider buying from the ONLY anvilmaker in the USA. You will not find a better anvil anywhere. :thumbup:

Raymond Richard · Jun 3, 2006

Bigbear, Why such a big anvil? If its going to be used just for knife making thats a whole lot of overkill. When my shop was set up I had 3 anvils. A 150 Trenton, 120 Titan Nimba, and a 120 Swedish anvil. The one that saw the most action was the Swedish and its the one I'm still using in my temporary situation. I can't say anything bad about the Nimba but if I had to do with just one anvil I'd stick with the Swedish anvil.

BIGBEAR · Jun 3, 2006

Nice to see that everyone has so many nice things to say about Nimba. For Raymond the reason why I want to go with the Gladiator is because just about every commentaryand or thread that I have read on selecting an anvil said some where that you should always get the biggest anvil you can afford or figure out what you need and get something much bigger. It might be over kill but if you ever do need bigger its nice to know that its something u already have. It just seems to make sence to me. But thanx again for the words and thoughts. Just wondering if anyone has anything negative to say? Have a great weekend guys.

BIGBEAR · Jun 3, 2006

Hey Deker....The Euro's arent bad but I think if i was to get a european anvil I would have to save up a bit and go with the Kohlswa "think thats how it spelled". The Swede's really have some sweet stuff. By the way I am going with the Nimba Gladiator. Maybe someday if money isnt an issue I will get the Kohlswa type B34 at 310 kilo's. It's the biggest anvil I have been able to find that is still in prduction "about 670 lbs" Ahh the bragging rights

By the way my wife thinks I need a cheaper hobby:jerkit: :jerkit: :jerkit:

butcher_block · Jun 3, 2006

BIGBEAR said:
I will get the Kohlswa type B34 at 310 kilo's. It's the biggest anvil I have been able to find that is still in prduction "about 670 lbs" Ahh the bragging rights :

wow i just play around with forging but i want one :jerkit: :jerkit:
thats got to be a monster
butch

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith · Jun 3, 2006

I got around the "Big Anvil" envy (it's a guy thing) by putting my 125# anvil on top of a 400# flat anvil.That way,I can take the 125# to a hammer-in or demo and use a wooden base.The face shape and area are more important to knife makers (do you really need a 100# bick?).As to weight,I tend to agree with Raymond.It is mostly for immobility that huge anvils are used.A 150# anvil has over 35 times the mass of a 4# hammer and the piece of steel being forged,more than enough ratio for forging.If you are doing tamahagane from a bloom with two strikers and 12# sledges,or large blacksmithing, a monster anvil is needed,but for knives and hawks 500-600# is overkill.A better (and much cheaper)way of getting that mass is a 6" thick piece of steel or iron under the anvil.Just weld on some 1X1" pieces to make a fitted foot for the anvil.
Another thing that a smaller anvil can do easier is go to the machine shop to be milled or refaced.
Stacy

Raymond Richard · Jun 3, 2006

The way I look at hand forging its about the thing in your hand that is going to make the most difference. To be able to hand forge and to do it right its about controlling the hammer and then again size really isn't that much of an issue. Knowing where and how to hit the steel is what makes the difference. I do most my forging now with a 2 1/2 pound Stanly crosspein hammer with the yellow fiberglass handle. When I was younger I used a 10 pounder, then an eight, a six, and on down to what I'm using now and I can move steel much faster with the 2 1/2 now than what I could with the ten. Leaning how to hand forge just takes time. Buy a big anvil but don't expect it to do all the work plus the bigger the anvil the bigger the price tag. Just my thoughts. Please don't take it wrong but I do believe I know what I'm talking about.

B . Buxton · Jun 3, 2006

I'd buy the biggest anvil I could find, that way I could use it for an ankle weight the next time a tornado comes through.

I'm with Ray, for some reason people think they need big anvils for bladesmithing, to each their own but I've forged a hell of a bunch of steel on a #150 and never have seen any reason for anything bigger, hammer and heat control are more important.
Happy hernia,

Bill

deker · Jun 3, 2006

BIGBEAR said:
Hey Deker....The Euro's arent bad but I think if i was to get a european anvil I would have to save up a bit and go with the Kohlswa "think thats how it spelled". The Swede's really have some sweet stuff. By the way I am going with the Nimba Gladiator. Maybe someday if money isnt an issue I will get the Kohlswa type B34 at 310 kilo's. It's the biggest anvil I have been able to find that is still in prduction "about 670 lbs" Ahh the bragging rights

No doubt that the Kohlswa is a nice anvil. I've used one or two over the years. I know a guy with a 175lb Kohlswa who bought it years ago....new....at $1/lb! Man, what I wouldn't give for those prices again...

Speaking as a guy with a 500lb anvil casting in the bed of his truck right now though, think long and hard about something that 2 guys can't move without equipment. If you ever need to move an anvil that big, believe me, it's a PITA.

BIGBEAR said:
By the way my wife thinks I need a cheaper hobby

My wife is shockingly tolerant...I may have a chance to get a small power hammer in the next week, and MY wife just offered to drive to go get it since I have a busy week coming up at work!

'Course I need the $$ for it....anybody want to buy a never-used 500lb anvil casting? Never even had the face milled!

-d

J.Marsillo · Jun 3, 2006

B . Buxton said:
Happy hernia

thats the main reason i keep my 155 Kohlswa around,I had a herina once

I'll stick to someting more portable

Darren Ellis · Jun 3, 2006

deker said:
...think long and hard about something that 2 guys can't move without equipment. If you ever need to move an anvil that big, believe me, it's a PITA.

That's a very good point... I unloaded and moved into place, on it's stand, my 500# Fisher anvil all by myself... trust me, it's not something you want to do more than once. When I have to move, I'm definitely going to get someone to help me...that dang thing was heavy to get around! It's definitely more anvil than you need, but at $0.70 a pound, I definitely couldn't pass it up...

-Darren

micad · Jun 5, 2006

I have very little experience with forgeing so the love I feel for my 260 lb Centurion has to be viewed with some hesitation.
However.....
Nick Wheeler and I went upto Port Townsend to pick up his 450 lb Gladiator from the Jaqua's and have to tell you that you won't find a nicer couple to do business with! They made us feel as though we were long lost friends.
I most highly recomend Nimba anvils---great anvils and even better people!

Mike

son_of_bluegrass · Jun 5, 2006

Y'all seem to like the anvils but can someone explain why they cost so much? I paid less for my peddinghaus per pound than a cast nimba would have cost.

BTW nimba aren't the only anvil made in the usa. JHM also are.

ron

deker · Jun 5, 2006

son_of_bluegrass said:
Y'all seem to like the anvils but can someone explain why they cost so much? I paid less for my peddinghaus per pound than a cast nimba would have cost.

BTW nimba aren't the only anvil made in the usa. JHM also are.

Tom Clark's anvils are made here as well. Of course, talk about $$/lb! Then again, they ARE cast from S7.....

-d

NickWheeler · Jun 5, 2006

Wouldn't trade mine for anything

With the amount of mass you have under your work, every bit of the hammer blow is utilitized.

But I don't need to argue with anybody on whether you need one this big or not... I wanted it, bought it, and have been in love with the thing ever since... that's good enough for me.

BIGBEAR · Jun 7, 2006

Hey guys, thanx for all the comments. At this point and time mobility isnt an issue for me. I have two sons that are also wanting to get into smithing and when they are old enough they will be getting their own anvils and maybe then we will look at something smaller but for now at least if I need the mass I got it. Cheers and I'll post some pics as soon as I get it.

Nimba?????

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