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Stake anvil?
- Thread starter FredyCro
- Start date
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 38,235
Stake anvils are good for small stuff and shaping things that need to have multiple angles and curves (like a stirrup). They were portable and could be knocked out of a stump and taken to the next place a smith set up. Not all are small, I have seen some weighing hundreds of pounds. Jewelers use them, too ... but ours are smaller.
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2008
- Messages
- 539
That's a really cool old anvil. I wonder what the dimensions are?
I've used stake anvils quite a bit in the past, but they were all block type anvils. Basically a 4x4 piece of steel with a spike welded to the bottom to be driven into the stump of your choice. Those are good fun to forge on, and quite usable for knives, but a smaller stump anvil like that one appears to be? Not my first choice for anything but light forging. I actually have one that looks quite similar to that one (although mine looks to be a little bit smaller, but again its hard to tell from a picture) and I've done some very light work on it just as a proof of concept. It was interesting, but not something I'd ever use in actual shop work.
I've used stake anvils quite a bit in the past, but they were all block type anvils. Basically a 4x4 piece of steel with a spike welded to the bottom to be driven into the stump of your choice. Those are good fun to forge on, and quite usable for knives, but a smaller stump anvil like that one appears to be? Not my first choice for anything but light forging. I actually have one that looks quite similar to that one (although mine looks to be a little bit smaller, but again its hard to tell from a picture) and I've done some very light work on it just as a proof of concept. It was interesting, but not something I'd ever use in actual shop work.