Poll, Do you tap your anvil?

[habu68]

I was once told by a smith of superior years , skills and experience that tapping the hammer between blows was a tradition brought to America by smiths from Europe. When they entered this country they paid heavy duties on their tools, but they were free to bring their bad habits. Since it was a harmless trifle that brought pleasure to the ear and hand and cost nothing; "Why not?"

I admit to this bad habit, I also ring the anvil 3 times entering and leaving the shop to remind my self of smiths like my great grand father, grand father, Paw Paw Wilson that have gone on before and have shaped my life as a smith.

[ApprenticeMan]

I tap sometimes, during hammering both on purpose, and not on purpose. It is interesting to see how such a small thing as tapping the anvil is so deeply rooted in the smithing world.

[skunkriv]

I tap once in awhile as mentioned above to give me time to think or to get a better look at what is going on. Usually just one tap.

Two years in a row I was working at the anvil at the Iowa state fair and heard a voice in the background in the crowd say "a good blacksmith hits the anvil every third lick". He wasn't talking to me but to someone with him or next to him in the crowd. Never did see who it was but I thought to myself that I sure wouldn't get much work done that way.

A year or so later I visited a roadside museum shop in northern Iowa. The guide there said the exact same thing...had to be him. Didn't figure it would do any good to dispute the point since he had probably said it 15,000 times.

The smith who had run that shop in the old days (and who I am sure did NOT hit the anvil every third lick had cast his own firepot and swage block. The guide showed me the pattern for the firepot but said they did not know what had happened to the pattern for the swage block. I told him it had probably gone in the woodstove (perhaps after cracking). The pattern for the firepot he saved because he might one day need to cast another. Hope I taught him one thing anyway but I doubt it.

[HWooldridge]

In addition to my custom work, I have a line of standard products that I sell on-line, like coat racks and other simple stuff. When you do production work of any kind, no matter what it is, you will fall into a pattern at the anvil. I just finished a run of 50 coat hooks and I noticed toward the end of the run that I was using the same amount of licks per hook end (100 as these hooks are double ended). It began as a reflex but I had a tap stroke between the shoulder set and the beginning of the snub on the end of the hook. I believe this is where the tap started, as a natural transition while the smith either moved the material or made a decision where the next hit would be because it was easier than stopping, in other words, it is simply conservation of momentum. When you stand at the anvil for several hours in a row, anything that conserves energy is welcome.

As others have stated. hitting the anvil when you enter the shop is a cute superstition but purposely hitting every second, third, fourth or whatever stroke is a waste of energy and accomplishes no work. Do it only if it makes sense.

[Frosty]

Never heard of tapping the anvil for luck, etc. but I live way far away.

I occasionally give the anvil a tap but it's usually an unconscious thing.

I've heard people in the audience say all kinds of things about how a "real" blacksmith does things. One of my buddies is demoing at the ongoing state fair and a couple days ago a couple youngsters, 19+/- started telling him ALL about smithing. They started off by telling him his 48kg. Kolswa was an ASO and as such not a "real" anvil and finished by telling him it "looked" lighter than the marking claimed.

Mark finally just ran them off by pointing out they'd at least look smarter if they kept their mouths shut around professionals.

Anyway, I don't hit anything but the work on purpose.

Frosty

[jayco]

I've heard of the 'tapping the anvil for luck' thing, but I never did it.

Once in a while, I swing and MISS! But that doesn't count.

I do have a 'coming to rest' tap,when I'm done with something,but that's not an intentional tap either.

The funny thing is,if I'm nailing a sheet of plywood or wood flooring of something, I DO tap between nails......and keep rythm.

[Daryl]

Habu68,
I am familar with the book you speak of. The fellow who wrote that had many little bitter comments about Europe - as did some immigrants of the day who were given no choice but to leave their homeland. I feel that such was the reason for his low opinion of European techniques and customs.
If you look in the blueprint section (BP0038), there is a reason for tapping the anvil. In large shops there is far too much noise to speak effectively; so you must use signals of some sort. I was taught the signals when I apprenticed, and I still use them all the time, even when I am the only one in the shop - it is just good practice for when you have a striker.

[Glenn]

Do you tap your anvil?
(shop forge only, not at demos)
We had 111 votes for this poll.



Tap the anvil while hammering
53 votes or 47.7%

Rarely tap the anvil while hammering
26 votes or 23.4%

Never tap the anvil.
24 votes or 21.6%

Tap the anvil upon entering the shop.
8 votes or 7.2%

[Rutterbush]

I just want to know how I'm supposed to keep my balance while tapping on the anvil? The anvil face is slick and I tend to fall off.

[CurlyGeorge]

I tap the anvil, intermitantly, when turning or rotating a piece. I never have tapped it when I come in or left the shop. Maybe I should start, and thus scare the boogers away. LOL