ray.whittington50 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I've been searching for an anvil for a little while now, like alot of folks and I came across this. The guy wants $850 for it all which seems reasonable but I'm not real sure it's what I need. I am at the beginner of beginner stage of all this so I I just don't have the knowledge to say if it this is what I need. I want to do normal blacksmith work, of course a few knives and such, but I want to make door and drawer pulls, and stuff like that and on to bigger and better things. So on that as far as I've read a farrier anvils are meant for light forging I believe, so would this be good for me? And lastly if it is, is it worth all that? The anvil is 118lbs I believe and it's a Big Tex make. Thanks beforehand for any info and advice. This is the list of stuff. Big Tex 118# A.P. Anvil One AP Tac HammerOne Jack StandOne Finishing StandOne Pair Hoof NippersTwo Shoe PullersClinchersThree Rasp with HandlesTwo (RH) Knives; One (LH) Knife One Shoeing ApronOne Shoeing BoxAssorted Shoes (6) & One Box of Nails Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Not a bad deal if you want to shoe horses I would pass if you want to do general forging get a blacksmiths anvil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 If you're looking at spending that kind of money for an anvil in TX, I think you'd be better off contacting the person in San Antonio that is selling the anvil collection.... (look on CL for ANVIL in San Antonio). For that group of tools you pictured, I would pass for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wd&mlteach Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Yeah, seems pretty expensive to me. I have a farriers anvil that I use for small demos as it is easy to transport and setup. I got NC Tools Big Face, a stand with clamp, a gas forge, two table top drill presses, a bench grinder with multitool attachment, some tongs/hoof rasps, and a bucket of horseshoes for $100 even. I do not think I will ever find a deal that good again but for the money you are talking, I would think you could do better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 please see lower post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray.whittington50 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thank y'all for the info, I think I will take y'all's advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Just a good sized hunk of steel will get you started and look a lot more like anvils have for over 2000 years. This will allow you to find a better deal AND know more about what you want out of your anvil. So forklift tine, chunk of dozer, even just a piece of 6" shafting. I once put together a beginner's set up that had $25 out of pocket + some scrounging time. Not a mickey mouse set up either---it was my best pattern welded billet forge for several years! There are some professional smiths in other countries using a large sledge hammer head mounted in a stump as an anvil. Time spent hammering will get you better faster than time spent finding an anvil and then starting to hammer. So I suggest getting started and doing the anvil hunt in parallel---please search on TPAAAT here for some suggestions. (Last time I mentioned at church I was hunting an anvil I was *given* one, swedish cast steel in beautiful condition...looking online I generally consider the expensive way to go about it...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray.whittington50 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Yea I looked at the TPAAAT, and I've been searching some. I've always been interested in blacksmithing but I've never had a house or rather that just the opportunity to finally do it, and that will change Friday so I've been looking for a couple weeks now. I called those folks that have that collection Black Frog, and they do have some really nice ones. and would probably be worth every cent, but they want $5-6 dollars a pound for anything they consider good or better condition. Maybe not a bad price, but out of my league right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Agreed that is quite expensive for an anvil, I didn't know what they had available.As TP suggests, you can make a scrap yard anvil that will work sufficiently well until you might find the right deal on an anvil for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Be patient in your search. If you think $5-6/lb is too spendy, how do you figure $850/118lb anvil? Most of the rest isn't going to do you any good. Stands aren't worth buying, rasps can usually be had for next to nothing if you ask a working farrier, nippers and tack hammers aren't a general smith's tools nor are hoof stands, creasers, etc. they're ALL specialty farrier's tools. Anvils are just heavy hard things you can hammer hot iron/steel on, horns are recent additions in the history of blacksmithing and not that necessary. Be patient brother. How many years have you wanted to learn the craft? Rushing now is just going to paint you in a corner you don't have the skill sets to get out of without spending a lot of money. Just find something heavy and hard, preferably made of steel to use for now, build or buy a forge and get to hammering. NO tool will be perfect, it's a waste of time trying to find or make a perfect tool. The tools don't forge anything, the SMITH does, tools are just highly refined dirt. Patience is your friend, get to hammering on whatever's available NOW, the tools will come or you'll make them. Heck, nothing fits your hand or means more to you than using a tool you made with your own hands. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Geist Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 A Big Tex is a nice one. I haven't seen one in years. I kinda wish AP had continued making them in that style as most contemporary horseshoers anvils leave a lot to be desired. All the other shoeing stuff (with possible exception of any rasps he might have) I don't see much use for unless you want to shoe some horses. Try to see if you can get about $200 knocked off and just take the anvil. That wouldn't be a bad deal. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray.whittington50 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Be patient in your search. If you think $5-6/lb is too spendy, how do you figure $850/118lb anvil? Most of the rest isn't going to do you any good. Stands aren't worth buying, rasps can usually be had for next to nothing if you ask a working farrier, nippers and tack hammers aren't a general smith's tools nor are hoof stands, creasers, etc. they're ALL specialty farrier's tools. Anvils are just heavy hard things you can hammer hot iron/steel on, horns are recent additions in the history of blacksmithing and not that necessary. Be patient brother. How many years have you wanted to learn the craft? Rushing now is just going to paint you in a corner you don't have the skill sets to get out of without spending a lot of money. Just find something heavy and hard, preferably made of steel to use for now, build or buy a forge and get to hammering. NO tool will be perfect, it's a waste of time trying to find or make a perfect tool. The tools don't forge anything, the SMITH does, tools are just highly refined dirt. Patience is your friend, get to hammering on whatever's available NOW, the tools will come or you'll make them. Heck, nothing fits your hand or means more to you than using a tool you made with your own hands. Frosty The Lucky. I'm trying, but dang it if I'm not excited about all this. I've been interested in this since before I got out of school. My back up plan is/was this, http://www.oldworldanvils.com/anvils/4x4.html I figure that is a great place to start but again, I don't want to learn bad habits or waste time and money. I think I have a pretty good mind for this, I just have to get started. In a few months I want to take some welding classes and I've been looking at a couple schools like Brain Brazeal's or Turley Forge to attend to get me a good foundation. Other than that just practice. But as always y'all are the elders and my teachers so I'm more than happy to take any and all advice. I did pass on that anvil, and the reason I considered the $850 was because of the tools. Now I know better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the iron dwarf Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 get a rail track anvil that is heavier and has more useful shapes on it for a lot less than the one you linked to. your local scrapyard should have many items you can use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 difference between the 4x4 and a lot of early medieval anvils is that the early medieval anvils had a spike on the bottom! (and were made from real wrought iron and not high grade steel!) If you head to Turley's and need a stop near El Paso let me know. It's a good 5 hours more from my house to Santa Fe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray.whittington50 Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 That's still months away if not years (hopefully not) but thank you, I'll try and remember the offer. Though your actually like 6 hours I think, I've made the drive twice and can't remember for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Everything but the anvil are things that you can find very easily for a couple of bucks a piece at any flea market. You could find an anvil twice that size for actual forging on for half that price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.