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Hi  wanted to ask you more experience guys about the correct way to approach the anvil as most seem to stand with the bick facing to there left. Whats the reason for this and  does this also apply if your left handed as I am?

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The correct way, is the way that is most comfortable to you. Are you going to be moving from the face to the Horn? Do what is comfortable.

The Anvil has a Face, Heel, Horn, Foot, Sides, Radius between the Heel and the Foot, Etc.

All parts are useable, not just the Face!!!!

There are no Anvil Cops!! There is no wrong way!!

Which side of your mouth does your tongue stick out of? The side facing your Nah-Sayers, I hope.

 

Enjoy the Journey, Don't ask for permission!!

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Definitely approach it!  One of my typical findings teaching is that the student will stand away from the anvil and then lean over to reach it. They will often have the tongs in front of them.  I tell them that we don't care where the cold end of the tongs are you can put that hand behind your back even; but you want to stand next to the anvil so you can stand straight and swing the hammer all the way up and whap the metal!

 

As to horn right left etc; I'd say it depends on what you are doing.  One time when we had a big discussion of this I did a page by page trawl through "Practical Blacksmithing", Richardson that is a collection of articles and letters from a blacksmithing journal from 1889, 1890, 1891---first drawing of a shop I ran across had the anvil pointed horn toward the forge; read the article they made a lot of rings in that shop.

 

Personally I say use it whatever way works best---I've tipped them onto the heel to use the horn pointing closer to vertical before and even upside down to use the indentation in the base for dishing....(caplet indentation)

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At some point you will use all six sides. I find that I stand on either side of the horn facing back tord the anvil waist, i also work mostly with the horn to the left as often as not. But I also work from the other side. But like TP i have laid he on her side to use the curve on the feet, on the heal and horn to use the curves under the heal and horn respectably.
But I a farrier and
Crazy to boot

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Direction of the horn is very important, it should point to the North. (Lengthy discussion already on the site also includes the equinox, full moon, and forge welding )

 

 

Horn points North in MY shop and it works for ME.

What works for YOU in YOUR shop is correct for YOU.

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I have the round horn pointing towards the nearest pre-christian place for sacrifice and worship and that works quite well.  :)

I certainly agree that it depends upon what you do at the anvil but also what type of anvil you have.

Someone said that you should have the square hole to your left so you do not risk hitting the hardie with your hand.

I put the round horn to the right since it is easier to bend something over it that way. Bending over a horn pointing left means standing where the anvil already is or bending the body in an uncomfotable way. Incidently I have the square hole to the left. I use a north-swedish anvil. Conical horn and round hole on one side, square horn and square hole on the other.

For the type of anvil most of you guys use it might make sense to have the heel to the right since it is possible to bend around it.

 

Charles. You must be a strong man. I would never be able to put my 250 pound anvil on the side like that. Interesting you call her her. Think I will adopt the idea that anvils are females. In south Europe, there used to be a proverb: "Beat your dog, olive trea and women to get good results".

Cheers

Göte

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I like to work from the heel of the anvil with the horn facing directly away. Much of the hammering is done across and diagonal to the anvil face. That's probably all 'wrong', but it's comfortable, especially when using small stock in a chain hold-down.
A lot depends on the sort of work you do. Set your anvil up to suit you and the work.

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Try it all ways, and decide what is comfortable for you.

 

Im with njanvilman, use it upside down, if it is more comfortable for you! no right or wrong way, just a right or left way, all personal preference, i usually set my anvil to the right or left of my  forge, horn pointing to my left, making an L but then i can go to the far side of the anvil if i want to change directions for workin on the horn, but it makes no differnce if your comfortable working on it.

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I'm still pretty new to the world of smithing and this is a very good question. When I first started I stop behind the metal I was working on which would cause me to have to reach to strike the anvil. Though it doesn't matter which side of the anvil you stand on, it is helpful to know where to stand in relation to your work. A much more experienced blacksmith who I had the honor to meet up with a couple weeks ago gave me a very good tip. You want to stand diagonal to the anvil so you are above your work not behind it. Think of it like you are making a triangle between you, the metal you are working on, and the anvil. That should help you out a ton.

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I'm left handed, ... and work from all positions around the Anvil, ... turning it as needed, ... for convienence.

 

And I never thought about direction, ... but, ... as it so happens, ... mine in most often pointed towards the door, ... in the NORTH end of the building.  :o

 

Coincidence ? ..... or Karma ?

 

 

 

.

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Uh I try to keep the area around mine clear so I can work any orientation without moving the anvil but I move it pretty frequently regardless. Brian Brazeal introduced me to addressing it from the ends and I do that a lot anymore. The horn does have a couple of practical direction issues but I believe they're been well covered already. In short you want the blows from the hammer to direct their energy as perpendicular to the impact site on the anvil as possible. So, being as the horn is tapered a right handed blow with the horn to the left results in a more oblique impact angle (glancing blow) for less effect.

 

Here's a little exercise to help determine comfortable for you. Hold a piece of stock by hand or tong and your hammer. With your eyes closed and arms relatively relaxed place your hammer face on the stock. Remove and replace it a couple times, pretend hammer blows are okay just NEVER air hammer! When you open your eyes with the hammer on the stock you'll see a comfortable angle in relation to your body and arms.

 

Now move over to the anvil and repeat the exercise. (eyes closed now, no cheating!) This little exercise doesn't tell you nearly as much as the first round does, however it will show you how far from and what angle to address the anvil to put the necessary area of the anvil directly under YOUR natural strike zone. With a little experience you don't need to do this for every zone on the anvil though till then it doesn't hurt, just don't burn up your iron in the fire trying to determine the "perfect" position.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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Frosty, what you describe is a lot like "natural point of aim" that I was taught when learning to shoot high power. I also use that same similar natural body position when helping teach guys how to weld. I see a lot of guys who will stand with the piece they want to weld parallel  to their body, but when they weld, they tend to weld on an angle down the piece to their left if right handed. I usually set the stock at something like a 30 deg angle to the way I stand, and show guys how with my eyes closed, my natural motion makes me follow the edge of the stock all the time.

 

I've never really thought about approaching the anvil that way, but it wouldn't at all surprise me if I'm not doing it naturally.

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Stuart - you did not explain how the leverage advantage works with the horn on the left vs. the right. For me, it is more comfortable to hit on the far side of the horn for scrolling etc. with the horn on the right and hammering with right hand)due to the curve of the horn and your natural swing with the right) vs. the horn on the left - because I feel like I'm crossing over the anvil just to hit on the far side of the horn with it on the left and still hitting with my right hand. I know this has been beat down before, I just haven't heard a good reason for the crossover hitting.

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I am still not following what you mean about the sweet spot on the opposite side of the anvil. Next time we are together, you could show me what you are talking about.


Why don't you include a demo of using the anvil "wrong", ie. with the horn to the right, and show why it is not advantageous to have it that way.

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Then you are crossing over during the hitting with your right hand and your left has to crowd to the right to get the angle due to the horn that is curved on the far side.

I will just keep the horn to the right as I'm facing the side of the anvil while working over the horn - works just fine for me. No disrespect.

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