Dan P.

Sure it can be said to look like a pig, but "pig anvil" is not a style, like "London Pattern" or "Styrian Pattern". "Pig anvil" is an internet term; This type of anvil was never marketed as a "pig anvil" by its manufacturers, and in its country of origin the majority of anvils look this way, and they are just called "anvils".

I want to add; remembering that this is about sheet metal work; It's murder on the hands anyway, but I've found that going with the heaviest possible hammer feasable for the task at hand helps cut down on the number of blows needed, talking about sheet metal here. Also, I've found few things more knackering to the hands than using snips for any length of time, and also the amount of cold bending you do with sheet is hard on the hands too. So, I think sore hands is probably normal. It's the pain in the wrist, forearm, elbow and shoulder that are a greater concern.

It seems that traditional Chinese anvils hve very convex faces. Also there is an old make of French anvil "Hulot Harmel" which have a hump where the horn melds into the body. I always thought it looked good for forging. PS I've also fluffed many a fire weld in a dished anvil face!

Leighton I have sent you a PM

That anvil is not known as a "pig anvil" anywhere but on iforgeiron. It is simply a French anvil, descended from the so-called church-window continental European anvils. It is a style of anvil you will find often around Thiers, as it is a couteliers anvil, probably also used by taillandiers also, but mainly by couteliers. The many hardy holes take the place of the "gates" seen in Sheffield anvils, though you see these French anvils with gates as well.

Three things that to me are the kiss o' death; 1. Death grip. Don't do it. 2. Raising a weighty hammer from the wrist. Use your elbow & shoulder. An extended forefinger along the handle will help spread the weight out when lifting the hammer (my opinion only). 3. Elbow out. Keep that elbow IN! Did you ever see a derby winner running with its elbows out? No. As has been said, everything else is personal preference; Hammer weight, handle shape, etc., with the caveat that one should probably start low, i.e. 2lbs. Slow and steady wins the race.

Japanese strap hammers are really just slightly wobbly versions of European hammers. Round and round it goes. The pizza effect, I believe it's called.

Gumtree? Loot? Depending on where you live, go down to that skanky end of town where all the mechanics and chop-shops are and ask around. I used to have a workshop in such a place, pretty cheap. Where I live now there are quite a few rural industrial parks/trading estates, collections of old farm buildings and newer units. I never knew thay had such things in the country. The trick is to ask around because people in such places quite often do a lot of hopping from one unit to another as people move away, expand, go bust etc. so it's good to speak to tenants who might know of units which will soon be coming up empty.

Looks like a Brooks, though not necessarily a "great" anvil. The lack of maker's name and newish appearance might suggest and immediate post-war "emergency" type casting, of which I have owned one, which was not a good casting, though a perfectly functional anvil.

I've seen similar bicks used for shaping the loops on scissors. Shears in particular have that concave formation on the loops. Hard to describe. Tailors' shears.

Can you feel my envy crackling across the electronic aether? Nice score, glad to see it go to a loving home, unlike the last one!

Wierd looking tapers are you, not the anvil. Leave the anvil be. If you need a super square edge, make a hardy with super square edges.

I see. The welding on the actual crack looks a lot like gas welding. I presumed the rest was too, except the blobs that some plonker has left using the anvil as a welding table.

A specific answer; Start your fire-welding career welding mild steel to mild steel, as already suggested. Do not worry about flux at this point. If you are making damascus for knives, forge a number of mild steel knife shapes before reaching for damascus, or even plain steel. When you feel you are ready, the go get some flux. Work slowly toward your goal. Know your materials. You have the time to become good. Why rush to become mediocre or, more likely, not very good or even bad?

My main anvil is on an elm stump that goes about 18" into the ground, which is a sort of historical "golden standard" for anvil stumps. I like it a lot. It's certainly stable! Moving it of course is not an option. Practically speaking a steel tripod is something I have forged on in the past and found to be a very good solution, light and strong, though to look at nothing beats a good big wood stump.

Looks like gas welding. Not easy to weld little to big with gas!

I think they're very handsome. I'm interested in how the "forked fishtail" scrolls are the same size stock as the apparent parent bar. I'm presuming there is a weld in there. I love to look at old andirons, no two sets seem to be made in quite the same way!

Letting out the air has been said to work. I've no idea if that's true or not. Taking a disk cutter to them only works if you are absolutely sure that there is no evidence left behind... of anything... at all. Make sure it is all gone-e-gones & entirely bye-bye. That is the weakness of the clamp, why they are not as popular as they once were. With a ticket, all you need is a photo. With a clamp, you also need a compliant victim.

I'd be interested to know the uk regulations on this. I don't know about clamping, the last time I was doing anythig in parking restricted zones was London, and they don't seem to be into clamping too much there. Now, parking tickets on the other hand! Whoo boy! I'm not sure if I wouldn't prefer the clamps, at least those can be dealt with (by the psychotically stubborn).

​ How can he google it when he doesn't know what it is??

PS I don't know if they do bright rolled m/s, and they require you to open an account.

Best prices I've gotten for mild was direct from TATA, who see fit to undercut their own local stockholders? I don't know if they have a limited catchment area though (S. West/ S.Wales?).

I too am interested in the contents of that book. Ordering copies from BSI is crazy expensive.

​ Separate from your other rasps. In my workshop we use such things as rasps, files, setsquares and tongs to stir our tea, knowing that the only contaminants we might be exposing ourselves to are nitric acid, ferric chloride, WD40, excelquench, dust, dirt, germs or poo (mouse, bird, hedgehog or bug), NOT the toenail clippings or footshavings of our fellow man (or woman).

I just ragged some giant spikes (10mm square with a good taper) and walloped them in good on the end grain, and she is sound as a pound. I put a few sheets of lead underneath to kill any ring, and the only sound made is a good solid thump. My stump goes about 18" into the ground, which means that if my wife is home she can tell if I'm working or not (forge is attached to the house).