KYBOY

Nice anvil, good anvil ridiculous price..Buy a new Nimba instead. Or a Fontanini(sp?)

Even around here right now you can ask "what do you want for it" Then those dreaded words are next!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Well I saw on ebay they are going for xxx"..........I use ebay and sell on ebay but its getting to where I throw up in my mouth a little when I hear it now. People don't understand that just because someone ask's $1200 for something dosnt mean its worth that much.

Lets say a 100-150 mile radius from you..do you seem to find many anvils,some or almost none? I guess Ill start, in all the years Ive been doing this Id classify my immediate area as anvil poor,blacksmith poor overall to be honest..Ive only found two anvils over 120 pounds and I own both of them..In all honesty I could probably count all the anvils Ive seen for sale on my hands..Ive seen two in the last year both small..A few postvises,very few tongs..No blocks,no cone and only one power hammer ever..There are a few LG's around though all but one came from out of state.

This was with..

Trade paper ads

Almost every weekend with a stop at the two local flea markets

looking at the local trade papers every week..

Talking with people of course..

I have a couple of theorys on this..One is that when people moved into this area most of the time sleds had to be used because wagons cant travel throught the hills and creekbeds..So the lighter the better..also from my research there was few blacksmiths in my area..Just small part time shops that shod horses and worked on a few tools.Some cola mines and railroad stations had good shops when the shop was closed the equipment was either sold as scrap or moved to another shop..According to eye witnesses Ive talked too..

 Well, what about you?

Thanks guys, Ive been using rounding hammers a long time but I have to admit I really like the lines and looks of Brian's styled hammers. There is a lot of aspects in this style of moving metal that we already used in making hawks..

We forged this hammer over the weekend..Not sure of the weight, Id guess about 2 1/2" pounds..Ash handle..

I still have a couple of VHS tapes of that show. He really started out with nothing. That dirt and wheelbarrow forge was great.

Yea, it really showed that you didn't need much to start smithing..I actually like the wheelbarrow forge, big ol' firepot!

Anyone remember forge and anvil with Alan Rogers from back in the mid 90's? I remember it got a lot of guys into smithing, some stayed some didn't..I remember it got me to try a rounding hammer for the first time..

We order all our 1060 for our axes,hawks and adzes from Peerless steel..You'll need to call them but they sell it.

http://www.peerlesssteel.com/

very nice, good job!

Believe it or not I saw a piece of anchor chain here in Easter,Ky at a scrap yard a good deal larger than those in the pic..the stock looked to be about 5 1/2"-6" ..Id say it weighed at least 500 pounds per link..

There was a lot of small saw mills in our area..People don't automatically think of Kentucky as  timber state but there was a thriving timber business in our part of the state,,In the Appalachias..There were small saw mills everywhere at one time..Sadly most of those old blades are gone but Ive managed to rescue about 6 myself, I still have 5 of them..Mom has one and my sister paints them for people..We'er getting ready to make a new forge sign out of half a saw blade(they other half has been turned into blades,LOL..

It does have wood clutch blocks..

My hammer is a early hammer(1904) Im wondering if it was changed to its present configuration or it came that way?

Big haul today!!

I don't know if it helps but heres ours..

Ours has a double V belt pulley on the rear behind the clutch with the motor very low on the right side..Ill post a pic when I get home.

You stole it..I have a arm & hammer myself and its a beautiful and beautifully functional anvil..One side note, its also the loudest anvil Ive ever used..great,great anvils.

Picked up some huge Nicholson rasps and files.Ive been buying these things for years and one is the biggest Ive seen by far..Its about 18" long and a full 3/8' thick..Several other very large files too..Lots of good steel.

yea, we're right dead in the middle of coal country..Some good met. grade coal too..Ak steel got all their coal from this area.

there's an old western I saw once. where a blacksmith needed to find a wife. it was kind of a comedy. but there's one scene where it looks like he's actually forging on a piece of steel. I'm desperately trying to find the title, but am not having any luck so far.

Wasn't that the one with "Hoss" from Bonanza, he played the smith..he mail ordered a bride?

Here in Eastern,Ky you can buy it in five gallon buckets if you want but can often find it for free..I get it from a tiple here locally(in Prestonsburg,Ky) and I can get a full Ton for about $100

Im going to go ahead and add this link..Its to popular woodworking..

http://shopclass.popularwoodworking.com/c-54-all-woodwrights-shop-channel-videos.aspx

yes, they are great..there is a video way back in the second season with Peter Ross and Roy were making a cant hook and a froe..Both of them looked a lot younger :D

This may help, look at the third pic down..Its used to hold two logs together while your hewing or doing other axe work..

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/recreational_trails/publications/fs_publications/99232823/page21.cfm

Hi guys, just thought Id pass it along..I found a website that has all of the older woodwright shop tv episodes..Some of the earlier ones have some good blacksmithing episodes..Several filmed at Williamsburg..You can subscribe or purchase each show individually..I wont post a link until Glen says its ok or not..I have no interest here at all, just thought id pass it along..its a great show all around..If this is not ok Glen please just go ahead and delete this post..Thanks!