I'm still just doing light forging for now, so I don't think a small anvil is a real deal-breaker for me. I don't have a large ball bearing currently (biggest I have is 1/2"), so I'm not sure if the drop test is reliable at that size. The face is a bit pitted, but it has been a military anvil it's whole life. Also, it has a BUNCH of military paint all over it, I didn't have much time to clean it off, so some of the "pits" might be residual paint still. As to the price, it's a no cost kinda thing. It sits in the shop and no one uses it anymore. The boss said he wouldn't miss it if it disappeared.