Bob JS Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I may have an oppertunity to own a Brooks anvil. What do you know about them? I have heared they are good. Just wondering what are the pros, and cons if there are any? Do they ring? (not bothered either way - only if they are meant to I will give it a tap with a hammer to check all is well) All info welcome and appreciated. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aspery Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 30mm or 1 1/4 inch hardy on quite a few models. I have 140lb Brooks anvil (pre Vaughns I think) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob JS Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 140lb is what im looking at - do you like yours? and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 My Vaughans brooks has a 30mm hardy hole. I absolutely love the anvil. Mine is exactly double the size of the one at which you are looking- a 280. If I could bet a little one like a 140 I would definitely take it. Check out Vaughans (Hope Works) - For all your Blacksmith, Foundry, Farrier needs. Now available Ironworkers and Bending machines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce wilcock Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 they are thick at the hanging end ,not good for clevises and forked work the hevier ones are so thick you cant pull a shoe heel out ,we have had a few i think they are clumsy numb lumps ,untill you get to the 4 cwt pluss size then they are better thought out and are a better pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Aspery Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 (edited) 140lb is what im looking at - do you like yours? and why? Very compact. It gives you a lot of re-bound. I don't like a wide face - my preference is for somewhere around 4 inches wide. I like the shape of the bick. I would prefer if it sloped upwards a little like the Swedish patterns but oh well. What I don't like is the placement of the table. Rather than the step being from the face to the table, it goes from the table down to the bick. I use the step a lot for cupping and forming scarfs. I have to use a hardie tool when I use the Brooks - a small price to pay. I must confess that mine is only used when I am away from the forge. I have a Sodafurs as a shop anvil. If the price is reasonable then I would get it. Know that you will have to but Vaughns hardy tools or make your own. (or sleeve the hardy) Edited March 17, 2009 by Mark Aspery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Hello, I bought a Brooks 1.5cwt anvil last year and have no regrets, but - unlike Bruce (very respected professional) - I am a once or twice a week amateur. For general forging you will find no problems AFTER you make the bick properly round! I have not seen a second-hand Brooks with a good round bick, it took me a couple of days with a grinder to get mine spot on - little by very little is the way. Most hardie tools you find will fit it too, and you can sell it on easily when you want to move up a size. Go for it. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob JS Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 (edited) All great info so far, keep it comming. GNJC, do you mean that the bick is not manufactured round, or that the bick on a second hand anvil has usually suffered from use/abuse? Edited March 18, 2009 by Bob JS typos and poor grammar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I'v go a 140 lb-er like you the hardy is a bit big ..I just made a hot hardy to fit it along with a side table like hofi has on his anvil stands I did inlarge the prickeral hole to 1/2" so I could use my other hold downs...the bottom is not ground square on the face of mine a few holes have come through ...the more I hammer in the middle. its one heck of and improvement from the one I started with from Tiwan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I have a 560 lb vaughn brooks that was my main shop anvil untill i got the big anvil to replace it. It is a very nice anvil ( I bought it new ) and have had no complaints. Its not as hard as my big anvil but I would say they are as hard or harder than most. If I could change anything about it I guess it would be the thickness of the heel as it is 3 1/2 inches thick but ive had no problems working around that really Mike Tanner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNJC Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Hi, I can't say that the anvils are produced with a 'flattened' bick; but I can say that I looked at many secondhand Brooks anvils before I bought mine, and they ALL had a flattish bick. I've just looked at the Vaughn's catalogue (go to their website & download the pricelist, amusing reading if you are sitting down) & the anvils in it don't appear to have particularly flat OR round bicks. But, the Brooks style does have a less elongated and more 'throaty' bick anyway. In re' others' comments above, I haven't found the face to be under-hard & have found that it is just soft enough on the edges to make grinding a decent radius there possible. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Thompson Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 I like the way that the catalogue explains what each tool is used for. Would any one really spend the thick end of two grand without knowing that an anvil is used 'for supporting hot metal as it is hammered'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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