January 27, 201016 yr Could anyone offer any advice on purchasing a new anvil with regards to model/brand. Thank-you in advance
January 27, 201016 yr Author Thomas is there any particular reason/s for the choice. Thank-you for the reply, I have sent an e-mail to Nimba requesting more info. Cheers
January 27, 201016 yr Their design maximizes the "mass under the hammer", it's stylish, they use a good alloy and their quality is skyhigh. However it's a top of the line anvil and may not be what you are looking to start out with!
January 28, 201016 yr Author I checked out their site, impressive to say the least. I totally understand the "lust" you speak of. I'll await more suggestions from others if available and a reply from Nimba. It's so hard, almost impossible to find a decent anvil in my neck of the woods, I have employed your methods of "searching" also. Thanks again for your help Thomas.
January 28, 201016 yr I own a Nimba "Gladiator" and it was my first anvil shaped anvil. (I used re-purposed forklift forks to start.)I had been advised to get the the heaviest I could afford. I love the Gladiator for a lot of my work, But at times the face is too wide. Yes , you can use the the flat horn for narrower sections but I often jump to my 90# Trenton.I really like the look of Mr. Hofi's anvil and would lean that way if I would have had more experience.BTW my brief moment of more money than sense has passed. Johnny
January 28, 201016 yr My vote is also for Nimba, if your gonna spend the $$$ for a new anvil then might as well get the best and also go with the biggest you can afford and keep your eyes out for a smaller one if needed, it's a lot easier to find a 100#er for a fair price than it is to find a 300#er, alot of times you can find small ones laying around in someone's barn or shed and they will give it to you. welder19
January 28, 201016 yr My advice to newbies is find you a real anvil and see if ya gonna stick with smithing. Why spend a grand or two then say it's not for me. Or worse say I have so much invested I just have to do it. If ya have money to burn go for it. I am very happy with my 5 anvils 194 lb Trenton 142 lb and 88lb Hay Buddens 60 lb fisher and a 37 lb track anvil I built. All for less than $650. Do we buy a $150K car for our first? Ken
January 28, 201016 yr If you want a very versatile anvil that does not take up a lot of space and support IForge, then take a look at this: http://www.iforgeiron.com/index.php?app=gallery&module=images§ion=viewimage&img=23685
January 28, 201016 yr If you're going to spend the money on a new anvil I would go with either the Hoffman or a Nimba in the same size. A 110lb anvil on a 100-200lb base would be a very serviceable unit and likely hold or increase its value as long as you take care of it.(that means NO GRINDING ON IT)
January 28, 201016 yr The Hoffman looks good and priced right. There was also a company making anvils called rathole. If you google it I think it comes up but they changed their name. I really liked the look of the rathole.
January 28, 201016 yr I have A 560 lb vaughn brooks 500 lb euroanvil 500 lb haberman Nimba gladiator One each of Hoffmans 1245 lb refflinghaus They were all purchased new except for the haberman which had only been used for demonstratons at the ABANA conference in Kentucky by haberman. None of them were reasonably priced according to a lot of smiths except maybe for the euroanvil. They are all top quality anvils It all boils down to the style and weight that you like and the size and style work that you are going to be using it for. You can do small work on a large anvil most of the time easier than you can do large work on a small anvil. I also have and have used large and small ( peter Wrights, haybuddens, mousehole,fisher,mankle,TFS,JHM and a few others that I cant think of right now. If I could only keep one it would be one of the Refflinghaus anvils. My favorite is the big Refflinghaus. There are a bunch of brands of new anvils out there and with the advancement of the metalurgy they are arguably better anvils than the older ones. I would rather pay too much for something that I really want than to get a good deal on something that I really dont want. Check out Blacksmith Depot Blacksmith Supply Centaur Forge Shady Grove Blacksmith shop Hoffmans Website All of them sell anvils and there are many more that can be found with an internet search. Mike Tanner
January 28, 201016 yr Author I thank you gentlemen for all your input, now I must do my homework as it were. If anyone else has suggestions please don't hesitate to post. Regards William
January 29, 201016 yr Peddinghaus. A couple of different factories using the same name, but apparently all forged steel. My #12 is 125kg or 275#. I've not used it enough to really say if it has any problems.
January 29, 201016 yr I have A 560 lb vaughn brooks 500 lb euroanvil 500 lb haberman Nimba gladiator One each of Hoffmans 1245 lb refflinghaus They were all purchased new except for the haberman which had only been used for demonstratons at the ABANA conference in Kentucky by haberman. None of them were reasonably priced according to a lot of smiths except maybe for the euroanvil. They are all top quality anvils It all boils down to the style and weight that you like and the size and style work that you are going to be using it for. You can do small work on a large anvil most of the time easier than you can do large work on a small anvil. I also have and have used large and small ( peter Wrights, haybuddens, mousehole,fisher,mankle,TFS,JHM and a few others that I cant think of right now. If I could only keep one it would be one of the Refflinghaus anvils. My favorite is the big Refflinghaus. There are a bunch of brands of new anvils out there and with the advancement of the metalurgy they are arguably better anvils than the older ones. I would rather pay too much for something that I really want than to get a good deal on something that I really dont want. Check out Blacksmith Depot Blacksmith Supply Centaur Forge Shady Grove Blacksmith shop Hoffmans Website All of them sell anvils and there are many more that can be found with an internet search. Mike Tanner How could you have a 1200 lb anvil and not say it was your favorite!! I own a Nimba Gladiator as well and although it is a fine anvil If I could only have one I think I would rather have a traditional London pattern... or a smaller Nimba maybe... As others have said I find often the face of the Gladiator to wide... I go to my 350 lb Trenton or 170 lb Hay Budden... Its a tough call... any anvil you use will have its strong and weak points.... Find a good solid working anvil and use it for a bit and figure out what you like about it...
January 29, 201016 yr Check out the this site: http://www.fontaninianvilandtool.com/http___www.fontaninianvilandtool.com/Welcome.html Steve makes a great anvil Glenn
January 29, 201016 yr I have multiple anvils around my forge as some are better than others for specific things---my 515# Fisher gets most of the heavy hammering and is nice and quiet, however it's heel is way to thick for fork work! So the 93# A&H with it's "razor" thin heel is handy for that ---I know I know I should build a bridge tool for the Fisher's hardy but at 1.5" it's a job and I like using my travel anvil's heel---I'm used to it. Students usually work on the HB as they are unlikely to damage it and I'm polishing out the fine pitting on it's face with scale and so get them to contribute to the cause. For medieval demo's I have both a T stake anvil of about 75# and a lovely "cube" anvil with mounting stake. I know some folks get by with just one anvil and I admire them for it all the while reveling in my abundance!
January 29, 201016 yr I use a 260# JHM Competitor. It is a great anvil. I do have to admit my want for a European style anvil with a tapered heel. I have seen guys use that a lot and do a lot with it that I cannot do on my london pattern. One day I would like to use a 330# refflinghaus. I work in Mike's shop and see his big one used, and have spoken with Dick about this brand. I am under the opinion that this is the Rolls Royce of anvils and aspire to save up enough to get one some day! http://www.blksmth.com/330_lb_58_2.htm Peyton
January 29, 201016 yr I know some folks get by with just one anvil and I admire them for it all the while reveling in my abundance! Truer words have never been spoken!
January 29, 201016 yr There are a lot of very good new anvils being made these days. And, after tons of research and thinking, I have decided to get the Texas Farrier Supply 200# blacksmithing anvil. It's a basic english pattern anvil. For the price, plus shipping, plus my ability to pick up that much weight. I am gonna get that one. http://texasfarriersupply.com/proddetail.php?prod=anvblacksmith200%23&cat=41 If anvils were easier to find here I would get a used one but after almost 6 mo. of hunting and no luck...time to get new.
January 29, 201016 yr I have A 560 lb vaughn brooks 500 lb euroanvil 500 lb haberman Nimba gladiator One each of Hoffmans 1245 lb refflinghaus They were all purchased new except for the haberman which had only been used for demonstratons at the ABANA conference in Kentucky by haberman. None of them were reasonably priced according to a lot of smiths except maybe for the euroanvil. They are all top quality anvils It all boils down to the style and weight that you like and the size and style work that you are going to be using it for. You can do small work on a large anvil most of the time easier than you can do large work on a small anvil. I also have and have used large and small ( peter Wrights, haybuddens, mousehole,fisher,mankle,TFS,JHM and a few others that I cant think of right now. If I could only keep one it would be one of the Refflinghaus anvils. My favorite is the big Refflinghaus. There are a bunch of brands of new anvils out there and with the advancement of the metalurgy they are arguably better anvils than the older ones. I would rather pay too much for something that I really want than to get a good deal on something that I really dont want. Check out Blacksmith Depot Blacksmith Supply Centaur Forge Shady Grove Blacksmith shop Hoffmans Website All of them sell anvils and there are many more that can be found with an internet search. Mike Tanner Mike, Is it your favorite because of the the cup holder or despite it? Brian
January 29, 201016 yr My forge has a can holder, very helpful when you need to cool the ends of chisels and punches! Generally I don't use a cup around the forge---I prefer a lidded stein as it keeps the wandering stuff out of my drink---including bees and wasps!
January 30, 201016 yr There is an Emerson 150# on Craigslist for $300. I have found very little about them. Any opinions? There was a pic posted last month and it looked almost brand new. Phil
January 30, 201016 yr Newbie: some good advice here so far. If you can find someone willing, ask to use their anvil to gauge your needs. Going to meetings is a great way to do this. A Nimba is different than a Euro is different than one of Hoffman's, and each user will tell you that they favor theirs because of practice with that tool, and importantly, the technique that they brought with them when they began using it. Someone said earlier that Nimbas put the most mass under the face... but the squat design leads me to think otherwise (still a great anvil, statement just seems counterintuitive) weight, face width, horn shape (cone or curve), face hardness, and hardy size are some of the most important considerations when looking at these different brands. Everything else is really optional and will depend on your willingness to spend, as well as the technique that you already have/wish to develop.
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