New Anvils

[bajajoaquin]

I've been looking locally for used anvils, but have not so far had any luck finding one used (a 175 PW look-alike got away last week, and it was the only one I have seen for sale in my area in a year). So I'm considering buying new.

There's lots of discussion about PW, Hay Budden, and other old names. But other than the thread by the member who bought a Fontanini, I don't see much about the new options available. Based on the name, I'm assuming that Peddinghaus anvils are quite nice. I think I've read good things about the Nimba anvils, but I don't recall. Going further down the price scale, I came across the anvils for sale at Old World Anvils. They have two options available in the 200+ pound range for about $1100.

(And I'm not forgetting the TFS anvils and all the rest. I just don't know how to rate or rank them all.)

I'm a beginning smith, but I also don't want to be buying a new anvil twice. I'm thinking about something 175-250 pounds will be a good long-term option. Any comments on quality versus cost in new anvils?

[Harley]

If I was in the market for a NEW anvil (based on what I have heard from thoes who have bought new)I would go with either. Peddinghaus, Nimba (450lb), Rat Hole Forge, or Refflinghaus. Not sure if Refflinghaus is still being made.
I am currently useing a 289lb PW ........it is very nice but! if I had the $$ , Nimba is the way I would go.
Just my $0.02.
Harley

[Glenn]

I've been looking locally for used anvils, but have not so far had any luck finding one used

One of the reasons may be that you did not give your location. Where is locally and now far are you willing to travel for an anvil?

[bajajoaquin]

One of the reasons may be that you did not give your location. Where is locally and now far are you willing to travel for an anvil?

I'm in San Diego.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not giving up on the used anvil search, but I want to explore used and new options.

I figure I can make my own forge and many of the tools for a home smithy, but the anvil I have to purchase. While I'd prefer to get a good buy on a used anvil in good shape, I'm not counting out buying one.

I'm also looking at steel drops and other things for a starter anvil, but that's another thread!

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

There is already a lot of thread on making anvils from various scrap. It is a valid option.

The community college I went to had patterns for making an anvil out of thick plate. We had a bit of 1", 1.5", and 2" plate, so all you did was put the plate on the burn table, and use the pattern torch to cut the various pieces. Then it was off to the welding bench to stack, and weld. We were running .0625" Innershield, so it didn't take that long to buzz one up when you are laying beads down as big as you thumb. The top was a chunk of dozer blade, or whatever you could scrounge up. Price, 10 cents a pound for the metal, and the wire/rod was included in the class tuition

I have among my anvils a 125# JHM Journeyman that I got from a farrier. Has more of a smithing profile than some do. It also has the turning cams on the back which could come in handy at times. Doesn't seem to be a bad unit. As soon as i get a stump cut I will be putting the 260# Fisher back to use, much quieter. My tinnitus is bad enough I wear ear plugs constantly now.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Don't just look at ads, get asking around. You would be surprised what can show up when people know you are looking for.

[Pac]

I'm in San Diego.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not giving up on the used anvil search, but I want to explore used and new options.

I figure I can make my own forge and many of the tools for a home smithy, but the anvil I have to purchase. While I'd prefer to get a good buy on a used anvil in good shape, I'm not counting out buying one.

I'm also looking at steel drops and other things for a starter anvil, but that's another thread!

That anvil was more than likely an older style Hay Budden, I might have been the guy that called before you. I was told by the wife I have first chance because I responded first, so I could take my time and go when I could. The wife was at home but the anvil was at the other house where the husband is working. I have two lil guys in diapers so it takes awhile to load them up. By the time I loaded them up, I was so excited I forgot to get the cash. I went back got the cash, then made a few more wrong turns and all that. By the time I got there, the husband had his hands up and shaking his head which means it was gone. Apparently now the story is somebody came by a couple days ago to look at it. He left it to do research on it. I was on the phone with the wife less than an hour ago, and by the time I get there this mystery guy comes back and the husband sells it to that guy knowing i'm already on my way. A 170lb HB for 300 is a rarity out here, so congrats to the new owner but wish he would have said something the day before. Had I known this would be a race I would have declined the day before, and maybe you could have gotten there before the other guy. Oh well, I took this as I have priorities to take care of first.

Anyways, if you're not far from Murphy Canyon I have some railroad rail you can borrow and a couple pieces of Grand Waggoneer leaf springs you can have.

Dave

[bajajoaquin]

A 170lb HB for 300 is a rarity out here.....

Anyways, if you're not far from Murphy Canyon I have some railroad rail you can borrow and a couple pieces of Grand Waggoneer leaf springs you can have.

Dave

Dave,

Thanks. I'm in OB, and may take you up on that later. I'm not feeling really urgent now, since I have a few things to square away at the house before I can put in a smithy.

But I guess my original question still stands. What are the opinions about the new anvils that are available? I'm sure that the differences in prices relate to quality, but what are the trade-offs between the different makers available today?

[Pac]

Dave,

Thanks. I'm in OB, and may take you up on that later. I'm not feeling really urgent now, since I have a few things to square away at the house before I can put in a smithy.

But I guess my original question still stands. What are the opinions about the new anvils that are available? I'm sure that the differences in prices relate to quality, but what are the trade-offs between the different makers available today?

You could get in contact with David Browne, he has a Nimba in his shop and he's not too far if you wanted to see one in person...

[K. Bryan Morgan]

I can only speak about my experience with Rhino anvils at Incandescent Ironworks. I got the 242# Papa Rhino, and I couldn't be happier. It's a real good anvil. The price was, I thought reasonable, $950, I don't know what they are selling for now. And they worked real hard to get me the best shipping price for me to Alaska. Which you can imagine is usually a pain. So for a total of about $1250 I got a 242# anvil that has a good hard face, and excellent cone, well heck here I'll post a pic of it. Anyway, I am very happy with it. If you didn't get that impression yet. Anvils in Alaska are very close to impossible to find. I found 3. One was a 110# Russian ASO, RR rail, which is good, I started with one and still use it for small things, and the other was a real big 330# that was in Juneau, and thats a land locked town. Ship or plane only... shipping would have been huge, well over a grand for that much weight. So, I chose the Rhino. Hope you have good luck finding one. I know my search was long and painstaking.

[Bluemamoo]

Well, I have to say I feel your pain, but I recently got lucky myself. I had been hunting for an anvil for about 3 months and all I had scored was a piece of shaped RR track. This weekend the wife and I went to a huge flea market. While I was looking at old horse shoes and RR spikes she was looking at furniture and other odds and ends. Ended up finding 4 different anvils and 5 post vices. Only 2 of the anvils had decent faces, and one didn't ring any bells for something I would recognize. Ended up bring home an 81# anvil and a bunch of hammers and small scrap metal. Next day I was feeling pretty pleased with myself when I got a call back from a women I had contacted over a month ago about an anvil. Ended up she had a bunch of no shows........ so I scored a 145# anvil (think it's a mouse hole). GREAT WEEKEND!!

Next on the list:
-Swage block
-Anvil stand
-Shed to put it all in


Anyway...... don't give up hope. I recommend using craiglist search engines like "Craiglook" or "Craigsearch" to search all of the surrounding areas. Find out where the large flea markets are in your part of the state. Don't be afraid to drive a little to get there. I put over 1K miles on my little truck this weekend between the flea market and the private owner.



Best of luck!!!

Blue

[Iron Clad]

My Nimba has been a great anvil. I would recommend it to anyone. They are expensive but worth the money I believe.

http://ironclad.shutterfly.com/44

[Fe-Wood]

Just to further complicate your search, I will through in my vote for the rat hole forge anvil. I have worked on the larger of the two he offers and its a great anvil although a bit loud in the ring department. For the price I think it is the best deal out there AND its made in the USA....Always a good thing :P

[Glenn]

There is a 100# anvil in Hemet.

You may want to contact Jymm Hoffman, IFI member and look at his anvils made from H13 and heat treated to Rockwell C 50-55.

[philip in china]

I would second what Bryan said about the Rhino. For the price I doubt if they can be beaten. They are very hard but there is no brittleness in them. I presume that that is because they are an alloy steel. I have a Bubba Rhino for striking. What my students lack in accuracy they make up for in enthusiasm so yes it has got marked a little bit but there isn't a chip out of it. I am sure most anvils would be carrying far more battle scars by this stage if they had had that sort of treatment!

[Bentiron1946]

Check out Jim Keith in Tucumcari, NM http://www.internetcommerce.com/isapi/EVisions.isa?SF_ProdDescription('JHM260')&EvApp=sf.2504 :blink:

[bajajoaquin]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Let me say again: I'm not giving up on looking for a used anvil, or looking at other alternatives (drops, fork lift forks, RR track, etc.). I just want to know what people think of different brands of new anvils.

Let me put the question another way: What do you look for in an anvil? The things I can see are weight, construction, face hardness, and layout. There's a lot of discussion about the condition of used anvils, but I haven't read a whole lot about the things you would consider when buying new. If someone is going to spend somewhere between $1200 and $2000, how is that money best spent?

It seems like most new anvils are RC52 or so, with some as low as RC50, and one or two as high as RC58. My understanding is that old anvils were generally harder than new ones. How much does that matter in practice? Does it help change the decision between new and old? If you could choose the hardness of an anvil, what would it be, and how much would you pay for it? Would you trad the ideal shape with lower hardness for a layout you didn't like as much but a harder face?

For something that seems as simple as a lump of iron, there are several layers of complexity. I'm just trying to understand some of it.

Thanks again.

[bajajoaquin]

There is a 100# anvil in Hemet.

You may want to contact Jymm Hoffman, IFI member and look at his anvils made from H13 and heat treated to Rockwell C 50-55.

I saw that guy's anvil, and have spoken with him (he's also got a post vise). I think I'm looking for something bigger. He's also got an ad for a 477 pound anvil, and he's trying to get documentation that will show it's worth thousands. If I'm going to "make do" with something smaller, I want to spend a lot less on a "non-anvil" and keep shopping.

[Iron Clad]

As far as what to look for, I like the double horn anvils, very versatile. And of course, large, lot's of mass. Also, I like a wide face. These are just my personal choices and that's why I chose the Nimba.

[BlackSmithBear]

There is already a lot of thread on making anvils from various scrap. It is a valid option.

The community college I went to had patterns for making an anvil out of thick plate. We had a bit of 1", 1.5", and 2" plate, so all you did was put the plate on the burn table, and use the pattern torch to cut the various pieces. Then it was off to the welding bench to stack, and weld. We were running .0625" Innershield, so it didn't take that long to buzz one up when you are laying beads down as big as you thumb. The top was a chunk of dozer blade, or whatever you could scrounge up. Price, 10 cents a pound for the metal, and the wire/rod was included in the class tuition

I have among my anvils a 125# JHM Journeyman that I got from a farrier. Has more of a smithing profile than some do. It also has the turning cams on the back which could come in handy at times. Doesn't seem to be a bad unit. As soon as i get a stump cut I will be putting the 260# Fisher back to use, much quieter. My tinnitus is bad enough I wear ear plugs constantly now.

Do the earplugs help you? I have had tinnitis for a long time, even wearing ear protectors at work it didn't seem to make a difference as far as the tinnitis went.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I don't believe that there is a cut, and dried answer for you. Anvils are like cars, and trucks. Some are better suited for certain applications. Depending on what type of smithing you want to do will determine what anvil you should look at. A knife maker really doesn't need a 400# anvil, same as a large sculptural smith wouldn't have much need for a 80# farrier's anvil with cams.

I have never used a double horn anvil, but I can see where it could be a useful design.

Hey BlackSmithBear, as to earplugs helping my tinnitus. They help it from the standpoint of not getting worse, not quieting it down as I hear it. Once you have ringing it is permanent, with no cure as of yet. There is some research using chicken genes, because they can regenerate the damaged cilia in their ears. When I worked at the Jelly Belly Candy Co. we had to have annual hearing tests. I wish I knew years ago what I know now about hearing loss. The foam earplugs I wear now have a NRR of 33. Sound can also be transmitted through the skull, so in some circumstances it takes plugs, and muffs to do the job. If it is an area with 120dB, using 30NRR plugs will drop it down to 90dB which is still high for extended time periods. An easy way to determine if you need protection is if someone has to raise their voice so you can hear them from 2' away. Since I have moved here, and frequent Las Vegas, my tinnitus has gotten worse. I now carry foam plugs with me at all times, and have used them in bars, clubs, parties, and other events. Listening to this constant tone in my head can be very disturbing at times :blink: