Anvil Orientation?

[ofafeather]

Hi, All. I have a single bick anvil and am wondering which way you usually approach it. Does the bick point to the left or right if you're right handed? Also, if you know why that would be great, too.

Thanks!


Eric

[bigfootnampa]

I can't say why but have seen polls on this and it seems that a strong majority orient the horn to point left as they face the anvil to work. I do it that way also. As far as I know there is no common cmmpelling reason for either orientation... just many seem to feel comfortable with it pointing left.

[ThomasPowers]

Well it depends on what you usually do and how you do it!---(which you haven't mentioned.) In my shop I have anvils that point right, left, straight away, straight towards me and on odd occasions *down*!

If you use the bic a lot you may want it to the right to be right under your hammer hand when you face the anvil. If you seldom use it you may want it to the left so your hammer hand is over the sweet spot on the anvil.

Or you could simple get an anvil with no bic or with two bics and sidestep the problem. (most anvils in the world are not london pattern anvils!)

[monstermetal]

The Bick must point to magnetic north under a stained glass window of Hefesto. Each solstice it must be struck three times at exactly midnight..... There shall be only one, Highlander.....

[pkrankow]

Place your feet so your shoulders are about 1/8 turn from the anvil, with your hammer hand over the face and the bick in front of you. Stand up straight, and use the anvil, preferably with hot metal between the hammer and anvil. If you are working using the heel go to the other side of the anvil, and the bick will be pointing behind you.

Phil

[ofafeather]

Well it depends on what you usually do and how you do it!---(which you haven't mentioned.) In my shop I have anvils that point right, left, straight away, straight towards me and on odd occasions *down*!

If you use the bic a lot you may want it to the right to be right under your hammer hand when you face the anvil. If you seldom use it you may want it to the left so your hammer hand is over the sweet spot on the anvil.

Or you could simple get an anvil with no bic or with two bics and sidestep the problem. (most anvils in the world are not london pattern anvils!)

I have only one anvil. The edges aren't great except on the heel area. I use the bick quite a bit and am right handed. I've had the bick pointing to the right. Maybe I'll try it to the left. It's on a stump and easy enough to move.

The Bick must point to magnetic north under a stained glass window of Hefesto. Each solstice it must be struck three times at exactly midnight..... There shall be only one, Highlander.....

So that's what I've been doing wrong!. I've been oriented to true north under St. George and the Dragon!

What's the "bick" deal anyway? :rolleyes:

[John B]

I have only one anvil. The edges aren't great except on the heel area. I use the bick quite a bit and am right handed. I've had the bick pointing to the right. Maybe I'll try it to the left. It's on a stump and easy enough to move.

If you do, Just remember NEVER to leave the hardie in after using it or you will lose digits.

There is no right or wrong way for the anvil to face, use it to get your best results.

[ofafeather]

If you do, Just remember NEVER to leave the hardie in after using it or you will lose digits.

There is no right or wrong way for the anvil to face, use it to get your best results.

Yeah, that's one thing I always make sure of!

[Timothy Miller]

I have a don't ask don't tell policy about the orientation of my anvils.

[edge9001]

The Bick must point to magnetic north under a stained glass window of Hefesto. Each solstice it must be struck three times at exactly midnight..... There shall be only one, Highlander.....

Hephaestus was a craftsman and the weapons master of the gods. so a stained glass window would have been appropriate. as for striking the anvil three times at midnight on the solstace...? I don't know but I dont see the potential abuse of tools as honoring anyone. instead of the bick facing magnetic north, it would have been north west. to honor this god the lighting of a fire in our case the forge would have been sufficient to show the proper homage to Hephaestus.

another interestng fact about the great god of the forge: "One of Hephaestus’ most skillful pieces was the first woman; he made her when Zeus was angry at men for stealing fire from the gods and their punishment was to have women on the Earth. "

[Mainely,Bob]

The Bick must point to magnetic north under a stained glass window of Hefesto. Each solstice it must be struck three times at exactly midnight..... There shall be only one, Highlander.....

You forgot the token sacrifice to Dagda, and the drinking of mead from the horn emblazoned with the sign of Brihgid the God and Goddess of the forge there Larry.
What good is the anvil if the fire goes out?

"Thru Will,Focus and Intent our visions are made manifest".
So mote it be.

[ThomasPowers]

I don't have a horn with Brihgid; but I do have a horn with Weiland (Wayland) carved into it and have drunk mead from it...but Saint Dunstan is more my line

"St Dunstan, as the story goes, Once pull'd the devil by the nose. With red-hot tongs, which made him roar, That he was heard three miles or more."

[youngdylan]

What works for you .... but as I'm right handed I prefer the bick on my left as I look at the anvil, same side as my tong hand. Its easier to move the work over to the bick (horn) to use it as a fuller and then quickly move it back onto the face without moving yourself around too much. All swapped over for "lefties"


.... oh and don't forget to slaughter a chicken under every full full moon, the anvil won't work properly other wise

[edge9001]

You forgot the token sacrifice to Dagda, and the drinking of mead from the horn emblazoned with the sign of Brihgid the God and Goddess of the forge there Larry.
What good is the anvil if the fire goes out?

"Thru Will,Focus and Intent our visions are made manifest".
So mote it be.

blessed be,

an simple answer to this question is given by a quote from one of my favorite authors, scott cunningham, "the way is open. The ancient gods and goddesses await within and around you. may they bless you with their wisdom and power"

I've found this quote seems to answer many of lifes little questions, as well as those posed by smithing. the old ways are still alive, so just find what works for you and go with it. it you feel the anvil needs to face to the left, then do it. if you find facing right more useful then go for it. if for some unknown reason you have found hanging the anvil from the rafters upside down works best, then we will all laugh, but go for it.

[Mainely,Bob]

I don't have a horn with Brihgid; but I do have a horn with Weiland (Wayland) carved into it and have drunk mead from it...but Saint Dunstan is more my line

"St Dunstan, as the story goes, Once pull'd the devil by the nose. With red-hot tongs, which made him roar, That he was heard three miles or more."

That would be Weiland of Wayland Smithy fame then,yes?

Being of Irish blood I have been known to tweak my fellow Pagans by wishing them a happy Saint Patrick`s day.

St Dunstan,isn`t he the guy you bury head down when you want to sell your house,or is that St Bernard? ;)

[Sask Mark]

Being of Irish blood I have been known to tweak my fellow Pagans by wishing them a happy Saint Patrick`s day.

God bless the Pagans!

Credits to Homer Simpson for that one...

[thecelticforge]

Or you could simple get an anvil with no bic or with two bics and sidestep the problem. (most anvils in the world are not london pattern anvils!)

Mine is on the left, but I have plenty of room around it so I am constantly using both sides. I will use the far side (bic on the right) especially if I am working larger pieces of metal that I have to move with the crane.

[Mainely,Bob]

.... oh and don't forget to slaughter a chicken under every full full moon, the anvil won't work properly other wise

Actually,you only slaughter the chicken in the first fifteen minutes AFTER the full moon(waning moon power) and that only works to banish Frank Perdue from your shop(that man even looked like a chicken didn`t he?).
After you use the chicken`s blood to make a potion and the feathers to make a mask to go with your tin foil hat you can roast what`s left over the forge and invoke the spirit of the chicken in order to forge leaves on your northwest facing anvil for your vegan girlfriend who will not allow dead animal flesh of any kind into the house.
If she freaks out about your new mask just look her in the eye and say"How do I get out of this chicken outfit?".Keeping a straight face is the hard part.
Remember to duck.Ex #3 was the pacifist,the present one`s not against cutting up humans,just animals.No,the mask won`t help you now.Even if you cluck like a chicken your goose will still be cooked.
We tried to warn you about forging that ceremonial sword for her but would you listen?Noooo...
Better luck in the next incarnation there Merlin!

[youngdylan]

Remember to duck

Remember to duck ..... or was that remember THE duck (for lunar eclipses)

[njanvilman]

Right or left....the answer is....YES. Try both ways and see which way works for you. Easy.

[Frank Turley]

Creatures of habit. I started out in the olden days as a right-handed farrier, and we kept the anvil horn to the left. We were using the horn a lot for turning and bending shoes. The tong hand was on the left as was the horn, so it seemed more comfortable that way.

As a blacksmith, I still work that way most of the time. I have visited a number of old time shops where the horn was on the right. One old right-handed smith told me he liked the horn on the right, so he could leave the hardie in its hole without worrying about removing it (considering loss of digits).

[double_edge2]

i need the hardy backstop in and i hit with my right hand against the stop with hammers, and i taper on the horn, so the horn is usually on the right.
a qualified blacksmith type bloke came to the club and said that the non qualified artist blacksmith types had the bick to the right and a "blacksmith",,, had it to the left, and turned it to the left. i teach the habit, never leave a hardy tool in either way. but with the horn to the right, there is less chance of this accident happening with a right handed person. the tool merely becomes a hinderance to be removed, rather than, a removing hinderance. I like the anvil horn to the right mostly, and do move it to suit a job.

[Mainely,Bob]

Seriously,do what fits you.That`s what all the rest of us are doing.
Think about the type of work you want to do and then set the anvil so you have easiest access to the parts you will be using most.
I don`t bolt or otherwise anchor my anvil stump or stand down so I can turn it to face things the way I need them to be for the job at hand.
When folks come into my shop and start changing things around without asking first I do one of two things.I either stop them and ask them to respect the way I work or let them carry on and then make plans to go and visit them so I can re-arrange THEIR shop to MY liking.
Once again my approach to them depends on the situation and work at hand.

The hard and fast rules that trump all others are common sense and situational awareness.

[MattBower]

Hi, All. I have a single bick anvil and am wondering which way you usually approach it. Does the bick point to the left or right if you're right handed? Also, if you know why that would be great, too.

Thanks!


Eric

I usually have the horn pointing to my left. (I'm right-handed.) As to why, that's an interesting question. I've never really thought about it much; it just seems more comfortable that way. But if I'm being honest, now that I think about it, it just might have something to with the fact that if I stand with the horn to my right, the point of the horn tends to end up near my crotch -- especially if I'm actually forging on the horn. May seem silly, and it probably is, but on some subconscious level I think that bugs me a little.

[ThomasPowers]

Well not too many folks switch around the 515# anvil mounted to the 8' long timber baulk in my shop; but I tell folks visiting to move things to suit themselves and then replace when done. Safer if they are using what they are accustomed to!

OTOH my anvil has a hardy hole at either end and so tooling could be at either end.

I've seen quite a few "one book wonders" tell me that the anvil *must* be set level with the knuckles and as I tend to do blades and not stuff using large hammers or top tools I tell them that the higher anvils help my back as I'm not crouching over to work. Also I have an uncle with very short legs and extremely long torso and he's a living indication that one rule does not cover everyone!