Hello all,

I have an opportunity to buy a 200 lb grizzly anvil for $100 dollars. Of course it's cast iron. I am a newby to blacksmithing. I primarily want to bladesmith, but would also love to take up some classic blacksmithing projects. I guess I'm requesting advice as to whether or not, buying a 200 lb grizzly cast iron anvil for only $100 is a smart buy or not. Will it hold up to bladesmithing/blacksmithing or is it really just a very heavy doorstop. I presently am using a 20 inch piece of RR track in the vertical position spiked to an old heavy tree stump. It works well for a person of my ability, I guess. I just wanted some good advice from some good people in regards to the grizzly anvil. Thanks in advance.

Cast iron is great for a door stop or a boat anchor, not so much as an anvil.

I suggest passing on the cast iron anvil. Since you live in Ohio you are near the Tri-state event. Check out the stuff available at the event. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for an anvil. Check out and advertise in Craigslist. Save your money for a real anvil.

pass on the cast pease of stuff ! not worth pickin up....

I agree with pass the word that you are looking for an anvil. Ohio is an anvil rich state, as a lot were made in Columbus. Save your $$ for a real one. You'll be glad that you did in the long run. My 2 cents. :D

If bladesmithing is your mane goal I would look at scrap yards for a square of 4140 and make a post anvil. My faverat bladesmithing anvil is 5 1/2" square by 20" long pece of 4140 set on end in a 6" sqare tube welded to a 1" by 22" plate for a base. The hole thing cost about $ 135.00 and works great. I have several nice standered anvils I use for genral blacksmithing but the post anvil gets used aloght.

If you are doing general smithing either try to get a real anvil (see what others have posted) or go to a scrap yard and buy an offcut of mega plate for scrap sort of prices. It will work fine.

Continue with what you have or check Craig's List for a real anvil. Don't waste your money on an ASO. I looked for many years with no luck until I found my Hay Budden last Fall and I paid what most people here would say was an excellent price. You might not do as well as I did, but you may do better, and if you have a metal detector you might want to go detecting in an area where a barn or forge used to be. A couple of people on the forum have found anvils that were disgarded.

Oh yeah, don't forget to call the junkers, metal scrappers, and trash collectors in your area. They might have one or know of one for sale. Don't pass up the broken ones as someone may help you rebuild it for a project you can learn on. Just be sure they know what they're doing by asking the pros around here. (Not me)

I love this place. Thank you for all the replies. If ever there was consensus, there is on this topic! I definitely will save the $100.00 and use it towards a real anvil. Thanks again to everyone.

might look at this http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/2103843109.html in ohio says its 200+ lbs even if it isnt might still be worth checkin out

might look at this http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/2103843109.html in ohio says its 200+ lbs even if it isnt might still be worth checkin out

Thanks for the heads up. I'm in NE Ohio, so that's about 3 and 1/2 hours away, but looks (on paper) like a great deal. I'll try and look into it.

A fair price for cast iron anvils is $290.00 per metric ton.

"A fair price for cast iron anvils is $290.00 per metric ton."

DELIVERED!

might look at this http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/2103843109.html in ohio says its 200+ lbs even if it isnt might still be worth checkin out

Notice the horn of a second anvil to the right in his picture.

Can't be sure from the pic, but it looks suspiciously like a Vulcan to me... LOL Decent composite cast anvil. I am in Thompson, OH Rob, just across town from you really. The local club up here almost always has a few anvils for sale here and there... drop me a line, I might be able to hook you up with someone looking to sell for reasonable prices.

A fair price for cast iron anvils is $290.00 per metric ton.

So a mint 400lb fisher is only worth $290 a metric ton? I would be intrested in a few 250lbers. Sorry Thomas
couldin't resist. Yeh I could buy a 55 T bird in 69. can ya buy one today for the same price? Son don't quote back in the day prices. I am 66 yrs old I know the then and now prices.
Sorry I get cranky after 10pm.

So a mint 400lb fisher is only worth $290 a metric ton? I would be intrested in a few 250lbers. Sorry Thomas
couldin't resist. Yeh I could buy a 55 T bird in 69. can ya buy one today for the same price? Son don't quote back in the day prices. I am 66 yrs old I know the then and now prices.
Sorry I get cranky after 10pm.

Don`t get too cranky there Drag,I think he was putting his tongue in his cheek and quoting scrap price for cast iron as a way to voice a opinion we pretty much all share.
Had a friend it high school who drove a sky blue T-bird 2 seater convertible.Bet Marty wishes he still had that car now.Bet he could sell it and buy a summer home up here with the proceeds.
I know I wish I still had my grandfather`s 59 Triumph.That car was almost as sexy,and expensive.

So a mint 400lb fisher is only worth $290 a metric ton? I would be intrested in a few 250lbers. Sorry Thomas
couldin't resist. Yeh I could buy a 55 T bird in 69. can ya buy one today for the same price? Son don't quote back in the day prices. I am 66 yrs old I know the then and now prices.
Sorry I get cranky after 10pm.

Unless I am mistaken, Fishers weren't cast iron. They were composite cast steel. VERY different animals there.

No, they were cast iron, but had a steel plate top.

No, they were cast iron, but had a steel plate top.

If the cast iron is contaminated with steel - i.e. the load isn't pure cast I suppose that that lowers the price further.

Save up your money, go on Ebay, get yourself a Peter Wright, you'll never regret it.


hold on to your good anvil and never sell it

No, they were cast iron, but had a steel plate top.

Odd... I'd have thought cast iron would be far too hard and brittle to make a quality anvil from. Was always under the belief that they were of a cast low carbon steel. Learn something new every day I guess... some day I should get to reading the anvil history books I have... my info on the subject is a little spotty in some places. :)

It's the steel plate than makes all the difference! Remember that a powerhammer was typically made from cast iron too with just the steel dies.

Quick question. I'm going to take the forumites advice and save up to get a real anvil, but after reading here and other places, is it possible just to weld a a couple inch thick steel plate on top of the grizzly cast iron anvil? Isn't that what some of the anvil manufacturers do, or have done?

No, no maker does it that way and getting a good bond on a full penetration weld between steel and cast iron is NOT trivial! Very prone to failure. Probably cheaper to buy a good anvil.

The old ones were cast that way with a preheated steel plate in a special mold that allowed for the cast iron to wash across the surface of the steel plate and clean it off an make the bond.

There are no current manufacturers who offer a steel faced cast iron bodied anvil. Currently we have people making all steel (cast or forged) anvils and people making cast iron ASOs.