January 19, 201214 yr This link should help dispell any doubts about using stone for an anvil . . . enjoy! Low tech but effective ... seems that the granite yields nothing to the blows, no chips or dust that I can see ... wow!
January 19, 201214 yr I've know folks using stone anvils for decades. One preferentially used one to texture work as it had a rough surface. Stone anvils were used in early medieval times most likely for bloom consolidation and rough forging of large items where the *small* iron anvils would be overwhelmed by the large pieces and hammers. (Basalt was one stone used in Europe and jade anvils were known in the far east!)
January 19, 201214 yr A good one to show new people who keep asking about a "proper" forge and anvil. He does have an "interesting" method with hammering over his tong hand but the actual setup is a really good demo of how simple it can get.
January 20, 201214 yr Thank you Tim. I have a small block of granite used in the past for warming the feets. I have never of course even considered hammering on it. In the study of 9th and 10th century settlement of Iceland, blacksmith shops are part of the few original drawings I have seen ( site maps if you please ). What a treat it would be to see a museum with some tools in it from this era. Ian spoke of seeing stone anvils and hammers (in use) while in either Norway or Sweden.
March 7, 20224 yr 10 years after the OP, the link seems to have walked off. I’m interested to see it, if anyone happens to recall where the video came from.
March 10, 20224 yr IFI member Daswulf started a thread about his experience using a chunk of granite for an anvil:
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