Don A Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Once a month, I have the opportunity to work in the blacksmith shop at Fort Loudoun in Vonore, TN. It's a British fort from the F&I War, garrisoned from 1756-60. Since a major reconstruction in the late 70's, one of Vance Baker's old Peter Wright anvils has been the shop workhorse. After seeing the pictures and hearing a few reviews on Jymm Hoffman's new colonial anvils, we decided to get one. The staff at Loudoun is devoted to representing the period as accurately as possible. I think you'll agree that the new anvil really helps round out the whole picture: The day we were first setting it up, Vance came down to finally take his old PW back home. To my suprise, he had already forged us a new hot-cut for the new anvil. I've already done a day's work on it, and I really like it. Jymm offers a good anvil at a good price and he gets it there when he says he will. Thanks, Jymm. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Hicks Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 Don Thanks for showing- that is a Humdinger of an anvil. Looks heavy & like the wooden slack tub. You need to take some more pictures of the smithy for us:D I assume you all use Bellows ? Good Stuff Don Thanks Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julian Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 very cool anvil, it fits in well with a colonial shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 I have used one of Jymm's anvils and like it the best of any anvil I have worked on. but that doesn't make me an expert just opionated. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Oh, that's awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Hey folks, Just did a Google 'fer Jymm Hoffman anvils, and couldn't find a web presence. Does he have a site or what? What's the price range on those beauties? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primtechsmith Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Here ya go! Scroll down a bit and you will see them.PAABAbilities - Sale and Swap Mart Peyton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Thank you very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Hicks Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 Peyton That is a good lookin Anvil Thats seems to be a very good price for the anvil. Vaughan Brooks 100 # is like $500 + new Thanks for the link Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kings Ferry Blacksmith Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Are Jymm Hoffman's Colonial Anvils still available?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmercier Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Funny, i was just thinking about the same thing, having been looking for a colonial style hornless anvil for a while now, but for working on, not to just look pretty =D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Me too J, that is a nice little anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jymm Hoffman Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Hey gang. Thanks for the plug and compliments. Kingsferry's email caused me to lurk and the above posts caused me to sign in. Good News/Bad News. I can still get them, however the price as gone up. I had too many problems with the last foundry. I am still looking for another. I tentatively have one, but the price has gone up to $1,200.00. If any of you that know of any foundries willing to cast tool steel, especially H13, in small batches, please let me know. I found one or two foundries that are close in price to the tentative foundry, but I have to get 10 anvils done at a time. The cost would also be in the $1,200.00 range with these guys. All of them are say 8 to 10 weeks from day of order to delivery. This anvil weighs approximately 100 pounds. I also have a double horn pattern that weighs about 110 pounds. I have proto type photos posted at forgemagic. I have the modified pattern as well as the colonial in my possesion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jymm Hoffman Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 PS. I do not have a website. I had the pattern made so I could get one. Others have encouraged me to get more made. If I get orders, I will make them. I am not ready to go into the anvil business, yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Jymm, I'm not trying to be a smart@#$ and only asking out of curiousity but have you gotten any quotes on other materials and/or methods? 1. Cast 4140 and surface flame hardened might work. The base material is surely cheaper than H13, which is typically a vacuum melt tool steel. I expect H13 is at least $4 a pound from the mill and then you have to remelt in an inert atmosphere. We purchase a lot of heat treated items where I work and vacuum processing is quite a bit more expensive than carburizing or typical quench/temper. 2. Might also be able to CNC flame cut them from H13 or other standard plate instead of the casting scenario. The torch will need a C axis to rotate for the curved areas but it should be cheaper. Your pattern could be translated into CAD if you don't have it already. 3. Another option might be resistance welding a spring steel plate to mild steel and duplicating the old wrought anvils. It would be fairly cheap to flame cut A36 and weld a plate on top then heat treat. This would take a big resistance welder but they are out there. One of the nice things about these alternate methods is that you aren't held hostage by a specific process and I'd bet a beer that cooperative fab shops are easier to find these days than casting houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jymm Hoffman Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 HW, thanks for the thoughts. Years ago I had considered flame cut as I knew someone that had gone down that path. The problems with flame cut, the shape is still not really correct for an English (London) pattern anvil of the 18th. century. Then there is finding a shop that can do it and not charging you their "standard shop rate." At least that has been my experience. I would even consider a CNC mill if the prices were close. Unfortunately, it seems as though casting is still less expensive. The anvils I had cast at the first foundry, the price was lower because they were remelting H13 they got at a good price as drops from a machine shop. I would have stayed with them, however the quality was dropping and I was consistently being lied to about deliver dates and fixing the last batch that were too soft. They did not add any carbon and other alloys lost in the reheating. They would tell me they would be over the next day to take back the last batch that was 5 months late from the promised time, then did not show up. After my phone calls were ignored for 2 1/2 weeks, I decided I better get my patterns. I thought I had another foundry that would work with me if I provided the material, but then they backed out. I would have considered them, but I would have to drive an hour to pick up the material in a container that I had provided to the machine shop, then drive 2 hours to the foundry to melt and cast, and drive an hour home. Then drive an hour to pick up the anvils, bring them home to do final grinding, then an hour to the heat treat facility to drop off for heat treat and Blanchard grinding the top and bottom. When they were ready, another 2 hours (an hour there and back) to get the finished product to my shop. Had that worked out, I might have tried it. If I knew someone that could do the resistance welding I would give it a try. If it could be done with malleable iron, then the foundry I mentioned above could be a candidate for this method. They got cold feet when someone told them they had to have a new crucible when switching to and from tool steel. I will keep looking and hope something pops out. I am trying to keep these as affordable as possible. I have learned a lot about buying and selling specialty products that I can not make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerald Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 Jymm, Good luck. I hope you can put a plan together so that you can build more of these great tools. I have one of the first editions (thin feet) and it is surprising how much work I can get done on an anvil that weighs only 104 pounds. The pattern really catches a great deal of attention at public demo's and it turns out to be a great "conversation starter". Thanks for the opportunity to buy a quality tool that is truly period correct in appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted October 19, 2007 Author Share Posted October 19, 2007 Jymm, I gotta tell you, I love mine (well, the Fort's). You really need to find an alternative to keep these coming. I believe that a lot of the non-period smiths, particularly the bladesmiths, would like these better than the London pattern, if they were available and affordable. I know your motivation was originally geared toward making a good period-correct anvil, but I think your prospective market could be much broader if enough folks could get their hands on one of these. Thanks again, Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLMartin Posted October 19, 2007 Share Posted October 19, 2007 hope everything works out, i would love to have one, i prefure this stile with the more meat under the face, you can get so much more work done, really handy tools, im not to fond of the London stile, although i would like a nice 300lb one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted October 20, 2007 Share Posted October 20, 2007 Those anvils do work well, I am pulling for you to get the bugs worked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonjic Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Jymm, I think Mr Hofi has got a place in ....errhm the country that your trade deficit is already to big with errhm... to make his anvils, the HOFI anvil I looked at was real clean and nice looking casting, now if you can get 2 dozen made and shipped for the price of a half dozen from someone who doesnt want to know???' I want to get a couple of 'Massey' Branded big anvils cast but the problems I have getting good steel castings & H.T done in the UK put me off (the hastle rather than the cost), youve done the hard work already, and seem to have the demand so it might be worth a punt?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forger Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 hi, I'm interested in one of your 18th century anvils. Are they still available? Last I time I heard they had gone up to $1200.(ouch!!) still I would like one. I live in Alaska but have a son in Bedford Pa who could pick it up and hold it until I return to the lower 48. Thanks, Mike forger@gci.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Here's Jymm's website:Hoffman's Forge Should be some contact info on there. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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