01tundra Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 I'm a newbie starting out, as a matter of fact, I'm still in the process of building my first forge and will be attending some local classes in the near future. Living in middle TN has proven difficult to find a local quality shop anvil and all of the ones I find on Ebay are really far North. By the time I pay shipping, or take the time off work and fuel costs, I'm almost at the point of looking into purchasing a new anvil. I'm being very picky on manufacturer and condition on the used anvils, I would rather buy the right anvil for me the first time around. So that brings me to Peddinghaus Anvils. There is a shop within reasonable distance from us (about 4 hrs East) that has both the 77 lb and 165 lb in stock. I'm fairly certain I already know the answer to my question, but I guess it will ease the pain to hear it from someone else. Most of my work will be light duty, relatively speaking. I mostly work with 5/16" and 3/8" rod and my operation is based out of my garage (no traveling). I will mostly be doing basic decorative work, like very small scrolls, offsets, draws, twists, etc. Naturally.....my wallet keeps asking me if I could get by with the 77 lb, but my brain is telling me that even though the 165 lb is almost twice as much money, it's still cheaper than having to buy a second heavier anvil down the road. Anybody have any input on this? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Since you are already restricting yourself so much---why ask us? Personally I would probably get the little one and then keep an eye out for a good used anvil at a good price later---but I'm cheap---my most expensive *good* anvil was about US$1.50 a pound---last year. It sounds like the little one will suit your needs but we have no idea what will happen in the future. Or the state of your finances now. Frankly I have a lot more hours on my 93# anvil than on my 515#; but that is a lot due to it being my travel anvil where I get to spend all day at demo's using it. The larger one is a JOY to use when I get to use it. "Go not to the Elves for Advice for they shall say both Yea and Nay" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbrazealblacksmith Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 The most important thing about anvils is how they are mounted to the Earth. I have a 25 pound piece of steel mounted to a tripod stand that is anchored into a cement slab that I use to make hammers, top tools, and hardy tools. I'd much rather use that than a 1000 pound anvil setting on a stump! Even for little work the mount matters, and until anyone tries a properly mounted anvil and sees the difference for themselves they will never know why I keep stressing this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 "Go not to the Elves for Advice for they shall say both Yea and Nay" That's the way it is with old pharts also, we say both "yea and nay", I love working on my 300# Fisher but I have done a whole lot more work on my 125# half face than any other anvil. Truth be told a 165# anvil is a very good weight to work on and will be very handy for most all tasks that you will encounter during your life time. I could have been just as happy with either one of my 125# anvils but I got the 300# Fisher for a smoking deal and couldn't pass it up. Acquiring anvils can be somewhat addictive so if you got the money get the bigger of the two, no use just getting the smaller one first if you can afford the bigger one. You will enjoy the big one more every time you use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Can you afford the bigger one without thinking too hard about it? (Oh wait, you started this thread, so you are thinking too hard about it) Get the smaller one, invest some cash into building or buying a solid tripod that can be pinned or bolted down, and your new anvil can be affixed to it solidly. Solid mountings also go a long ways to making a quiet anvil that is pleasant to work on. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01tundra Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 I'm still holding out hope for finding a used one, it's definitely going to take time. I wouldn't say I'm "restricting" myself, I'm open to a few used brands and also to various weights. What I'm not open to is a beat up, abused hunk of steel for 2/3 the price of a new one and that's about all I find locally. It's usually either that or ferrier anvils galore. My target is 150-160 lb Hay Budden/Fisher or a Peter Wright. Of course if I found a Mousehole (or like) in good shape I wouldn't turn it away. There's a guy in Charolette, NC that has all of the above (plus a William Foster) and all are labeled as "good" condition. I may just have to make a long day road-trip soon...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewayforge Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 What's wrong with Farrier's anvils? They work just as well as any chunk of steel, and a lot of times you get the added bonus of a few extra holes and a cliphorn. Nothing negative there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 While the dream anvils you list are fine tools, I'll take my 125lb Sodorfors over any of them, including my 200lb Trenton, it just really moves metal. The smaller anvil will do plenty of work and it's WAY more portable, you can invest the money saved in other tools. Buying both is a better option but not on your radar so . . . Nevermind. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 OTOH I never advise a new person with no background in the craft to sink large amounts of money into spiffy tools *before* they know if they will be sticking with it. As I tell my students: "This is what I do for FUN; if it's not FUN for *you* there is nothing wrong in stopping!" I've had a lot of folks that *thought* they wanted to be smiths; but after trying it a while decided that it wasn't for them. My loaner equipment has come back more times from folks bowing out than from folks finding their own to continue with. I sure went through a lot of different stuff during my teenage years before zeroing in on smithing for the last 30+ years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01tundra Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 I may have just found my target :D ! Found a 155# Hay-Budden that I'm trying to snag, appears to be in good shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob S Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 The most important thing about anvils is how they are mounted to the Earth. I have a 25 pound piece of steel mounted to a tripod stand that is anchored into a cement slab that I use to make hammers, top tools, and hardy tools. I'd much rather use that than a 1000 pound anvil setting on a stump! Even for little work the mount matters, and until anyone tries a properly mounted anvil and sees the difference for themselves they will never know why I keep stressing this point. This is the best advice on this thread. No worries tho because no one seems to read it. I guess people don't think they are getting value if they don't spend a lot of money. Carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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