liamh Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 In the picture below this man is forging on a hexagonal anvil. Does anyone know of any old hexagonal anvils or any info on them? I researched and could not find this anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Hi Liamh, I doubt very much you will find any info on the anvil given the age of the illustration and also down to the craft of the smith. In the middle ages/tudor periods all the main crafts were controlled by the guilds and each craftsman was trained in only one trade - eg a nail maker or a cutler or a spurrior. This is what you were trained to do and all you were allowed to do by the guilds. The guilds set the level of your training, the quality of your work, where you could work and how much you could charge. If you look through the rest of the illustrations in the Mendel book and other medieval /Tudor period illustrations you will see they are all using different styles of anvils which seem to depend on the type of work they are producing. there does not seem to be any standardisation of anvils as we know them until the 18th century. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamh Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Thanks Wayne, that was very informative. I'll still be on the hunt for that anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Steve Parker has been forging some of the polygonal anvils for reenactment use. I got a square one based on a Roman-modern times examples and later years he had octagonal version at Quad-State. If you wanted a really really nice one properly hardened he would be the go to guy in my book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamh Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Wow cool, where is Steve Parker located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 that anvil in the background has two horns and a pritchel and hardy hole. Methinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamh Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 that anvil in the background has two horns and a pritchel and hardy hole. Methinks. We're interested in the hexagonal anvil, not the one in the background :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron woodrow Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 merely pointing it out because another thread at the moment is discussing the earliest hardy and pritchel holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I see two holes for punching but not a square hole for a hardy in the back one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew T Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Are the saws in the background a clue ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Anyway Steve Parker is in the midwest somewhere I see him at Quad-State. Google: "Steve Parker, from Illinois, is an industrial blacksmith, who has studied with long time power hammer guru Clifton Ralph." (Yup that's right) "Please make checks payabe to Illinois Valley Blacksmith Association. Please mail check and order to: IVBA. Steve Parker. RR4 Box 336. Clinton, IL 61727" I'd see if this was the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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