I have a few anvils and have coveted a few from a distance.

 where do the most beautiful anvils come from?

 

long slender heeled American anvils

 

london pattern for that a priori anvil look

 

loverly Piggy shaped french anvils

 

German ones both wide and slender...

 

Swedish?

 

Russian?

 

I would love to see your beauties.

NIMBA---elegance and massiveness

I always thought the German double-horned pattern with the "church window" sides was the most elegant I have seen...the type like Otto Schmirler had in his shop and shown in his books.

Of course this one Isn't made anymore but if I had it I'd beef up my mantle and keep it in the living room.........

RARE 145 lb HORNLESS CHURCH WINDOWS MASCARON BLACKSMITH ANVIL TK

Fontanini anvils are gorgeous:

 

http://www.fontaninianvilandtool.com/http___www.fontaninianvilandtool.com/Welcome.html

 

They kind of look like a hybrid of a few different types to me.

they are ALL fabulous looking - such fantastic evocative shapes,  but macbruce - that church window thing is amazing!!!! 

Swedish Kohlswa

 

In the cast catagory, I vote the big Fishers.  Nothing like a 500,600,700, and 800 lb Fisher standing proudly.

 

In the forged catagoy, I vote HayBudden.  Clean classic lines.

Nice Big swelled horn hay budden  -- prettiest

Usefullness --- big german double horn ( a nice fat one )

This may be a bit like how horses have changed where they kept going for smaller "pretty feet" only to find that they might not be a useful as the older larger and stronger ones.

My large Fisher is not nearly as "pretty" as the Trenton? 100 pounds lighter than it; but it's the Fisher that's by the forge!

These two just happened at the right time in my world of smithery. The 250 #Trenton was at a garage sale! I used it for over 35 years. The 250 # Fontanini was delivered by Steve, and he gave me a good deal on it. He was already heading to Albuquerque, so that helped with shipping. I like the Trenton. I like the Fontanini, and I have four Hay-Buddens in the shop. Face it. I like 'em all!

The most beautiful anvil in the world? Mine. It's an 80lb Fisher with a broken heel and a few nicks on the edges. What makes it so beautiful? It's mine, that's what.

I now own 3 anvils and soon a 4th. I am in love with Peter Wrights, hands down.

 

Fontanini

I think this one's the prettiest. Cast in Bronze. About 35 pounds.

I'm not a fan of the long heeled ones personally. No particular reason why just my opinion.

I'd not seen a French one until recently. And despite the odd look they are quite cool. I wonder if there is an advantage to doing it that way?

My personal favourite has always been the south German style with the double bicks. They look cool.

Another question might be which is your favourite anvil of the one/ones you own.

I've got three just now. A small RR anvil that has been lent to a very talented young armourer who needed something solid to beat on.
A small 62kg unknown anvil that despite its beaten up appearance, I have a real soft spot for it. Don't think I could get rid of it very easily.

The last one is my big anvil. 117kg, Peter wright. Beast!

Andy

I really like my classic Arm & Hammer Forged anvil..Looking under the horn and heel you can see the forge marks..Though i love the looks of a fontanini and the big double horn german anvils..

the London pattern is by far the most beautiful anvils in the world really like the Peter-Wrights and Kohlwsa A1s  at least to my taste the Fontanini ones are also very nice but still at 2nd place to the Londoners :)

I'm with the previous poster: I love all my anvils---often for different reasons. Some I love for their long thin heels others for their short massive heels, some for their flat faces others for their swaled faces; thin horns, broad horns; single hardy holes, double hardy holes---they all are "just the right one" to use at some point. If I didn't like one they would be out the door to someone else who could offer them a loving home---has happened in the past I run a list of folks wanting to buy my "excess anvils"...

I have a small collection of terribly abused anvils and I try to do *something* on them every once in a while just so they don't feel abused and abandoned. (and to show folks that you *can* do good work even on a terribly abused anvil)

i think GOR has the correct attitude - very zen . love the one your with ;)

Lol. Thankee, ma'am. Might as well love it. It's what I have to work with. Have to say, the fact that it's broken just means I get to come up with more tools to replace what's missing.

Honestly, though, I love the double-horned anvils. Very elegant.

misc flower pot burner forge 018.jpgmisc flower pot burner forge 012.jpgmisc flower pot burner forge 010 (2).jpgNice Big swelled horn hay budden  -- prettiest

Usefullness --- big german double horn ( a nice fat one )

I'm in love with the two I have. I even talk to them...

 

 

Kinda of hard to beat the beauty of a Trenton the horn is a work of art (some nitwit painted it)

The question is who makes the most beautiful anvils, not who made them. Some modern anvils are very functional and that might make some people look on the new ones as beig "ugly" because they are made for no other reason but functuion. I actually like functional items. Is a Euro beautiful? Possibly not but a very functional design. The US made Rhinos have a horn which is a machined cone so deadly accurate. Is that as beautiful as a Brooks horn with a seductive flare?

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.