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North vs South German Design-Pros and Cons


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I use my anvil with the horn pointed to my right. I can work from all around it when needed though. Bottle openers seem to go better when working with the horn to my left. But I've never mounted a horse from the right side. I suppose it wouldn't make a difference. I've just always got told you mount them from the left. I never thought to question why though^_^

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Safety is like the old saying, "It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools." Everybody gets caught by surprise or becomes complacent or we wouldn't have bruises, cuts and burns. I may swear but I'm swearing at myself. I can warn folks till the color is worn off the computer keys but it's not MY fault if you get injured compared to normal shop hurts. 

The orientation of the horn can be an issue but not usually. I'm right handed and usually have the horn to my left. I use the heel as a bridge anvil and bottom tools a LOT more than the horn, Heck I rarely use the horn for anything but an okay but not particularly good bottom fuller rarely I'll true a ring on it. 

However, when I am using the horn I usually want it to my right side. Not because it's closer to my right hand but because the taper is widening to my left. This means more force is delivered usefully to the work when I strike, orientated to my left the work wants to slide down the horn when I strike. Make sense? The products I use the horn for most are bottle openers or other punched and drifted open features, round or not. Opening a bottle opener (for example) with the horn to my left means I have to bend over and swing from my left or just drive the piece off the horn. With the horn to my right I can just give it a BIT of a side swing and the force is driven into hard resistance and is far more effective.

I move my anvil while I work, just walk around the far side or address it from either end. Being able to easily move the anvil is one of the many reasons I love my concrete floor. 

Oh, I'm still waiting for someone to explain what the utility of the smooth transition from fact to horn. I'm not questioning preferences I'm just wondering what it's good for. I'm seeing a lot of discussion about: brand, style, size, etc. but nobody's answered my one question. 

Anybody, somebody, Please? 

Frosty The Lucky.

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if you make scrolls or big rings, the smooth transition is very useful

As for riding ... 

Riding backwards, seems to bring some unforeseen difficulties. :)

PS

I am surprised no one questions the utility of the shelf. That one comes up every time, from the london pattern supporters 

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its the groove cut into the face and the smallish horn that tells me it's a cutlers anvil. 

Here is a larger version.  But they made the cutlers in many different patterns. some single slot, some multi slot. Depended a lot on what was actually being made and how many work stations they needed on the anvil. 

Cutlers anvils are pretty rare.   

The second one a guy owns down in CT. 

Funny thing is my larger model also came from CT. 

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