Hi all,

 

I'm looking for a main anvil for my little smithy.  I was wondering what the advantages / disadvantages of a sinle bick vs a double bick?  Comments?

 

This is my first post on this site, so be kind please.

I have found, using both, that the double horn is more useful. Not much you can do with an london pattern you cannot do with a couble bick, and you cant do as much with a london patter as you can with a double bick.

Such as?

Fine splits for forks; if your london pattern heel only goes to 1.25" or 1" thick at the end that's the tightest smallest fork split you can make without making another tool, tight 180 degree bends, getting into tight spots like double shoulders (preform on tongs), I use the end of the heel as a buck for rivets in very tight spots. Personally, I prefer the horn and hardy on the left also.

There is no perfect. There are advantages and disadvantages for everything. Start with what you can get and you will find it to fulfill almost all your needs. You can add hardy tools to do everything else.

 

What you have is what you use! There is always another way to skin the cat, POOR Cat!!

 

Neil

Most double bicks lack the step. I use the step quite a lot. I think that is one reason why I like the Rhino so much. It is almost a double bick so you get most of the advantages of that but there is also a step. I don't understand why most double bicks are made without the step.

I have just reread my above post. It might not be clear. The Rhino has a tapered heel which isn't quite a second bick but is almost one. You need to look at the photos at http://www.incandescent-iron.com/rhan.html to see what I mean. I am not good at describing stuff.

Just spent a Saturday doing a medieval smithing demo on a no bick anvil.  Not know what *you* plan to be forging makes it kind of hard to GUESS what would work best for you---can you tell me what kind of car I should buy (without knowing if I need a commuter, a pickup a 15 passenger van or a dumptruck?)

I far prefur the double horned (European) anvil.  And rather than standing at the side of the anvil I stand along the axis of the anvil.  Off side and near side forging is much easier that way, especially when using the hammer in the European (Hoffi) manner.