I went a-looking in cowboy country and found a man who had a pair of "Shears made for a hardy hole". he wanted $200.00 for them. they were about 2 feet long and VERY tight. Are they actually for an anvil hardy? or for shearing monster sheep with steel wool? if they are, what are they for? Thanks! (sorry for no pictures :/)

There are shears with hardie shanks on the lower lever. Without pics it's impossible to day exactly what's what, but the class of tool is not imaginary :)

As to their usage; they are usually metal shears for bigger or tougher stock. The anvil provides a heavy solid support for you to lean into when cutting. If the action is really tight they might just need some TLC

I've used them for cutting corrugated tin for metal buildings, mine works great for that, when I lined the inside of my shop.

Often a stem mount sheer would be used in a nice heavy thick wood table. The table would have holes to except many different tool shanks. Heavy shears were found in tin smith shops, blacksmith shops, silver and goldsmiths, book binding shops, coppers shops, and any other shop where a craftsman needed to cut stiff material.

Using the stem in a firm mounted anvil should work just fine.

Many tools that people find that are iron and steel are automatically dreamed "blacksmith" tools. When often they came from some other shop.

I would love to have a pair. last I saw was over $350  so I like $200.  If they are what I imagine they are you scored well.

I bought a pair at the Western States Conference a couple years ago- for $20. They are about 5 feet long and heavy as the dickens. I am just gonna hang them on the front of my shop to enjoy looking at :)

Dave

They are like big, black, heavy tin snips with a very tight, yet workable jaw. no rust, black coating, like they were in a museum or something. will i buy them? no. I don't have any money currently and my birthday money budget was blown on an anvil and stuff. thanks for the info!

Not that useful for most smiths; I have two pair the expensive pair ran me US$10  A B3 Beverly shear is a lot more useful.

Ugggg yes a Beverly shear is so lovely. One day I will spend 1300 for one. I have never used the large bench mount sheers I have

I have seen similar shears used by beesom broom makers so not all are ''blacksmiths shears''

 

Wayne

What is the cutting capacity of one of these anvil shears?  As good as the Beverly?

I have a set maybe 4 feet long, good working condition. I can maybe cut 1/16th mild steel, and it takes a lot of effort. A good Beverly B3 will cut 3/16 mild steel.

Which Beverly?  The B3 will cut WAY thicker than these will even with a cheater on the handle.  They might be equivalent to a B1 but the B1 cuts curves much better

One if the books I have shows a set of shears made from dirt sraper blade. Fits the hardy and is used to hot cut material. Reminiscent of a paper shear.

I must be mistaken then. I thought he was talking about a variety of a Beverly sheer.

Naw he was talking about tinsnips on steroids, we countered with beverly shears as being much superior.

sifted through google images for a bit to find a picture of them.  There is a different, more drop-forged looking, variety at Adams Forge that I neglected to take a picture of in the past :(

 

is this what you are referring to Admanfrd?

I think he means these. They are not really meant for an anvil, but for a tinsmiths bench, cutting paper thin mild steel.

 

 

Drat! Beaten to the punch!!

Ok I measured my shears today. They are 36 inch long and looks just like the two photos above. The blades are 8 inch long.

I was reasonably able to cut 1/16 inch mild steel. I would not want to cut any thicker. Would probably work better to use this tool with two people, one person for power and the other to hold the piece being cut.

One if the books I have shows a set of shears made from dirt sraper blade. Fits the hardy and is used to hot cut material. Reminiscent of a paper shear.

 

 

This type of shear is made to cut metal hot, can cut tough and or thick metal and is operated by hammering directly on the shear blade. Definitely an underused tool which is readily built by almost anyone. Pretty sure Charles Mcraven documents construction in his blacksmith book, 

 

The shears this thread are about are sheetmetal shears. I have a big set and they have pretty small capacity, possibly 1/16, maybe less. I almost never use them. I do have a B-3 though, so I really have no use for them. 

close, but most of the shears are the actual cutting part. maybe about 5 inches of handle and the rest are blades.