Hey guys,

 

I have been searching for an anvil for months now, and have come across a grand total of 3.

Only one of which was in even a fairly decent state and the bloke wanted way more than was reasonable.

 

I am in the process of starting up my own forge/workshop in Plettenberg Bay, but the one thing holding me back is the lack of an anvil. 

 

If you have, or know of anyone who has, a decent anvil that they would like to sell. Please would you post a comment :)

 

Oh and also, if anyone happens to know where I would get coal from in this part of the world. That would be a great help!

 

 

James Engelke

 

 

 

an anvil does not have to be a london pattern anvil, look for threads on home made or stump or rail anvils, it needs mass and it needs a face at least as big as the face of your hammer.

what works best for you will depend on what you are going to make

Thank you.

 

Yes, I am busy making a "temp" anvil with a strapped sleeper and rail face. 

It will be fine for the small things which I will be doing to get back into practice. However, I do feel more comfortable with regular anvil, but who knows, maybe I will get comfortable with this one. 

 

I guess it's also a bit of a dream for me to own a good old-school anvil...

old school is a block of metal, london pattern is only 200 years old

Your best bet is to troll the outlying farms.Today scrap metal  is actively being hunted down all over the country by agents for dealers and even the poor and homeless and an anvil is a much sought after item.In the years to come anvils will become extinct as sure as shooting. 

Oh and James, Do not pass up a shoddy or heavily used anvil as long as it is structurally sound.Chips and notches are fixable and even slight swayback is not beyond redemption.

These can all be repaired by a skilled welder using hard facing rods and then ground down and smoothed.Will cost somewhat but it could be worth it.

 

A nice log some track plates and a few spikes go a long way.