Why would you deliberately damage an anvil

[Mark Ling]

_{Could always be worse.}

                                                                                             _{Littleblacksmith} 

[ThomasPowers]

So I looked at the right front foot of that anvil and I don't see how that damage is affecting you hammering hot steel on the face of that anvil; please explain?  Shoot my most recent anvil purchase was a PW that had a foot broken off; I don't know how as the face and the rest of the anvil show no signs of anvil abuse---or even chisel testing.  Seems to work just fine as a 3 footed anvil and I've not been tempted to make a prosthesis for it.

[stan]

39 minutes ago, littleblacksmith said:

_{Could always be worse.}

                                                                                             _{Littleblacksmith} 

sorry mate I can`t hear you

17 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said:

So I looked at the right front foot of that anvil and I don't see how that damage is affecting you hammering hot steel on the face of that anvil; please explain?  Shoot my most recent anvil purchase was a PW that had a foot broken off; I don't know how as the face and the rest of the anvil show no signs of anvil abuse---or even chisel testing.  Seems to work just fine as a 3 footed anvil and I've not been tempted to make a prosthesis for it.

Of course you wright, this anvil sickness is getting to me, I don`t even see the foot when I`m working.I do think it would be a nice gesture to make that prosthesis foot and an interesting project.

[ThomasPowers]

Hmmm the silver nose from Cat Ballou comes to mind....However I like it as it is to help show the students that  a great anvil doesn't have to be perfect. (and the imperfect ones are often way cheaper though this one does count as my most expensive anvil per pound: US$150 for a 112# PW in New Mexico USA with the face is excellent condition!)

[stan]

Thomas just for interest how do you think the foot came to be missing? worth every cent though.

[ThomasPowers]

As I mentioned I see no sign of abuse or hammer marks or ???  I could guess that a long drop onto the foot on a very hard surface might cause it to be missing or *1* blow with a large sledgehammer on the foot---neither one of which is a likely occurrence; so as it was in New Mexico I an speculating  *aliens*.....

[JHCC]

[Mark Ling]

10 hours ago, stan said:

sorry mate I can`t hear you

yea, my font had changed. it was late at night and I didn't realize until after I posted.

                                                                                          Littleblacksmith

[Dan P.]

I'm mostly left wondering what on earth kind of tool it was that was being tested. Some kind of enormous gouge for iron???

Anyway, your anvil looks like it's been well used but not abused.

Oh, I was going to say, another source of over zealous anvil side pecking- bored teenagers at work, waiting for some big workpiece to come up to temp! Seen that plenty of times with trainee farriers (always blames the farriers!).