Hi everyone my name is Brandon, I'm from the WNY area and recently just got into blacksmithing and Bladesmithing, currently I'm trying to locate and anvil to replace the railroad track I'm using if anyone has any leads please PM thanks guys! 

Brandon,

Welcome.

Don't know where in western NY you are located, but urge you too look into joining a local chapter of ABANA the New York State Designer Blacksmith group: http://www.nysdb.org/

You can learn a lot and meet local smiths who might be able to help you out with your anvil search or suggest alternatives. 

Locating an anvil these days is pretty dependent on how much you are willing to spend.  If you are ready to drop $5+ /lb. you can easily source one and get something premium.  If you want to keep down to a more modest $3/lb. you will have to search longer (or go to SOFA next year).  If you want to go under $2/lb. you will have to get devious and obsessive in your searching.  A rail anvil, correctly supported, can be great for bladesmithing.  Look into setting it vertically to keep the mass under the hammer head.

You also might want to join the blacksmithing for beginner's Tailgating section on Facebook.  There are a lot of members, but I have seen anvils featured there periodically.

Needless to say many have had success using the TPAAAT  method.  I'm sure Tomas Powers will chime in to clarify that.

Thanks Latticino! I have been looking at the NYSDB and they have a meeting in my area the end of next month, I have been looking to barter for an anvil for a few months but with no luck or the price I have been offered I could buy a new one for a few dollars more 

Do a past post search for "TPAAAT" as mentioned.  It actually works, can be a fun treasure hunt, and sets you up for far more "goodies" than just an anvil.  Getting started is sometimes tough because it feels like you are a bit lost and just guessing...but that's part of the process.

A couple of important tips:  Patience pays off.  Impatience results in over-paying for junk you wish you had avoided.  A big hunk of scrap steel makes a perfectly serviceable and cheap anvil until something you like better wanders by so don't let impatience steer you into paying premium rates for beat up junk that appeals simply because it is anvil shaped.

Smithing is a never-ending process of education and acquisition anyway so never get in a hurry.

Welcome.  Read the stickies on this site until your eyes bleed because there is more good [from experience!] information there than any 10 libraries hold. Keep it fun.  Most of all, post photos--this site seems to love seeing photos of successes and failures.

TPAAAT works. 

If you wish to prime the pump, first locate a large chunk of metal as a make do anvil and start hammering. It will distract you from thinking about TPAAAT. As you have a rr track anvil number one, the chunk of metal will be anvil number two, anvils will start falling out of the sky at you.

Try to convince yourself that 3 is a good number, and 4, 5, 6, etc may be better numbers. This works until the spouse sees the checkbook or gets the bank statement. You then MUST decide on how many anvils you want (read need) in your anvil harem and how many the spouse will allow. Find someone that needs to improve their anvil harem, and is willing to reduce the tension between you and  your spouse, for a reasonable price. That works also.

Warning: if you specialize in one brand of anvil, you may have to build a warehouse and call it a museum.  

Thanks everyone for the replies and help, I will try and post picture of some of the Bladesmithing I have done so far, a mix between forging and stock removal methods, thanks again! 

8 hours ago, CO_smithin' said:

Thanks everyone for the replies and help, I will try and post picture of some of the Bladesmithing I have done so far, a mix between forging and stock removal methods, thanks again! 

Welcome aboard, glad to have you. Be patient anvils are out there no matter what shape they are.

Uh, I hate to break it to you but bladesmithing is a mix of forging and stock removal. I've never heard of anybody who didn't need to do a little: grinding, filing, scraping, sanding, etc. on a forged blade. Honest.

Frosty The Lucky.