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New Anvils


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I finally posted photos of my latest anvils, Colonial Pattern and Double Horn in my photos. I haven't figured out how to edit the text. I use the Colonial Pattern for historic demonstrations. The double horn is being used almost daily in my shop. I have a larger double horn of another manufacturer that I hope to replace this spring or summer with my variation in the design. While I really like most of the design of this anvil, what I don't like is more than one pritchel hole, the upsetting block is a waste of steel, plus the steel used in making these anvils is not as hard as I would prefer. I am having pretty good success with H13. H13 is a hot working impact steel that is acutally more affordable than others with this foundry and the heat treat facility like to work with it. I had a lot of troubles with the first foundry and finally found one I can work with and is much more reliable. Only thing I don't like is doubling the costs, but "you get what you pay for." The new foundry can and does analyze while molten and cooled. They send the chemistry list with the anvils to the heat treat facility, where they are also ground top and bottom.

If anyone is interested in purchasing one, contact me pm. I will donate a portion of the sales to IForgeIron if you tell me you found it here.

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Jymm, I have used one of your Colonial style anvils, SWEET anvil. Gerald Franklin had one at a couple of our Saltfork meeting last year in Paris, TX. Heavy enough to do the job and still light enough for a good demo anvil. Maybe one day I too will be the proud owner of one. Have you thought about attending the BAM conference this May and bringing a few of these little darlings?

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Oh man ! I want one, (and was just thinking about your anvils just the other day even) but my hot water system died, and my income tax return is going to go into repairs / new system instead of tools this year =( My question is, are you still going to have made any of the hornless colonial pattern that I know you've had made before? If so, I know what i'm saving my pennies for in the future =)

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Thanks for the positive comments. More information about the anvils is available in the photo gallery under my name. The cost is $825.00 for the Colonial Pattern, with a horn (about 100 pounds,) or without the horn (about 95 pounds,) and $850.00 for the double horn, weighing about 110 pounds. I will make a donation to this site for every anvil sold in which the buyer identifies this site as the source of information. I currently do not have a website, may put one together soon. I am very busy for the next few months wrapping up projects for Ft. Ligonier, more canon carriage and wagon parts.

At this time I do not intend to make any more size anvils other than the larger double horn previously mentioned. The patterns are pretty expensive. I started having these done because this is what I wanted. Due to encouragement from others, I am making these available to anyone that wants to buy one. At this time, they are only made to order. If I sell enough of them, I will eventually have extras made to put on a shelf, of which I don't have a lot of space for that either. However, if there is enough interest and cash put down, we can do almost anything. At the current rates, pretty much figure about $8.25 per pound. That may sound pricey to some, but you will never wear these tools out, but it could be fun trying.

I did the design work, with input on the Colonial Pattern from Ken Schwarz of Colonial Williamsburg, and a pattern maker did the patterns. He lives about an hour east of me (Northeast of Pittsburgh and I am Northwest of Pittsburgh,)
A foundry that is a little over an hour northwest of me in Youngstown, Ohio, does the casting. The heat treat facility is also in Youngstown. The colonial pattern is not an exact copy for several reasons. I did not get permission from an owner to copy one, I do not want one of these being passed off as one from the 18th. century, (no handling hole in the bottom,) but I did want to capture the style. The double horn is based on a couple different ones I have used and combined features I liked. The double horn pattern could be altered to be similar to an 18th century version of a double horn from France or one of the German states.

I will be using a Colonial Pattern anvil, along with my reproduction traveling forge, in my first set of demonstrations at the Great Lakes International Iron Fest, Buffalo, NY, Memorial Day weekend: The Great Lakes International Iron Fest 2008 The second demonstration I will be using my design of a gas forge, the double horn pattern, as well as a SayMak SPH 50, sold by Tom Clark. I use one of these and a SayMak SPH 60 in my shop. These are wonderful machines and a pleasure to use. I have developed some special dies and tools for some of the products I make. One being large headed nails, strake nails to be specific, used on canon and other artillery equipment of British patterns in the 18th. century.

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BTW on a small anvil I agree with your comments about the upsetting block. It is steel in the wrong place. I would far rather have it in the anvil. In a small one every ounce is needed where it works. With a 500 pounder it is not as necessary of course. Even with my 280 pounder I am happier with my upsetting plate which also serves as an anchoring device.

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I have one of the colonial pattern anvils from the original pour. I've been using it as a demo anvil and as a handy "roll around" in the shop at home. Mine weighs 104# and I want to say that it's the "working-est" 104 pounder that you'll find anywhere. The choice of H-13 by Jymm was an excellent one. The pattern never fails to generate interest at public demos. Thanks, Jymm, for putting out a quality product that will certainly last a lifetime.

Gerald Franklin
Black Bull Forge
Duncan, OK (USA)

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Depends on getting the pattern (and having the money to pay for it of course.) Probably 6 weeks for the pattern, from when I place the order, then at least 12 weeks until it is poured, then a few days for heat treat and grinding.
At this point I have to pay taxes before I can get another pattern. Just think, if I did not have to pay as much in taxes, I could put more back into my business, what an idea.

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The patterns are reusable, we were discussing another size. I am considering having a larger one made, to produce an anvil in the 275 to 300 pound range. These patterns are made of pine. If we think we would need to make thousands of these anvils, they would probably use mahogany or what ever the pattern maker and foundry thought best. The pine patterns, which have been painted, are holding up very well for the small runs we are doing.

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