Nimba vs. TFS

[NeatGuy]

Unfortunately that weekend is a kid weekend for me and I won't be able to make it to the spring conference. I'm hoping the fall conference will be on a non kid weekend so I can go.

Do either of those makers have websites?

I've seen something about the making of Kris's anvils before, I forget if it was here or elsewhere though.

There was an ariticle on Kris's anvils in the "Hot Iron News" a few issues back.

[Hofi]

Hello
To prevent more speculation about my new designed ''HOFI'' anvil here are some photo's and explanation.

001-002 2 views from the back side withe the adjustable tray
003 The ''lego''
004 The adjustable tray and the water can under the prichel holes
008-009 Two top views
001 The water can for instant cooling and the small drift to fall stright in when punching holes
four prichel holes 3/8 inch, 5/8 inch, 1 inch, 1-1/4 inches
The base of the anvil is is big and heavy down and makes the anvil very stable
one can also upset on the base in the rear and front parts
The BAYS allow the steel to go down all the way to the floor
The three leg base plate is 1 3/4'' thick
The three legs on 22 degrees gives a very good and absolute support
Tanvil is ''seating'' on the steel plat with two guide pins and there is no need to ''chain '' or bolt or ''nail'' it
The bottom of the anvil is ground and the plat too ! There is a 100 % contact between the anvil and the steel base
The anvil is 120 kg 265# the width is 4'' the length is 34''
The steel is 6150 very tough steel HRC 55-57
A CD about the use of the anvil will come together with the anvil
The anvils are now in test use for three month at my smithy and in Germany
The moment i''ll understand that the test time is over we will start to market them
The world distributer will bs Jhannes Angele from ''ANGELE Mschinenbau'' in Germany

THE PRICE IS NOT FIXED YET NOR THE AGENTS IN THE USA
The moment we will be ready it will be announced in the site
hofi

[HWooldridge]

Being a computer "systems engineer" and not a actual engineer I'm having a hard time understanding exactly what all those figures are telling us. It looks like the H13 gets it hardness rating at a higher temp. then the 8640. It is a "tougher" tool steel. How that effects the overall usability / quality of either anvil is beyond me.

H13 is a tool steel intended for hotwork. Works great for punches and chisels but probably not required for an anvil. When I say "required", I mean that cheaper alloy steels will work just as well. The old two piece anvils had a very hard face (60-70 Rc) but it's clear a lot of them did not hold up over many years because the edges crumbled. Time will tell on the newly made anvils but I doubt they will break down under normal use because they are drawn back to a lower but still usable hardness. The worst thing would be one with a face ductile enough to mark every time you used it, like some of the Chinese junk floating around these days.

[hammerkid]

Thats AWESOME Mr. Hofi !!!! :cool::)

[Quenchcrack]

First, let me say that TFS anvils are cast STEEL, and not partly cast iron. Two, I believe Nimba's are also cast but of higher alloy steel. This means that when they are heat treated, the hardness goes deeper into the steel than it does for the carbon-manganese steels used by TFS. Now, if you plan to use an 8# hammer on your anvil, deeper hardening might be helpful. For me and my 2# hammer, the 100# TFS is just fine. Lastly, TFS does make blacksmith anvils in addition to the farrier anvils.

[Mende]

I dunno about you guys but Nimba anvils always annoyed me because of the way they are named .. .as in the TITAN is the smallest .. .we all know what titan means ..also .. the Centurion doesn't even measure or weigh 100 of anything ..
As for the Gladiator . .it should switch names with the Titan . Sorry for the pointless rant ..

[Frosty]

Maybe it's because I've lived here my whole life but I quit expecting things to make sense a long time ago.

Still, I agree entirely.

Frosty

[markb]

Noww...... That is going to bug me, just a little, and I'm going to have to read up on the Titans and Gladiators. Probably take a hundred days or so..

[fat pete]

centourian is 260 pounds

[larrynjr]

There was an ariticle on Kris's anvils in the "Hot Iron News" a few issues back.

That must be were I read about them.

[B. Norris]

Many of the modern manufactured anvils are not as hard as some of the older anvils. A typical range for them seems to be from 52 to 55 on the rockwell C scale. I believe Old World Anvils to be about 55 on the C scale. I've used one and liked it very much. However, an anvil can be hardened more than that without the edges chipping out. My take on it is that the anvil would be harder if the steel used could do it. The alloys getting used are ones that have a reputation for deep hardening and toughness but, that is at the expense of a few points of hardness. I like Hofi's anvils for the fact that they are at 57 on the C scale, nevermind the South German Style which is my personal favorite and the steel being 6150 which is awesomely tough stuff. The other anvils I like are the Refflinghaus anvils imported from Germany. A guy here in Nebraska sells them. Refflinghaus Anvils However, they are not inexpensive. I'm curious to see the prices on the Hofi anvils and if they are less than the Refflinghaus that would be my choice. Something that was pointed out to me a while ago is that it is far better to have a hard anvil and use a softer hammer than the opposite. Much easier to dress hammers that have gotten dinged up than an anvil, never mind making a new one!

[easilyconfused]

Many of the modern manufactured anvils are not as hard as some of the older anvils.

I've been thinking about whether this was as hardened or work hardening with use. Another aspect, brought up about chisels and punches by a local blacksmith, is liability; better to have it soft and not work as well than run the risk that it will chip and you have to buy people prosthetic eyes.

[Ian]

Titans, Gladiators and Centurians.....

Titans come from Greek mythology and were a race of Elder Gods who were in charge before Zeus (The Son of a Titan himself) and the rest of the Younger Gods came along and beat them up to take over at the top of the Greek divinity league.
Gladiators were paid fighters who fought in the various Arena's around the Roman empire. They would fight against other Gladiators, convicted criminals and even wild animals for the paying publics entertainment. As a side note the thumbs down actually spared a fighters life contrary to what the popular conception is.
And lastly a Centurion is a Roman military rank, denoting an officer in charge of a Centuria (strangely this wasn't 100 men but instead 80) from whome the name originates.

And before anybody asks, no I didn't do a web search, just visited the Library a lot as a kid.

[markh]

I love that Kris Ketchum anvil. I guess getting one those to the east coast would be very expensive. I've just moved to North Carolina. Does anyone know hwo to contact him? Does anyone know if he come to the east coast for events? How about foundries? Does anyone know of a foundry near North Carolina that may be able to cast a pattern I design? Thanks

[ThomasPowers]

Mark, you are aware that getting a "one off" casting is going to be quite expensive---as in you could probably buy a couple of anvils brand new for the same cost. You will also want to be close to your foundry so you can send patterns back and forth till *both* sides agree.

If I was you I would look up the palce in Mexico that are casting those anvils that keep showing up round these parts and arrange to get a good alloy used for yours.

[NeatGuy]

Do either of those makers have websites?

I am not sure if Kris has a website but here is Renato's. He also makes excellent sheet metal power hammers and shrinking stretching machines.

[Johannes]

Mark, you are aware that getting a "one off" casting is going to be quite expensive---as in you could probably buy a couple of anvils brand new for the same cost. You will also want to be close to your foundry so you can send patterns back and forth till *both* sides agree.

If I was you I would look up the palce in Mexico that are casting those anvils that keep showing up round these parts and arrange to get a good alloy used for yours.

Mnn if it is a sand mold cast and you deliver a woden 'stacked mdf model yourself, the one of casting shouldn't be that expensive.

[philip in china]

An interesting point about getting a casting done in a good alloy. In the city where my wife was born and raised there is a factory that makes railway lines. I have got a very nice 280 pound brooks anvil here. Would it be possible to use the brooks to make a mould and then get it poured using the same mix that they use for railway line? For that matter I suppose I could slightly customise the design by, for example, adding an upsetting block and a shelf. Am I missing something or should this be possible?

[ThomasPowers]

Yes it would be possible though the anvil would be a pain to use as the positive due to it's weight.

The thing to remember is that you will still need to heat treat it after casting and clean up.