Weight of anvil question

[MrBojangles]

What is the most desirable weight for an anvil?  I have generally heard the heavier the better, but a friend of mine who knows just enough about blacksmithing to be dangerous said the smaller ones are more desirable.  Having seen a 502 pound anvil bring $3100 today at auction (and drooling the whole time, LOL!), I suspect the heavier the better.  Weight was not discussed as to the desirability or a "sweet spot" with regards to weight (not too heavy, not too light, if this even matters) in the beginner's guide to anvils thread in this section of the forum.

[Glenn]

Each size anvil has its advantages and disadvantages.

This is an ongoing discussion and depends on the use of the anvil. Bottom line is the anvil is a tool that should match most of the jobs you do. 

[Anachronist58]

I like 150#. There is a lot that I can accomplish on my 88 pounder, but I also do work on spuds in my vise, offhand cold work with sheet metal dollies, etcetera. I am not a production blacksmith, but I do know that if one is forging a one-ounce workpiece, ones needs will be different from those who work hundred-pound workpieces.

See Glenn's bottom line, above.

Robert Taylor

[Frosty]

Can you tell me how big a vehicle should I buy? Well we can't tell you what size anvil to get without some information.

500 lbs. of quality anvil would make a fine shop anvil, you sure don't want to have to move it around or take it places. 70 lbs. of good anvil is large enough to do serious work on and can be carried around by hand, carried in the car trunk even dry your boots on by the wood stove. 

We'll be happy to give our opinions but we don't know if you're going to be welding up ship's anchor chains or forging ear rings. It matters if you want a meaningful answer.

Frosty The Lucky.

[MrBojangles]

That makes a lot of sense.  For me, the 150 to 200 lb range seems "about right".

[Frosty]

Excellent sizes, I have a 125 lb. Soderfors and a 206 lb. Trenton and use them interchangeably though the Soderfors is my favorite. 

I think they'll work wonderfully for you, at least till you're skill sets exceed their capacity. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[Ranchmanben]

You should see what a 10lb Hay Budden sells for, $2000+ easy. In reality, for hobby smiths, 130-175lbs of anvil will do everything they will ever want to do and is light enough to be moderately portable. It seems to me like that’s the most desirable weight range for folks that want to use their anvils but aren’t relying on it for a living. It certianly can be done though. Full time smiths and folks that are doing heavier work obviously need or want heavier anvils. Those anvils are put in place and might not ever move. A lot of this has to do with location as well. I’m in the Texas panhandle and it’s a fairly anvil poor area so prices reflect that as do condition of the anvil, make, age and clearness of marking. Generally, in my neck of the woods, I’ll sell a clean/sound 165lb anvil for $5/lb. Over 175lbs the price goes down. Under 130lbs the price goes up. Older but not truly old, meaning pre 1920, under 60lbs is where prices really start getting weird. 

[Marc1]

Not long ago someone asked "why size [of anvils] matters", and we had a very funny exchange.

What is the best size anvil is not exactly the same question but close.

Any blacksmith that is able to be honest with himself will agree that a bigger anvil has a bigger appeal. Why? Too many reasons that could potentially evolve in a slinging match, but let's just say that real estate is one reason, and rebound another. 

However ... even when a larger face and maximum rebound should be universally appreciated, there are other factors that play against the 'bigger is better' camp. 

Just like a lot of people have intense feelings against big cars, and elaborate reasons to convince themselves they are on the right side of the debate, bigger anvil is better, falls in the same category. 

A lot of blacksmith particularly hobby one, are minimalist. Each to it's own. Some like scooters and TuckTucks, I don't. Big anvil smacks of bragging according to some, they are very hard to move if they are big enough, and the actual real reason behind the love/hate ... is their price. They are really expensive. 

So ... if one had to answer your question dispassionately the answer should be just like answering "what is the most desirable spanner size". Makes no sense, size is related to the job at hand. Say you want to buy a press to stamp car bonnets, you need a 300 lb press. if you need a press to stamp train carriage bodies, you are likely to need 5000 lb press. The debate is purely technical. When this should be the case for anvils, for some reason emotions and likes and dislikes come into play. 

What is the most desirable size anvil is already charged with an emotional factor, so I'll give it an emotional response. Buy the biggest you can afford or you will regret not buying it

[MC Hammer]

I'll side-step the bigger is better issue 

I think the most reasonable answer has been given already by a few, but I'll say it again.  A good shop sized anvil is usually in or over the 150 lb range.  Anvils under that weight are not bad anvils and certainly can do lots of work, but if you are looking for a good all around anvil you'll want something at least 150 or more.  Why?  Well it can be moved around if needed (not easily but no special equipment needed usually) and the possibility of it rocking or moving around in use are slight at best.  Remember, an anvil that is light will move around with heavy work so if the anvil is moving you are losing energy.  So if all you are making is hooks, knives, and small stuff a 75 lb anvil secured to a decent base will do all that.  Anything bigger and you might have issues with the anvil walking around as you are striking it.

My anvil is 179 lbs and there's nothing I can't do on it except perhaps swinging a 12 lb sledge hammer trying to hammer some ridiculously thick piece of tool steel.  Even then it'd probably be ok.  I like my size because it can do anything I need it to.  Small work, no problem.  Medium work, no problem.  Large work, no problem.  I'll probably never need another anvil.  On the flip side, I'd love to purchase a small anvil that's very portable in case I ever do demonstrations.

[basher]

I have many anvils in all sorts of weights up to 900lb,  I use 100kg anvils most (225lb) a little bigger or a little smaller is just fine, much smaller and I can feel it (i notice that sub 150lb anvils are too small for my work). all my really big anvils have gon into storage as they are awkward to use in the space I have...