Anvil advice for a beginner.

[colossus127]

Hey all, My name is Kameron, thanks for having me!

Iam excited to be here. Ive been interested in forging for years now but I havnt had a space big enough for a smithy, but I just got a house with some small land so my plans are to finally build one and start learning!

 

I had a question about an anvil Iam considering buying, obviously Iam very new and still learning about anvils and what to look for, but this is a good brand(from what I can read online) and the price seems right so I was just wondering if I could get some more opinions of some experienced people. 

 

Its a Hay Budden 125lb from 1895. Ill attach some pics as well. The guy is asking $475, Iam going to see if he will take $400. Does this anvil look like it still has some life left in it? From what I have read and seen online, people usually tell others to go for a Hay Budden in much worse shape then this one, but maybe iam missing something that a trained eye can see!

 

Any info is much obliged, thanks again guys and I look forward to my experiences on here and in forging! 

[ThomasPowers]

Are those Canadian dollars or Australian dollars?  (WWW==World Wide Web)

What are the results of the ring test and ball bearing tests?

Any reason you can't start with an improvised anvil?      https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/52308-a-collection-of-improvised-anvils/

What are your finances like?   Getting started I advise folks to look for a Post vise and use an improvised anvil and use the TPAAAT until they can find a good anvil at a reasonable price---or decide that blacksmithing is not their thing after all.

 

 

[colossus127]

Its in American dollars, Iam in Northern California. 

No such test has been done I dont believe. Atleast the listing doesnt say. Ill send over a link of the list.

[Commercial link removed per TOS]

No, Iam not bias to using an improvised anvil, its just that alot of people online said that the anvil is like the most important part of your whole set up and not to cheap out. That being said, I figured it would be safer for me to buy a good anvil off the bat, instead of an improvised one, as I dont yet have the smarts to know which metal/size/type would best suit me. 

If I had a friend or colleague there that knew about it more then I and could help point out a good piece of scrap thats also decent metal grade for an anvil id snag it up quick! 

Fiances arent a huge issue, id like to stick under $1000 If I can. I know I could get a good anvil for close to that from oldworldanvils but Iam kind of an old school guy. I like older things and the idea of a 125 year old anvil thrills me. Especially if its in decent shape and can still get some life out of it for me. But Iam not adverse to buying a new anvil and using it my entire life. 

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Mod30
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[ThomasPowers]

Well to me the London Pattern anvil is rather a new school design when you can take some scrap and duplicate a style that's been around 10 times as long. Anvils are not usually considered "old" till after 2 centuries as they wear like iron!

In your location that is probably a decent price; I was wondering about the ball bearing test as that seems to have some face dings and my HB just slightly larger is quite hard and ding resistant on the face.  So much so that it's one of my teaching anvils.  Definitely some wear and  abuse in it's backstory. If they won't go down any; perhaps they would be willing to throw in some smithing tools?  Ask about a postvise! (hardy, tongs, hammers all stuff that helps you get started faster. Shoot even smithing coal!)

[colossus127]

Awesome, sounds good, lots of great info there! I really appreciate it. I think Iam going to go ahead and apply the TPAAAT system here soon this coming weekend, see if there are any local flee markets or antique stores open during this whole covid thing. 

 

Ya ill definitely see if he is willing to haggle, hes also about 2 hours away from me as well so itll be a nice drive ,if I decide on getting it, but if he doesnt want to work with me ill just wait it out and see what I can find here locally. Thanks again man, helps me out alot. 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Welcome aboard, have you read this yet?  READ THIS FIRST  It will help in getting the best out of the forum.

As far as price $4.09 a pound for a 116 lb HB is not outrageous but a little high. A couple of years ago I bought a 106 pound HB for $1.89 a pound in the same condition as that one. When the Craig's list ad said "Antique" you know the seller is looking for top dollar. I would definitely try haggling, by pointing out the damage and you want it for using in the shop and anvils are not considered antique till they are 200 years old or more. I would start at $350 which of course would depend on the ring & rebound test, which will show if it's a usable anvil with an intact hardened face plate and not separating from the wrought iron body.  Good luck with the contact.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Colossus, glad to have you. I see a couple red flags, the torch cuts and dings tell me it's been used as a handy place to lay steel on to heat or cut with a torch, damaging the heat treat. Having the temper run is a prime reason to see all the dents and dings.

Were I to make a counter offer it'd be bellow $200 after lamenting all the abuse it's seen and how it makes it hardly worth having as a dust collector.  I'd tell him the asking price is out of the question and walk if he stood on it.

I hope you can negotiate in person. I'd be unlikely to take the seller's word on the rebound test results either. 

She still has plenty of life in her if there are no dead spots in the face. It'd be a fine anvil to get started with if you have your heart set on a "real" (read London Pattern) anvil. IF you can get it for reasonable.

Frosty The Lucky. 

[colossus127]

Wow awesome thanks a bunch guys! I really appreciate all the feedback. It means alot to me, I know how valuable alot of this info is. Ive got ALOT of reading to do, thats for sure, but with this quarantine going on I guess its a great time to research. 

I think Ill pass on this particular anvil, iam not in a huge rush and Iam looking for the right one that feels good! I understand the concept of buying something improvised as well and it makes total sense, but I did some metal working in high school and absolutely loved it. Its been my dream to have a forge one day so Iam not concerned in investing some money in a good anvil!

Thanks for the welcomes as well, Iam excited to be here and respectfully wrack as many genius forging brains as I can! Time is invaluable in something like this so I feel humbled to be here. Ill keep you guys updated on my anvil search. 

I suppose I should say I primarily plan to make knives with this anvil, if that at all helps. Thanks gentlemen! 

[ThomasPowers]

Yes it helps; but it also helps to learn the basics of forging before you go on to learn to forge knives.  It will save you a lot of grief and frustration. As you explore here you will probably run across a link to a 'tube video of a person forging kukris for a living using a sledge hammer head as his anvil. Also another of people forging using rocks as hammers and anvils.   Having good skills and knowledge helps more than having fancy equipment; or as I say: 1000 hours forging on a $100 anvil will make you a better smith than 100 hours forging on a $1000 anvil.

[colossus127]

Anybody have experience with this seller? His anvils seem pretty decent quality and appear to be made here in America. 

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[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

You can put the name in and let folks look it up, but putting a link to a commercial site is not allowed. The moderators are pretty strict about that.