Kanca vs Holland vs Hoffman

[stringstalker82]

Cant make my mind up which I one I want, a 110# Kanca, Or the 125# holland double horn. Thoughts or advice?

 

Centaur Forge Anvil Disclaimer: The face of the anvil is heat treated and hardened and will give good service for its intended use, which is fitting horseshoes, blacksmithing or knifemaking hot or cold. Anvils will work harden over time. Striking the face directly with a hammer or doing an inappropriate ball bearing test risks damaging any anvil. One should always have a mild steel between the anvil face and hammer.

 

[Frazer]

Do you have any pictures of them? Or perhaps any additional information regarding rebound/ring/general condition/price? That may help people weigh in with their opinion. The question as stated is a little too general for any informed advise.

[Steve Sells]

the owner/maker of Holland Anvils <foundryguy> is a member here,  in case you want to ask him questions

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I would vote for the Holland hands down, due to weight and the two side tables.

[Chelonian]

I would choose the Holland as well. I've never heard anything negative about their anvils.

[stringstalker82]

I've never found anything bad about holland anvils either. I just like the south german pattern more than the northern pattern.

Here are the ones I'm looking at. This is the kanca 110#.

And this is the holland.

Photos courtesy of Centaur forge and Holland Anvil's websites.

[Frazer]

I looked at Holland's website and their anvils are cast H13 steel..... That's sounds pretty awesome. I've read elsewhere on the site that some people have had trouble with the face of their Kanca denting, but I have no experience with either.

If it were me, I'd go with the Holland given the weight and material specs, but I hear you on the pattern preference. It's your anvil and it will probably outlive you so you have to like it. 

Still, I'm leaning toward the Holland being the superior anvil as far as quality goes.

[Jealdi]

If I could afford one... I'd probably buy a Holland myself as everything I've read on here about them has been good. Just a bit out of my price range currently though.

[stringstalker82]

I understand that. That's why I'm considering these two as a 275# refflinghaus is beyond my current finances. 

If Holland made a 125-150 pounder in the south german pattern it would be a no brainer.

[Glenn]

Have you looked at Jymm Hoffman's 125# Continental Pattern Anvil (Heat treated to 52-55 Rockwell C scale) with shelf cast from H13 ?  Also available without shelf extension.  Jymm is a member of the site.

 

How far out of your price range is a NEW anvil that will last your lifetime and then be passed on to another blacksmith for their lifetime ?  Yes, the money is up front for the purchase, but when you divide out the difference in cost over the life of the anvil, it is pennies per day.  Gives you a reason to put the anvil to work and make money.

[Nobody Special]

Kanka actually says on their website that undesignated parts of their anvils may be soft, with a hardness of 30-40 hrc.  Love the look of the hollands and Jymm Hoffman's double horn colonial.  I now know what I want for Christmas.

[pnut]

On 8/31/2020 at 9:33 PM, Chelonian said:

I would choose the Holland as well. I've never heard anything negative about their anvils.

Customer service is excellent also. It's not often you can speak with the owner or possibly the actual person that did the casting. 

Pnut

[Jymm Hoffman]

Thanks Glenn.

I started having anvils made to my patterns in 2002. After consulting several metallurgists (one of whom is a hobby smith,) machinists and die makers, I chose H13 for my anvils. I use the Colonial pattern for historic demonstrations. If you are not familiar with me, I am a full time smith specializing in historic ironwork. The 2 Continental pattern anvils I use on a daily basis in my shop, 1 small and 1 large. If you need to move your anvils frequently, or on a limited budget, I recommend one of the smaller anvils. You might be surprised how much you can do on a smaller anvil. While I do not own the foundry, I have been working with the same foundry since about 2007, in eastern Ohio.  They have a great reputation for producing high quality castings. The heat treat facility is also near the foundry and also have a great reputation and history, and a recent change in machine shops to one near me in western Pa, producing a really nice ground finish on the face. Many historic sites are using the Colonial pattern as well as private individuals from re-enactors to those looking for high quality anvil with a clean flat surface. The Continental pattern is my design (sort of,) based on using other anvils for many years. There are also many of the Continentals in use in private shops from Quebec to California, and many places in between.

 I do have a YouTube channel with a few videos you might enjoy. 

More information about my anvils, contact me PM  Link removed

Here's a video using my small anvil: 

 

[Frosty]

Jymm: Did you do something special or are your anvils all that quiet? I know how much a steel stand can quiet an anvil but that one could be used in church. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[stringstalker82]

18 hours ago, Glenn said:

Have you looked at Jymm Hoffman's 125# Continental Pattern Anvil 

Yes I did look at his site, along with every other modern anvil manufacturers website. 

Yes Mr Hoffnan, I agree a lot of work can be done on smaller anvils. I'm currently using my great grandfather's 1904 Fisher 70 pounder. It is a great and fantastic anvil and I really wish fisher was still in business. Only problem is there isnt a decent edge anywhere on it. Been chipped away. And rather than try to repair it (as that is beyond my welding skill atm) I decided to get a new anvil. And since I'm buying a new one, might as well go bigger. 

Frosty, I agree, his anvil in the video is as quiet as my old fisher.

[Jymm Hoffman]

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

Jymm: Did you do something special or are your anvils all that quiet? I know how much a steel stand can quiet an anvil but that one could be used in church. 

The sound is distorted. I am using a GoPro with the cover on the back. Also, I have this anvil bolted down tightly on a piece of old conveyor belt. 

[stringstalker82]

After reading on other threads here about kanca's denying from having a soft face, I have decided they are out. So that leaves holland and hoffman. I really like both, but am leaning toward the Holland as I like the hardy hole placement as that leaves the horn to my right which is what I'm used to. And  with as much as I use the horn, I'm afraid I might smack my right hand (hammer)  on the shelf of the Hoffman anvil.

[Glenn]

You should also consider the Centaur anvil disclaimer with any purchase.

Centaur Forge Anvil Disclaimer:

The face of the anvil is heat treated and hardened and will give good service for its intended use, which is fitting horseshoes, blacksmithing or knifemaking hot or cold. Anvils will work harden over time. Striking the face directly with a hammer or doing an inappropriate ball bearing test risks damaging any anvil. One should always have a mild steel between the anvil face and hammer.

[foundryguy]

Hey gents,

Thank you for the kind words about my Holland Anvil tools. As mentioned, we make all the castings in my foundry and patterns in our tool shop. I look at it as a project, not really a business. That said it has been a blessing to have this work when things were slow in either of my shops. My grandfather founded Holland Pattern in 1945 I believe and my father started our foundry in 1975, I grew up in the foundry, started pouring iron at 15 and its the only job I have ever had, that's 42 years in the foundry, 34 years full time. I bought the companies in 2001 and my father kept working everyday until a few years back, retired at 89 or so. Some of our customers are Cat, Deere, Borg Warner, Dana, East Jordan Iron Works, Bliss Clearing Niagra Press, Columbus Mckinnon just to name a few of the big ones.

The other American made steel anvils that I would compare our tools to would be Mr Hoffmans H13 anvils, Rathole and Nimba. I think H13 is the better material so Holland and Hoffman would be a good comparison. 

If you are an American Smith making American artwork, blades and shop tools please consider buying American made products, it matters! We always have something new coming out so watch. Currently working on Drifts of different sizes and casting our first hornless church window anvil this Tuesday, it should weigh about 130 lbs or so.  I also plan to cast an anvil over 1,000 lbs in the near future. 

All messages to us are answered by myself or my son Hobie, he handles most of the anvil and swage block sales and shipping. We have communicated with thousands of people over the last couple of years, its been fun and interesting! 

Cheers and Happy Labor day! 

[pnut]

17 hours ago, Glenn said:

You should also consider the Centaur anvil disclaimer with any purchase

I think they started adding that disclaimer after a post here about an anvil they sold. 

Pnut

[jlpservicesinc]

I have forged on a Jim Hoffman 300+ anvil..  Its very nice and the rebound and setup was very nice.  

I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.  

I have heard good things about Holland anvils..  

I am fond of the double horn style.

[Frosty]

But how do you  know which way to point it? 

I have to find someone in the local club who owns one and give it a try, I've never worked on a double horned one.

Frosty The Lucky.

[jlpservicesinc]

There is a lefty/righty if it has a side shelf.

The side shelf is located point on the far side typically. 

Me being a righty and owning a righty side shelf but horn to the right it moves the side shelf to the close side. 

Since it is a southern German style with graduated horn, having the side shelf towards me is advantageous.

Definitely try it for a few hours. It takes a little while to see the advantages and use them.

[SLAG]

Glenn,

The Centaur anvil disclaimer,  that you quoted,  is very interesting but it is legally of no value.

What it purports to do is to avoid liability for actions that smiths regularly do when using said anvils, or testing the integrity of them. 

The Unified Commercial Code (Article two),  of all states  hold the manufacturer and seller, to abide by the duty of "implied warranty of fitness",  and also the  "reliance of the buyer upon the seller".

Disclaimers affecting those implied warranties are null and void. Courts will avoid them and strip them from the contract of purchase and sale.

Why was the disclaimer added?  It is common to add them to such contracts to foster the layman's belief that they the disclaimer is valid, that he (she,  etc.)

has no leg to stand on.

Nice try gentlemen, (sellers etc.), but it will not bamboozle a court of law.

SLAG.

[foundryguy]

5 hours ago, Frosty said:

But how do you  know which way to point it? 

I have to find someone in the local club who owns one and give it a try, I've never worked on a double horned one.

We have 5 or 6 Holland anvils near you in Ak. We were just up in Alaska and my son attended a hammer in up in Palmer and let them raffle off a 20 lb single horn. Contact me and i can give you some names around Palmer and Wasilla of the owners.