Glenn Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 Many times we hear different recommendations for anvils based on anvil weight. So let us break that down into increments and discuss what an anvil weight can and can not do. 75-100 pounds 100-150 pounds 150-200 pounds 200-250 pounds 300 pounds 400 pounds over 400 pounds What are your thoughts ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 A factor is in the design of the anvil too. If you work only over the "sweet spot" of the anvil you can do fairly heavy work on a fairly light anvil, the issue being how much you bounce it around. If you do heavy work out on the heel of the anvil it better be stout enough to take it without damaging the anvil! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 I would say that a beginner, usually working with fairly small stock, would be happy with an anvil of around 100 pounds. I started with a 100# Vulcan and still use it on occasion and as a teaching anvil. I upgraded 30+ years ago to a 200 pound Peter Wright and have never felt the need for anything larger. I think for a 1 person shop with occasional help from a minion, friend, or passer by anything more than about 250 pounds is unnecessary. That said, if you have an opportunity for something larger at an inexpensive cost you shouldn't pass it by. However, any piece of equipment that you can't move by yourself, with or without mechanical help, can be a problem. If you have a concrete floored shop and an engine hoist available your equation is going to be different than someone who has to move things around often and all by themselves with no mechanical assistance. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 In 30 + years, I have never found the need for an anvil over 110 pounds. If I'm working stock too large for my anvils, I use the power hammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anachronist58 Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 These days, a four pound cross peen is all I can swing one handed, and it does not addle my 157# Soderfors. I can move metal faster with a lighter hammer. That is all I have for now... Robert Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Size doesnt matter. What matters is having a good vibration free connection between anvil and stand and between stand and ground. A bit of common sense,,, using a 16# double jack on the heel, belays common sense on any size anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 I do feel a lot easier when I have a friend striking with a 9# sledge on my 469# Fisher than on the 165# PW. But I have used an 8# short handled sledge on my 91# A&H as I knew I'd keep it over the sweet spot and if anything went wrong it would be *my* fault. Having an improvised striking anvil is great for when you are training a striker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Lol, I'm not sure why you would feel any different depending on your anvil size. Could it be you are worried about his accuracy and hitting an edge instead of the sweet spot where your iron is? Or perhaps missing the hot iron altogether? Isn't it the master who determines where struck and how hard? I can't imagine you being concerned with him landing a solid blow on hot iron in the sweet spot and bowing your anvil, no matter the anvil weight. To me, a striking anvil is an internet phenomena and rather redundant. For me, the best striking anvil is the one I use all the time. As far as training a striker, when using a safe and sound striker style, wild uncontrolled blows are nearly impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 You do see a number of old anvils with quite a bow in the face that is not worn down but rather pounded down; especially the makes that used the higher grades of WI in the bodies as they are "softer" whereas the lower grades are more prone to cracking. And yes the large anvils have such an expanse of "sweet spot" that even a miss or a glance should still land in the "safe" zone. As my strikers are my unpaid forge friends I don't expect them to be as good as a dedicated worker. (Though old writings do mention issues with folks coming to work drunk..."Bond of Iron" mentions this as a problem with workers in iron smelting.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 I don’t have as much experience as y’all, my largest anvil is a beat up 225# PW an my smallest is a beat up 94# PW, and the only difference I could see is I’d be much more inclined to take the 94# with me somewhere an leave the bigger one right where it’s at lol, but I can’t notice any big difference in using one over the other, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 My 91# A&H has the most hours on it because it's been my travel anvil for 41 years; however in my shop I prefer to use one of my 165# anvils, (HB & PW). I do notice that I get more done with less effort using them. I seem to prefer them to the 450+ pounders. I sold a 248# PW recently as I decided I didn't need an intermediate sized anvil... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 I’ve been on the lookout for a good used 50-75 pound anvil to pair up with the tiny Buffalo forge for portability, but I’m not gonna lie I wouldn’t mind finding a 400-500 pounder to have in the shop, Just because I can fit more Lounging shop cats on it!…. oh an maybe I’d get to use it too once in awhile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 "Anvil Envy" is a common blacksmith affliction. I have a friend that has a 750# West that I covet greatly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Here's my anvil envy - Yesteryear Forge's 1241 pound Reflinghaus......It's a monster. I've watched them work on it and the work seems to go so quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Heavens to Betsy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Anvil Envy,,Thank goodness for my small shop. Nothing bigger than anvil envy would fit! Thomas, you should give it a try, the way I strike. Learned from Turley and on the occasions when Francis would strike for me,He did it the same way. Very controlled, very safe, and you can keep it up all day long. My wife would come to the shop when people were there, grab "her" 16# double jack and strike for me. I think she maybe weigh'd 120# max soaking wet. For me, a 124/5# anvil fits the bill for all around. I had a brand new 125 Enders shoeing anvil for ever, but found the face to be just too narrow for blacksmithing, so used a 124# PW until the 255 came along for free. Theres a SWABA story behind that! Nothing you cant make on a 124# and easy to haul around. My 255# has been my go to forever. I may downsize to my 184# PW in my new space because it has a nice story behind it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatLiner Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 My most used anvil is a 125 lb Sisco. I have used a 16lb sledge on it no problem, My second most used is a 135 lb Columbian I have used the 16 pounder on it no issues at all. But what I prefer to use the heavy sledge on is my post anvil 20" of S5 steel under it. It moves metal like a dream under the 16 pounder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 The trouble with really large anvils, running in the 1,200lb. range is the stand. They're so low you have to bend over uncomfortably far to change hammers. I walked away from a 1,200 Fisher years ago, I was living in a trailer court and didn't have anywhere to put it. It was in a ship's chandlery and. . . <sigh> Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 5 hours ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said: I’ve been on the lookout for a good used 50-75 pound anvil to pair up with the tiny Buffalo forge for portability, They're not used but those 66 pound cast Steel anvils are about the best value you're going to find. I haven't priced them in a while but mine was 119 bucks delivered about 18 months ago. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rojo Pedro Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 What about composition? Does a 200 pound Vulcan out perform a 100 pound Refflinghaus? I was always a bit nervous using big hammers on my Vulcan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 12 hours ago, pnut said: They're not used but those 66 pound cast Steel anvils are about the best value you're going to find Ive got anvils to use I would just like to find a lighter more portable one, where did you order yours from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatLiner Posted January 21, 2022 Share Posted January 21, 2022 Rojo Pedro I notice a slight difference between my Sisco and Columbian anvils that are a similar weight the Sisco moves steel a little better. And they both are slightly better then the post anvil I made from forklift tines. So I would think that you would see a bit of a difference between a Refflinghous and a Vulcan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/20/2022 at 4:21 PM, Farmall said: Here's my anvil envy - Yesteryear Forge's 1241 pound Reflinghaus......It's a monster. I've watched them work on it and the work seems to go so quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BartW Posted February 10, 2022 Share Posted February 10, 2022 On 1/21/2022 at 12:32 PM, Rojo Pedro said: What about composition? Does a 200 pound Vulcan out perform a 100 pound Refflinghaus? I was always a bit nervous using big hammers on my Vulcan. Well; In beginner courses, I've seen a 100 pound vulcan destroyed using sledges & beginners. And I mean half moon cut-outs in the thin faceplate on both sides, so the plate on top is almost cut in half. So big hammers and vulcan's is a no-go if you can miss. However is it better than half the weight higher quality anvil? Yes long term; but single use .... I don't think so. Vulcan's aren't that bad, and they won't give you a headache from the high-pitch sound. They just have a thin faceplate. All my "work" anvils are way bigger (300, 430 and 700 pounds) and way higher quality (cast tool steel; HRC 60 ). These days I leave the beginners whale on the 430 pound skoda anvil; it has rounded edges and it eats sledgehammer faces If you are nervous hitting something; don't. steel shards flying around is always a bad idea. Get something in simple iron like a striking anvil, and don't bother with dings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvil Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 On 2/10/2022 at 2:30 AM, BartW said: Well; In beginner courses, I've seen a 100 pound vulcan destroyed using sledges & beginners. This is an instructor/teacher problem, not a beginner problem. For this to happen, its obvious the teacher did not teach this beginner how to strike. On 1/21/2022 at 4:32 AM, Rojo Pedro said: Does a 200 pound Vulcan out perform a 100 pound Refflinghaus? The answer is no, performance is determined by the smith, not the anvil weight or make. There is an ongoing thread that I just posted in having to do with this. The title is something like " is rebound true or pupu". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.