German anvils -AMA

[wirerabbit]

Josh:

In what part of Southern Germany was your apprenticeship? I enjoyed living in Germany for several years and remember it very fondly.

I'm just a hobby blacksmith myself and only have an inexpensive and light "VEVOR" style (not marked but the exact same pattern) anvil with a double horn and I have actually discovered the great straightening use of the square horn simply by using it. I'm so glad you mentioned it as a function. It's not easy to figure things out on your own. Alas, my anvil pattern has a rather ugly step from face to round horn, and I look on with envy when I see that sumptuous transition of a beautiful German anvil.

What you say regarding anvil edges make a lot of sense. 1/8" with chamfer sounds good. My poor anvil came with a terrible, ragged edge from the milling machine. No clean up that I could tell. I 'eased' that severe edge as little as possible but did add small areas of the face near the horn with larger curves. This is a very common suggestion for new diy-ers. Once you take it off, you can never put it back is often the counterpoint.

I will be focusing my next few tong making sections over the more "crisper" edges next time.

Thank you.

[Frf]

20 hours ago, wirerabbit said:

Josh:

In what part of Southern Germany was your apprenticeship? I enjoyed living in Germany for several years and remember it very fondly.

I'm just a hobby blacksmith myself and only have an inexpensive and light "VEVOR" style (not marked but the exact same pattern) anvil with a double horn and I have actually discovered the great straightening use of the square horn simply by using it. I'm so glad you mentioned it as a function. It's not easy to figure things out on your own. Alas, my anvil pattern has a rather ugly step from face to round horn, and I look on with envy when I see that sumptuous transition of a beautiful German anvil.

What you say regarding anvil edges make a lot of sense. 1/8" with chamfer sounds good. My poor anvil came with a terrible, ragged edge from the milling machine. No clean up that I could tell. I 'eased' that severe edge as little as possible but did add small areas of the face near the horn with larger curves. This is a very common suggestion for new diy-ers. Once you take it off, you can never put it back is often the counterpoint.

I will be focusing my next few tong making sections over the more "crisper" edges next time.

Thank you.

Josh here, Roy’s apprenticeship was in Villingen-Schwenningen under Kunstschmiedemeister Klaus Walz. After 3 years of apprenticeship, Roy travelled as a Wandergeselle for 3 years and 1 day, working in forges under the old masters still working at that time, across Europe and down into Egypt. I have had 4 years of apprenticeship under Roy while building the forge together.