Receiving a new anvil soon. What should be done to a new anvil?

[Kelly R]

Hi everyone. 
I currently have a cheap 95lbs anvil which is not that hard and receives dings and dents easily. I should be receiving my new 155lbs hardened cast 4140 anvil soon. 
I’m not sure what should be done to it? I’ve been told it will come with sharp corners and no treatment from corrosion. Just a light coating oil and machined flat surface. 
I’ll list some specific question, but open to hear any good advice. 

1) I see that smith will treat there tools some how that gives it a blackened look which looks great but also gives it some protection from corrosion. I’d like to know how this is done?

2) Dressing (softening) the edges. How and where should this be done?

3) Do I also dress the hardy hole?

4) When treating for corrosion. Do you also do the face and horn?

 

[Frosty]

Before you make any serious changes you should use it for a year or so and find out what needs changing. Often it's the smith not the anvil needs a little changing. 

Soften the edges but do NOT get  carried away until you KNOW what you need from them. Grind them lightly rounded if it looks like 1/4" round rod it's a bit too much to start. Lots of guys vary the radius on the edges for different uses but again that's for later. You can experiment with different edge radii by making blocks with a shank that fits the hardy hole.

The hardy hole shouldn't need dressing unless the top edges are actually sharp then a LITTLE.

I waxed my anvil with a version of the recipe out of Alex Bealer's, "Art Of Blacksmithing," it contained soot and blackened her up nicely but it was a hassle, the anvil needed to be pretty warm, almost fresh coffee warm.

Paint is old time traditional, almost all anvils came from the factory painted, rusty iron as desirable is a modern trend. 

Wax makes a good durable finish, I use Trewax brand Carnuba paste, it's the stuff on bowling alleys you have to take a drum sander to to strip. Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) works well, it's a polymerizing oil, and makes a tough water proof finish. 

No, doing oil or wax the face and probably not the horn, that depends on how often and how much you use the horn.

Frosty The Lucky