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I Forge Iron

Old World Anvils?


Judehey

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I'm looking at the 167# Two Horn Classic as my first real anvil. The size and pattern are what im looking for, the price is reachable, and it's a reasonable drive for pickup. Vendor says it's 4340 with the top third hardened to 50-52 Rockwell. It looks good to me.  Does anybody have experience with this anvil or the brand in general? Im having trouble finding reviews. Thanks. 

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Not really knowing the manufacture of the anvil it's hard to review it. I can tell you this. I have used several double horn anvils at ESSA and TWISTEDWILLOW'S hammer in BOA meeting and I absolutely love them. As long as the rebound and ring are good, I would grab one if the price was affordable.

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I believe they are manufactured by branco in Czechoslovakia. A few guys on YouTube have used them and/or are still using them. I think black bear forge has one he has used in the past, he now uses a Fontanini anvil, and I think old hickory forge currently uses one.

My thoughts are if the price of a new anvil is close too or the same as a used one then go with the new. Modern metallurgy is better by far than anything they did 100+ years ago.

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Not much help here but I have one of their 17lb bench anvils and I like it. I have only forged steel on it once but worked well and left no marks or dings and it was spring steel that I was forging. 

The face is hard and it rings like a little bell. Mine is a little church window style and I love the shape.

I know they are cast rather than forged. 

I like mine well enough that I would try a new one but I chose a Kanca instead for the South German horn shape mostly and I wanted a forged anvil for some reason that rather escapes me now. 

I doubt you could go wrong with it and I say go for it

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  • 1 month later...

Welcome from the Ozark mountains. Pictures may help and knowing where in the world you are located. As far as I know Wilkinson did not serial number their anvils so figuring out an age is difficult. They did change the logo so a picture will offer a clue. The only thing I'm sure of it should weigh 78 pounds more or less.

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Thanks Irondragon, Greetings from down under... New Zealand.  I think the anvil could be 1870 ish.   I will post a photo soon.  All photos of Wilkinson anvils I have seen have the double line X. Strange that mine has a stamp like a plus sign.

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