So Harbor Freight says they have a "cast steel" anvil now.

[eseemann]

Good Morning All, 

I remember some time ago there were posts about HF cast steel anvils (Russian made I think) but by that time I only saw the cast iron ASOs at HF. I wonder if anyone has seen one in the store. I will be going by HF this weekend to see if they have one in stock. Not so much that I want one just want to see what it looks like. 

The DOYLE™ 65 lb. Cast Steel Anvil is constructed from premium cast steel for high hardness, strength, and durability while providing up to 80% rebound. The 50 sq. in. face provides ample surface area for shaping heated metal.
3/4 in. hardy hole
3/4 in. pritchel hole
7.1 in. x 3.7 in. horn
80% rebound

Made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

[JHCC]

Looks interesting. Not identical with the Acciaio/Vevor/etc anvils one sees on Amazon, but quite similar in both design and price.

A few immediate thoughts:

1. The horn is already ground smooth, which is a big improvement over the Acciaio.
2. The pritchel hole is in a much better place than half-on/half-off the transition to the horn.
3. The 60 lb weight is just fine for light-duty work and beginners.
4. The price is comparable to Amazon.
5. If you can go to the store (and there are a lot of places that have a HF), you can actually see the anvil that you yourself are getting, without having to gamble on whether or not you'll get a decent one in the mail.

All told, this looks like a pretty good thing on the face of it. I'd have to look at one in the store to get a better idea, but I'm glad to see another good option out there.

[eseemann]

They might have a good starter anvil (or anvil like object) for people that cannot find anything else. 

Thanks for the info. 

[ILoveSteel]

This anvil has definitely piqued my curiosity as well.  Don't need one though.   Christ Centered Iron Works showed some pretty decent rebound on that with his ball bearing test.

 Much like my Mr. Volcano forge, if this is a better-than-average quality tool at a really good price, this could be a great deal for a beginner.   With the aftermarket on used anvils still pretty high right now, good time to bring to market.   If anyone here ends up buying one, I would love to know your thoughts.

[ThomasPowers]

Be wary I remember a HF employee telling me that their anvil marked Cast Iron was actually made from steel.  They didn't know the difference!  I have also run into anvils branded Serious Steel IIRC; but besides the 'brand name' they were made from cast iron.

I'm going with improvised anvils for US 20 cents a pound at the scrapyard.

[Will Brouwers]

Roy at Christ Centered Ironworks did a review and a torture test on this anvil. The torture test was pretty interesting to watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLuvqCV3GRw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glG5rThgo5k

 

[eseemann]

So the beat the thing like it owed them money and missed a payment. 

It looked and sounded like an improvement over the cast iron ASO. 

Like this one that included some type of gap filler found when cut in half. 

 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

On 3/17/2023 at 6:35 AM, eseemann said:

(Russian made I think

I have a 55 pound Russian made anvil that has a cast iron base with a thick hardened steel face. Bought it from Race Bros Farm & Home around the turn of the century. It's held up very well for a traveling anvil.

 

I can't control the wind, all I can do is adjust my sails. ~ Semper Paratus

[JHCC]

13 hours ago, Will Brouwers said:

Roy at Christ Centered Ironworks did a review

Interesting review, and confirms a lot of my initial, sight-unseen impressions. It occurs to me that one other benefit of it being from Harbor Freight is that if you have a problem with it, you can take it right back to the store rather than having to deal with shipping.

I do disagree with Roy when he says that "everyone has [hardy] tooling with a one inch shank." That just ain't so.

[eseemann]

 

On 3/26/2023 at 10:44 PM, Irondragon ForgeClay Works said:

I have a 55 pound Russian made anvil that has a cast iron base with a thick hardened steel face. Bought it from Race Bros Farm & Home around the turn of the century. It's held up very well for a traveling anvil.

I think that is a good idea having a smaller anvil that you can talk on the road. From what I remember from what I have read a number of anvil brands were cast iron with a steel face. 

Here is another review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtnXz5Jzirg 

[coperlio]

On 3/25/2023 at 4:14 AM, ILoveSteel said:

This anvil has definitely piqued my curiosity as well.  Don't need one though.   Christ Centered Iron Works showed some pretty decent rebound on that with his ball bearing test.

 Much like my Mr. Volcano forge, if this is a better-than-average quality tool at a really good price, this could be a great deal for a beginner.   With the aftermarket on used anvils still pretty high right now, good time to bring to market.   If anyone here ends up buying one, I would love to know your thoughts.

 

It's great to hear that you're intrigued by the DOYLE™ 65 lb. Cast Steel Anvil, especially after seeing positive reviews like the one from Christ Centered Iron Works. High-quality, affordable tools can indeed make a big difference for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

[Rojo Pedro]

Good point and on those lines are Kens tong blanks. 

To me they are a big head start for beginners and pros both

[Nobody Special]

I've got that exact 55 lb ASO sitting in my carport at the moment, picked it up at a flea market at Ft. Hood in about 2004 or so as a first anvil, although mine had Mandarin on the stickers, not Cyrillic. It held up well enough, but the rebound was lousy, and the top isn't much beyond mild steel for hardness.

On the other hand, if you marred the face, it was no big loss to clean it up and just keep going. Aside from being quiet as heck, the soft face and low rebound means it works well as a floor anvil for upsetting. First time I got ahold of a real one though, about knocked my teeth out the first time I missed the work and the hammer came flying back up.

[JHCC]

NS, I think yours was one of the cast iron anvils rather than the new cast steel version. 

[Nobody Special]

I'm talking one like the "Russian" one above in Irondragon's pic, not the psuedo-French style Doyle. The body and horn is absolutely cast iron, but the face is a thick chunk of what feels and acts about like mild steel. That part definitely ain't cast iron. Ain't much harder than a stick of butter on a cold day either but it's been beat on thoroughly and ain't cast iron.

[JHCC]

Gotcha.