May 31, 20251 yr I've been wanting to upgrade my Chinese-made anvil for a long time. I've been trying to rationalize it. Recently, I sold my Jet drum sander ($1200) and my Champion wood chipper ($300). I wasn't using them much, if at all, and I wanted to free up shop and utility shed space. I also saw that I had over $525 in cash back bonus on my Discover card, of which I was unaware. I took over the pool maintenance, saving my wife $150/mo (minus chemicals) over what she was paying our pool guy. I told my wife not to get me anything for my birthday. I fixed both toilets this year. One was a leaking wax ring, and the other was a malfunctioning tank valve. That right there would have cost $1000 had I hired a plumber. Now that my son has moved back out, that is saving me at least a couple hundred dollars in utilities and food (although he vehemently disputed that extra water for Hollywood showers, the extra water for laundry to include the relaundering of clean clothes because they were intermingled with dirty clothes because everything winds up on the floor, the extra electricity to run his gaming computer 24/7, the extra natural gas to heat the water to do his girlfriend's laundry, the olive oil, butter, spices, condiments, and gas he used to cook lunch for his girlfriend every day, etc., were of any consequence and only amounted to pennies per day). If you're wondering, no, they weren't shacking up under my roof. I almost want to pull the trigger on a Holland 85# ($875) or the Emerson 100# ($1100), but my kitchen remodeling business has been unusually slow this year, which is why I've had all this time to build a hydraulic forge press and a power hammer. I bought the materials for the press and hammer back when things were humming along, but was too busy to work on them. We are debt-free, however, and our expenses are small. So, I keep going back and forth. My question is this: Should I make a rational decision over morning coffee, balancing my desire for something that isn't a necessity with potential other pressing financial needs that might occur in the future, or should I drunk-buy it late one Saturday night?
May 31, 20251 yr Thinking about my own life, I tend to support rational decisions spread over time as they seem to result in less angst than those that are made more rapidly or passionately. It seems that you've got roughly a $1000 anvil budget which doesn't appear to risk putting you in the poor-house, so the question I'd ask is more about timing. Sure you can pull the trigger and have on shipped in short order, but are there others that might turn up nearby & is it worth the wait/uncertainty? https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/3602-thomas-powers-applied-anvil-acquisition-technique-tpaaat/ Since you have an anvil to use currently, I'd say give the above a try for a while. How's that for not answering the question as asked? You've chosen to allude to Kung Fu, so patience grasshopper, hone your skills while you wait. --Larry
June 2, 20251 yr You sound more considered than me, I tend to be a bit spontaneous when it comes to these sort of things - ie what I’d consider luxury or leisure tools, ones that I could probably do without but which would make life a little easier and more fun ...as opposed to necessary tools to get a job done or for work requirements. But, for what it's worth, I do actually plan for that spontaneity so that when the urge arises I have the means: If for example in your case the thought is to spend up to say $1000.00 on a nice anvil, I put that money aside in cash somewhere safe so that it’s out of the hemisphere of daily expenses, credit card payments or bill-paying accounts etc and sort of "forget" that it’s there, or at least studiously ignore it anyway. Treat it as spent but with the safety net of being able to grab it if you really really really need to. Then after a little while if an anvil pops up that you really particularly would like to park in your forge, you won’t feel like you’re spending money that you might need elsewhere and you can be a little spontaneous without even having to buy it drunk one Saturday night.
June 2, 20251 yr Author 2 hours ago, Larks said: you can be a little spontaneous without even having to buy it drunk one Saturday night. I could put it right beside that telescoping flag pole and keep an eye on it at night with my tactical flashlight.
June 2, 20251 yr I just searched my favorite browser for anvils in your area. That "500lb" Fisher look alike anvil in P-cola was just dropped to 1,200 per facebook marketplace. That may be striking range for your price point.
June 2, 20251 yr Author 4 hours ago, ShoreB said: That "500lb" Fisher look alike anvil in P-cola was just dropped to 1,200 per facebook marketplace. I know. I'm the one who convinced him to lower it. I told him about the comments on this forum regarding it. He said he just threw out a number and really didn't know the market. He's just selling it for the old retired blacksmith. Come to think of it, I asked him where I could see it, and he never responded. Need to get back on that. Thanks for looking, though, ShoreB! I appreciate it. I'll see if I can go see it tomorrow. Compared to an actual 350 lb Fisher, shown in this link, I'd wager that this was indeed a Fisher, unless counterfeits were a thing back then. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/beautiful-350-lb-fisher-norris-blacksmith
June 18, 2025Jun 18 Author Okay. I wanted to buy this luxury, non-essential item with "found money." I realized I had $275 in my Capital One rewards account, over $500 in my Discover cash rewards, and today I sold for $1000 a set of old cabinets that I would usually just bust up and take to the dump. I gave my customer half, as agreed. So now I have over $1300 "found money." I'm buying a Holland anvil. Just a matter of which one. I've read on here that the double-horn style is more useful. I have that type now with my Accaciao ASO, but with Holland, I can get a heavier one in the traditional squared off buttox (Frosty, help me with terminology!). Also, the 125 has a 2"x2" shelf. I'm right-handed and like to work with the horn pointing to the right as I'm facing it. Should the shelf be on my side or the opposite side of the anvil? Does it matter? Is a heavier single horn more desirable than a lighter double horn? I don't want to do this: six months down the road think to myself, I wish I had bought the heavier anvil.
June 18, 2025Jun 18 Have you ever used a London pattern? How useful do you find the second horn on the Accaio? Which shelf? I see 2 on that double horn. I am assuming the one on top and not the upsetting shelf. Most i have seen using the shelf it is always away from them, however so is those i have seen with the upsetting shelf. I honestly do not see a need for either. Double horn or single. There are some advantages to a double horn but none i see that can not be cured with a hardy tool or the vice. I find the cutting table on the London pattern quite useful though. So, me i would go with the London pattern. But i would regardless. I am right handed as well but like the horn to my left. I stand a bit different at the anvil than many. I stand at a 45 to it at the heel. If i had the horn on my right it would be in a place i do not want it to be. It really boils down to what you want. Like buying a truck. Do you want heavy duty and gets the job done, or smaller with more accessories? It is up to you but i would go back to my first 2 questions and which did you like better? However, a Holland anvil i do not think you will regret no matter which you buy.
June 18, 2025Jun 18 Very nice. Top shelf i see mostly away from you. Never used on. The upsetting block i prefer my side, don't like "hanging" over the anvil. But if i use an anvil and it is on the other side, i have legs and walk around to use it. My own anvil does not have this. Round horn on my home anvil is on the left, because that is where the hardyhole is. The square horn is right. I use the square horn a lot. But than again it is around me the most common shape, so my experiance on a london patern is very limited, but it was not a bad time using that anvil. Was scrolling at thr time to the heel without anything under was very handy. But so is the topshelf. I'm a easy guy. If you gave me any of the 3 anvils I wouldn't complain. There are features I like on them, so i have my doubts, but I can work with it and find workarounds. The rebound and corners are more of importance to me than than round horn left or right. I don't think that those 2 will be a problem with a new holland anvil.
June 19, 2025Jun 19 You’ll never regret buying a heavier anvil. It’s a shame the double horned one with the side shelf and upsetting block isn’t available in the heavier weight, I’ve been finding the tapered flat end and the side shelf very useful on my older Lindesnas/Soderfors anvil and I now much prefer using it over my London pattern anvil.
June 23, 2025Jun 23 Author An anvil shaped object was delivered by FedEx today! I wonder what it can be? Can't be my Holland anvil. I requested inconspicuous packaging!
June 24, 2025Jun 24 Author Look what popped up on FB Marketplace the day my anvil arrived. It's 20 minutes away. A 100 lb Vulcan anvil for $250! Oh well. 3 minutes ago, MeltedSocks said: Look what popped up on FB Marketplace the day my anvil arrived. It's 20 minutes away. A 100 lb Vulcan anvil for $250! Oh well. For $250 I should buy it just to shine it up and resell it for a profit (assuming it's a good anvil). Sorry, mods. I tried to fix that. Got timed out. But I know what I'm doing wrong now. I just read that they are "the Ford Escort of the anvil world." Never mind. Probably not worth the trouble.
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