Holland Anvil Armorer’s Swage Block

[JHCC]

In 2023, Holland Anvil started making an armorer’s swage block. This is an authorized copy of an original pattern by Eric Paetow of Ironmonger Forge. 

According to the Holland Anvil website, the dimensions are 13-3/4″ long x 7″ wide x 4″ high. It has three dishing bowls at 3″, 4-1/2″, and 5-1/2″, a tapered vambrace form, and both open- and closed-end finger swages. It’s cast in ductile iron and weighs 65 pounds.

I just picked up one of these at Quad-State and I’m planning a stand to put it on. The castings are a bit rough, but should clean up fairly easily.

Even though I’m not an armorer, I’m thinking this should come in handy for a lot of unusual jobs. 

[foundryguy]

Thanks for the purchase and the mention. I visited Eric in Maine in 2023 and bought the pattern from him along with 3 dishing bowl patterns. I hope the block works well for you

[Frosty]

Long time no read, good to see a post from you again! So what' new in Holland?

Frosty The Lucky.

[JHCC]

Thanks, Greg! I'm currently designing a stand that will hold both it and the Columbian vise I picked up earlier in the day.

(The dishing bowl patterns were also very nice, but I've been having good luck with the ones I made from old welding cylinders.)

[foundryguy]

On 9/29/2025 at 2:40 PM, Frosty said:

Long time no read, good to see a post from you again! So what' new in Holland?

Frosty The Lucky.

Everything is old, hahaha. We have some bridge anvils we will be listing soon. They were designed by a MS blade maker named Doug Noreen. He lives near me and ran a pattern shop, contacted us and wanted us to have the patterns. 

On 9/29/2025 at 3:21 PM, JHCC said:

Thanks, Greg! I'm currently designing a stand that will hold both it and the Columbian vise I picked up earlier in the day.

(The dishing bowl patterns were also very nice, but I've been having good luck with the ones I made from old welding cylinders.)

The dishing bowls were are popular with some folks. I just told my son its the item I wish i had brought more of. You never know when you load the trailer up. Thanks again for the purchase! 

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I have one of your dishing bowls Greg, with the spoons on one side that I bought years ago. The first one had a casting flaw and your customer service is top notch, had a perfect one in no time flat.

Randy

I can’t control the wind. All I can do is adjust my sails. ~Semper Paratus~

[JHCC]

Update: I made a stand for the block. Regardless of whether a narrow or a wide face is upwards, the working surface is about the same height as my anvils (as are the jaws of the attached striking vise).

The large pipe is filled with sand for additional mass and stability. 

[JHCC]

Looks like the photos I posted previously have vanished, so here they are again, along with some shots of the progress in dressing the block. 

The stand holds the block both lying flat:

And on edge:

 

Since taking these photos, I've done a lot of additional dressing in the dishing hollows and the hollows on the edges, using a round stone tip in a die grinder.