finding an anvill

[ChiefCodeX]

Hello i am new to this forum and i have been intrested in blacksmithing for awhile but i cant find an anvill. i live in san antonio texas and theres not a whole lot of anvils in texas. ive thought about railroad rail anvill but again can't find a rail. any one know where i can find and anvill.

[rockhound]

There are a lot to choose from on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...sc=anvl&_rdc=1

[ChiefCodeX]

yes but i am trying not to spend a lot of money on one. i might as a last resort but i don't have a lot of money

[hondo76]

There are a ton of horse shoe black smiths here in Texas. call a few up and ask if they know where one can be had. my money says they can point the way...

[Doug Lester]

See if you can find a block of steel somewhere. I got one from a seller on Ebay and it ran less than $250 after shipping. Old world Anvils will sell a length of 4X4" heat treated 4140 for just a little more than that. I doubt that you can find a used anvil for that price that's in any kind of usable condition.

Doug

[Crex]

Well Doug, you can. You just have to do due dilligence and look harder. It helps to know how to test one when you find it.
I have a total of 11 anvils (sheeesh hope the wife doesn't out!) and never paid over $300 for any one of them. 4 are in the 200# range, the rest are smaller between 89# - 115#.
Would never buy one off ebay unless it was local and I could go check it out before buying.
Sometimes you might have to drive a bit but it can be worth it.
Some of my buddies and fellow baldesmiths ran up to Ohio to a big blacksmith convention event last weekend and found a few good deals. Here's a pic one sent me......just to make my mouth water.
I think they brought back a couple along with tonnage of other rusty plunder.

Chief, just keep looking and figure a way to toss the phrase "I'm looking for an anvil" in every conversation. Some one will bite and you might just get that great deal. Estate sales are good events to checkout when they are old farms or country homes. I picked up an American made no-name anvil that sits at 200# for less than $2/# at one. Some minor damage on one edge, but great rebound with solid mass. More a machinest type anvil than a farriers', which is preferred in bladesmithing.
Good luck in your search, and by the way, I'm looking for an anvil.

[Doug Lester]

Yes, and I've heard of people picking one up for free too but I think that a sub $200 anvil that is in good condition would be the exception rather than the rule. I guess it all depends on how much time and effort you want to spend in looking.

Doug

[Crex]

Not so rare as one might think (or I wouldn't have 11 of them). Not so much effort, kind of like finding arrowheads, you just got to stay on point......that and be willing to mash a few spiders.

[ChiefCodeX]

i might know a someone who has an old blacksmith shop on his ranch but no one has been in there for years. how do you test to see if an anvill is any good or not

[Crex]

PM sent.

[Ed Tipton]

ChiefCodeX...Anvils are currently a hot item. There has been a resurgence in blacksmithing, and the prices on anvils have shot up. The current trend is at about $2-$3 bucks per pound for a decent used anvil. You8 may occasionally fimd one cheaper...but I wouldn't count on it. Best thing is to put out feelers and save your money until one comes along.
I also attended the SOFA event in Ohio. If there was one anvil there must have been 500 at that show...but it's always been known for the tailgate. The picture on the other posting was from some Amish guys that must have had 100 anvils for sale. I bought a Brooks anvil for $250 and it is 140 pounds, but the owner wanted to sell it and not carry it home with him. There were 3 or 4 that they were asking $3000+ for, but they were either exceptionally large or in perfect condition. Great tailgate....everything from soup to nuts for sale.

[AUBE]

Like Doug suggested, you can always use a block of steel. I picked up a #110 anvil from Harbor Freight for a decent price that works ok, surface is fairly hard with decent rebound and its stamped "steel" on the side..., but many people have had bad experiences..I think the quality is hit or miss and some are cast iron thats a bit softer. I actually prefer my post style anvil which is basically a 5ish inch diameter rod around a foot long. I'm sure it weighs less than #110 but it ends up being even more efficient, and a lot more quiet. The down side to this is it doesn't come with a horn nor hardy hole.

[Crex]

Hey Aube, good friend and student of mine bought one of those 4140 "firing pin" post anvils a good while back. Came with a stand and everything, but as you said no hardies or horn. Helped him solve the hardie issue by fabricating a "saddle" hardy that fits down over the top...2 1/2" block of steel with a 1" square center hole and a1/2" pritchel hole near one corner. Works pretty well since his anvil stand is adjustable to accomodate the additional height. Not a hard fabrication once you visualize it. Helps to have a good welder and pile of scrap steel on hand.
Thing is, he paid more for his rig than I did for my 268# Haye-Budden that came with horn, hardy & pritchel holes, and more than twice the surface area (she has been one of my best finds, so far, and my all time favorite).
All the steel HF's I've seen were marked "steel" and the cast iron ones "cast iron". Guess the labels get pull off from time to time though. They were servicable to a point, but nothing like the rebound of a quality anvil. Pretty good for hand forging damascus though. I have a 200# farrier's anvil (no markings) that will literally put the hammer back in your face if you miss your mark (work piece). Once I get her up to heat, work goes really fast.

[Doug Lester]

I have to go with Carl on the Harbor Freight steel anvils. I had one looks much like the ones that they carry at the same weight and it wouldn't move steel much better than a 30 kilo anvil that I got from Old World Anvils for only slightly more money, when I got them. I would love to have an opportunity to try a top grade 110lb anvil to compare the two. Some people also don't use a horn much. I'm finding that I'm using one less and less but I do like the idea of having one around. I use my 30 kilo anvil for the horn and for the hardy hole. The 110lb anvil sets on the floor. A leg vice can also serve as a hardy tool holder, though it might be a little high for some operations.

Doug

[Ed Tipton]

ChiefCodeX... I also made a "post anvil". Mine has a 5" x 5" x 3" piece of 4140 for the striking surface. I used a 17" square piece of 3/4" diamond plate for the base and then welded a 4" x4" piece of structural steel tubing onto the diamond plate and then filled the tube with some old chain, nuts,bolts and concrete. I then welded the block of 4140 onto the post and thats all there is to it. It had no ring at all, and not much for rebound, but it weighs in at about 250 pounds, and except or the floor plate, all that weight is directly under the work surface. I love working on it, and I keep the London pattern anvils for anything that requires a hardy. The post anvil is by far the best for knifework. It has a feel similar to that of a dead blow hammer, but all the force goes directly into the workpiece, and it really moves the metal. An upside is that whenever the top surface get dinged up, all it takes is 5 minutes with the angle grinder and she's as good as new again. The total cost of the entire thing from start to finish was about $50-60 bucks...because some of the things I had on hand. All I had to buy was the 4140, the diamond plate and the concrete, and one rattle can of rustoleum...I had the rest. One trip to the scrapper, and I was in business. Not a bad way to go. Total shop time of about 2 hours except waiting for the concrete to set up, and the paint to dry.