The difference between single horned with a wide rectangular heel and double horn with a tapering square is largely a matter of taste or what you are used to. Style varies somewhat among different brands of forging anvil. They are not suitable for any extended use other than as a door stop. They are soft, brittle and will chip or break under normal use. These "anvils" are cheap junk largely being imported from China. To avoid these it is best to purchase a recognized brand name or from a knowledgeable dealer that you can trust.Ĭast iron anvils are popularly called an ASO for "Anvil Shaped Object". However, there are some low quality cast steel anvils. The best heat treated cast steel anvils are almost indistinguishable from the best forged. In North America the only forged anvil available is the Ridgid Tool Co. They are also more expensive than cast tools. Today you have two choices in anvils, forged or cast.įorged anvils and tools have been regarded as the most durable for centuries and are still considered the best. The next decision is largely economic and that is the quality or material of the anvil. ** ASO, Anvil Shaped Object AKA door stop. * Historical manufacturing method no longer used. Smiths that work on heavy anvils will tell you they can feel the difference in ease of work between a 200 and 300 pound (90 and 135 kg) anvil. Those that do heavy work need as heavy of an anvil over 200 pounds as they can afford up to 500 pounds.
If you plan on doing lots of architectural work professionally or sculpture then a 200 pound (90 kg) anvil is normally considered the minimum general shop anvil. If you know that most of your work is going to be light forging of 1/2" (13mm) stock or less or heavy sheet metal then a small anvil between 75 and 125 pounds is a good choice.Ī few smiths like the narrow face of smaller anvils.
ANVIL WEIGHT 3HER PORTABLE
In general you want the heaviest anvil you can afford but there are other factors.ĭo you need to move your anvil to the job or from storage to work space?ġ00 to 150 pound (45 to 70 kg) anvils are the most commonly found old anvil because they are the largest convenient portable size. The first decision to make when selecting a forging anvil is the size or weight. These are designed for heavy forging and have all the standard features of a blacksmiths anvil. Today the Peddinghaus, Vaughans, Euro and Nimba are typical forging anvils. They differ from farrier's anvils in that there is more mass in the body directly under the face and less distributed in the horn and heel.ĭue to the prevalence of horse drawn transportation in the early part of the 20th century most popular anvils were a combination of farrier's and forging anvil. These range in weight from about 75 pounds to 500 pounds or more. The size of the anvil should be proportional to the work and the hammer used to perform that work.įor forging an average hand hammer to anvil ratio of about 50:1 is normal.Įxample, a heavy 4 pound (1800g) hammer and a 200 pound (90kg) anvil are a good match.įorging anvils are also known as blacksmiths or general shop anvils. (150g) jewelers anvil and difficult to use a large 200 pound (90kg) forging anvil for jewelry work.Įach task is best performed using the proper size tool. However it is impossible to forge anything larger than fine wire on a little 5 oz. Small bench work anvils can be used for jewelry but are clumsy for delicate work.
These types are different in both size and style.Īs with most tools there is a lot of overlap in application.Ī forging anvil or general shop anvil can also be used for making horse shoes and light forging can be done on a farrier's anvil.Ī heavy sheet metal stake can be used for light forging and bench work. There are five basic types of anvil, forging, shoeing (farrier's), sheet metal, bench and jewelers. It has taken centuries to develop the shapes of anvils and similar to the violin some anvil styles were perfected long ago and will probably never change.
The best anvils are made of selectively hardened tool steel with a well balanced attractive shape and various useful working surfaces. In fact they are a deceivingly sophisticated tool that are made in many styles, materials and sizes. Just a big lump of iron with pointed ends. To the uninitiated all anvils look alike. Selecting an Anvil Which is right for you? Jock Dempsey.
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