66 pound amazon/eBay anvil. Is it any good?

[@reigninoel]

"Ask ten different people and you'll get twelve different opinions" - well put.

[@NotThisGuy12]

@Eddie Levitt then you need a new boyfriend

[@Mountainmonths]

haha im gonna remember that one

[@theoriginalNoOne.]

Being a basically, broke artist, I've been dying for someone to share a decent smaller/cheaper anvil review, that wasn't harbor freight. Im not knocking em, there's just certain things that you shouldn't buy from there. So, Dude, thanks so much for your time, insight & sharing. My final forge design is similar to yours, but I went with the self build ribbon burner, your instructions are so flipping clear. But of course still assembling my forge, but you've been a fantastic resource & am totally grateful for you, your art & your service!!

[@mlkyllo]

Actually the Harbor Freight Russian 110 lb cast steel anvil I bought on clearance for $60 is a pretty tough anvil, although I don't think they sell them anymore. Has a nice ring, ball bounce is around 70-80% at 10". It has some oddities like a huge 1.5" hardie hole set at a 90 degree angle to the side. Also the horn needed some major grinding when i got it, as it was just a rough casting with only the flash ground off. This turned out well because I was able to shape it to closely matching to my other Peter Wright shaped horns. The face also needed to be ground as it still had the milling cutter marks. I've hammered out a great helm cold and also a RR spike knife (hot of course) and have no marks on the face or horn. It was well worth the money...

[@jadabull]

mark when did you buy it? I’ve been shopping at HF for years and they’ve always had cast iron in my locations anyway. On a side note the cast ones aren’t bad for people starting out. They’re actually better for people starting out. Newbies have lots of miss hits and digging shrapnel out of skin isn’t fun haha

[@kennoe3438]

I totally agree well said and thanks again for the info on the Anvil going to order one this weekend thanks again

[@MikeJohnson-cc1sp]

@@jadabull I bought it around 12 years ago in Dayton,Ohio. When I moved to Wisconsin I was going to get another one, but all they had were the 50 lb ones of cheap quality.

[@ericsprado4631]

@@mlkyllo They were good anvils but only available for a short time...

[@johnwalker5938]

Great video review. I've use a 327 lb Peter Wright and have three of 110 lb versions of the Anvil in your review. I use these for students who attend my workshops, and lie you, I am impressed with the performance of these inexpensive anvils.

[@AllThingsMech]

Machinist/welder here looking to get into the trade on the side, for making knives and whatnot. Really appreciate you actually doing some work on camera and showing us the good and bad first hand with no BS. From a total novice, thanks man. Great review.

[@garyboardwine3349]

Hey john, been blacksmithing and blacksmithing for about year and a half, figured blacksmithing would make me a better bladesmith, started out on a homemade 2" thick mild steel plate that was free, no rebound at all, wishing and hoping that I could get at least a 200 lb traditional anvil, just recently found a 100# Fisher in decent shape, almost bought that same 66 # anvil , I got the Fisher for 200, not the best deal but the guy was asking 350, talked him down thank god, between the Harley and the forge,that's been real good therapy, when those thoughts of iraq creep in I go out and hammer my arms of lol, came back pretty jacked up ha ha , your channel has been great man thanks !!

[@garyboardwine3349]

I know your anti social , as am I, I'm in southern wv, I go to wilmington a couple times a year, so you ever allow guests to drop by with plenty of notice just to shoot the crap ? Would love to meet you, pick your brain a bit, All the way lol

[@BigTony2Guns]

I am 70 year old Vet--Call the VA and Talk to someone --get in th system and let them help you!

[@artsmith100]

Rather than rounding off all corners to a 3/8" radius, I suggest making a 3/8" radius at the corners near the horn that gradually tapers down to virtually no radius by the ends of the straight sides of the anvil. There will be times when you need a variety of radii, on both the near and far sides of your anvil. Leave the edges on the heel of the anvil crisp, but not sharp. Then, you have all the forging options you need.

[@unclebob540i3]

"Once you have one you'll want another" truer words were never spoken!

[@mjonesjr75]

I recently bought this for 129 shipped. Glad you made this video , I haven't had a chance to mount and use it yet .

[@ypdonny]

Where'd you get it for $129?

[@mjonesjr75]

@@ypdonny ebay just make sure it says steel. Some don't

[@jamesw9930]

The first thing that popped into my mind was that this would make a great anvil for a portable rig

[@ericsprado4631]

Sorry-NO. I do demos on a very portable 124# Hay Budden. That cast anvil is made in a foreign land from old knives,forks and Coors beer cans.....would work fine to demo nail making....

[@eganschreurs1555]

@@ericsprado4631 it’s cast 1045 I believe

[@OldHickoryForge]

@@ericsprado4631 you don’t know what you’re talking about. Just stop

[@chriswoodman3123]

Again, just really loving this guy's videos. Especially as a non-blacksmith trying to get into blacksmithing, I really like the way he does't shit on cheap products but gives a good account of the merits and faults of these products.

[@misirloupowerslide]

Glad I purchased one of these , I’ve had it about 2 years and it’s held up great for the price and for the amount of work I’ve done with it !! And it will scratch the “ring” itch

[@TheWtfnonamez]

The best craftsmen are always smart. One thing Ive noticed is that the best barnyard hammer throwers who make stuff, could probably get a phd in metallurgy. Not ever seen someone with a PhD make anything useful though. Fantastic video and thank you.

[@miteeoak]

Just bought one based on this video. I do some work with the BSA and lugging around my 200 lbr isn't that easy anymore. $124 shipped. Thanks for the video.

[@danielcrawford7315]

John this is one of the funniest videos you've made in a good bit...imho No insult intended. Your work is top shelf and your charity builds are epic, both of which I greatly appreciate. Your a great guy here in the community. But this was a fun video sirSir and valuable information about the anvil. Tbh I rolled a bit when you became hulk the forklift and picked up your main anvil. That's gota be what 250ish? Lol 20 yrs ago ida done the same thing ...not so much now I'm pushing 60. Anyhow loved it alot 🙏blessings brother Crawford out 🧙‍♂️

[@OldHickoryForge]

Daniel Crawford yeah it’s 260 haha

[@danielcrawford7315]

@@OldHickoryForge , it's a nice one. Are you in Georgia did I recall properly...or wait is it south Carolina

[@OldHickoryForge]

Daniel Crawford North Carolina

[@danielcrawford7315]

@@OldHickoryForge , very kuul. One day I'd like to come out and visit James Davis and yourself. Good people are hard to find. Reckon I think your good people right. Be blessed brother

[@georgekoch1305]

I bought the same anvil about 1 1/2 yrs ago. I’ve had no issues with it so far. Does the job I need it to do and wasn’t $ 600.00.

[@drstrangefart]

I'm 100% sure this video is gonna get passed around about a billion times on facebook in response to "I'm a new guy and need an anvil cheap" posts. I love finding stuff like this. Very good video and review, man. I find some mirth in how much you make that anvil look like a Fisher-Price toy between your size and the anvil's size.

[@OldHickoryForge]

Hope so. I wanted to shed some light on it for beginners who think cast iron and RR track or paying 5 bucks a pound for a trashed mouse hole are their only options.

[@drstrangefart]

This was absolutely the best thing you could have done with it. I really hope this creates a microeconomy around these little guys. If I had room for another anvil I'd probably have one ordered myself.

[@sean9462]

Thank you for the review I have been thinking about getting one, the old anvils here seem to be made of solid gold and priced accordingly.

[@danbailey5503]

You're very welcome for the intro and end credits. Keep up the great content bud. I've learned so much from your videos. I'm always happy to help.

[@McGowanForge]

"some kid in a sweatshop" haha dude that killed me

[@random40s]

That looks like a dang fine anvil for a LOT of people. Glad you did a video on it. I'd really like to see you use it as your main one for a while to really see how it holds up to proper smithing tho. Can't wait to see how it works when properly broken in.

[@wesleymccravy901]

I have two of these, one for friends to damage and one that I use everyday for profession. My ONLY dislike is the small hardy hole. And I'm pretty sure the pritchel hole is just for access to bolt it down easier. My main one I just heavily welded it to a piece of 1/2 plate. I stacked 4x4s up to height and put a plate as the base. The 4x4s are glued and adjoined with allthread in all planes and the corners of the plates are welded to vertical roundstock - 1" 4150. I feel zero vibration and I am 100% sure it's about as solid as it gets. Though I wish I had used vertical pipe filled with concrete dust or something. Either way it behaves like a 200lb anvil. And my 2nd one I milled a portion of the horn flat where the pritchel hole is and reshaped the horn to accommodate the step. But its such a small flat space its less effect and more annoying than just using a bolster plate. But I have made a small living with my 66lber and she my bottom b**** fo sho.

[@wolfparty4234]

Maaaaaannn!!!! I love this video!!! There is NOOO BS with you and your videos!!! Big fan.. keep up the great work man!!!💪🏼👍🏻

[@brianm.4452]

I enjoyed watching you compete on Forged in Fire...this goes even further delving into another aspect of the craft, thanks a lot!

[@Alex-gc6fu]

What episode was he in? Only recently started watching his you tube but watched FF for ages

[@dannyarrowheadstalker3054]

We certainly can put antique anvils above newer ones. We use to have real craftsmanship in this country, and one day it will return. Just don't expect them to be cheap !

[@OldHickoryForge]

Danny ArrowheadStalker anvils are being produced today in more volume and accounting for inflation are more affordable than ever. Also are of higher quality. A cast h13 tool steel anvil will put preform and outlast anything wrought bodied anvil. The assertion that older anvils are superior ignores over a hundred years of advancement in manufacturing techniques as well as metallurgical science. You are objectively wrong.

[@dannyarrowheadstalker3054]

@@OldHickoryForge I understand supply and demand, and I also see newer anvils being deformed by missed hammer strokes. As long as the profession is garnering attention at the current rate, I can't see the cost getting lower, even if they are metallurgically different from the antique anvils. Which are obviously made of gold lol.

[@OldHickoryForge]

If the trend continues as it is it will soon make more sense (as it sometimes already does) to buy new than it does to buy antique. As far as deforming under hammer strikes, as said in the video I have dented peter wright and hay budden anvils. However. On my modern cast steel double horn. I have missed, full swing with an 8 pound sledge and not left a mark. Antique anvils will always have collector value. But with the prices some people seem to think they command, for a user, it often makes more sense to buy new.

[@dannyarrowheadstalker3054]

@@OldHickoryForge I agree with that completely, I'll just have to search around for the right one. I'm simply not using railroad tracks anvils.

[@OldHickoryForge]

You can get one of these one eBay for around 125. Fully serviceable as you see in the review. Far superior to railroad track and will hold you over until you get your dream anvil.

[@dyermker250]

Brilliant talent. Humble, straightforward. Always the truth seeking student of the craft.

[@romantressler4480]

Remember...always lift using your back, never your legs, with quick, jerking and twisting motions. J/k. Great video thanks. I think newer smiths appreciate videos like these so they have an idea of what they can use when they first start.

[@OldHickoryForge]

Damn I should have made that joke. I thought about doing it but forgot about it in the moment

[@jimtaylor6663]

Thank you for this review! I've been trying to find an affordable anvil option for about a year. This one will do. You rock!

[@JarlSeamus]

Biggest drawback to that anvil I could see is it has very little mass so it moves around a lot on you. If you could secure it down well, it should work fine. Remember the Vikings (and about every other early culture as well as some modern ones) use small stump anvils regularly. The anvil only has to be larger than the hammer face for it to work......

[@edmizutani7786]

Thank you so much for the video. I’ve been very interested in starting blacksmithing as a hobby and you’ve sold me on this little guy. Maybe Santa will be good to me this year!

[@sayterslam]

One of my favorite smithing channels.

[@mikemarler8224]

It's a good anvil for a home shop, where blacksmithing may not be a consideration. I need one occasionally for metal fabrication.

[@erikcourtney1834]

I believe “simple little life” bought this anvil also or something very similar. He seemed to be happy with it for the price it’s not bad. Especially for a beginner

[@OldHickoryForge]

Erik Courtney you ain’t kidding. I’ve seen people trying to sell 12 inch sections of track asking more than what this thing costs and this thing is a thousand times better.

[@erikcourtney1834]

Rail track for that much... Geeze. If that’s the case I have 10ft of 8” track if anyone wants it 😂

[@TheWoodsmanMilling]

@@erikcourtney1834 I have almost that much!

[@denniscotey8182]

I ordered this anvil this morning, 2/1/20, based on your review. Ive been making knives for a year or so but just recently desided to try my hand at doing some forging. I bought a 2 burner Hell's Forge a couple weeks ago, my anvil should be here by next weekend. Thanks so much for sharing the info.

[@TzeentchLordofChange]

great to see you on here . I saw you in forged in fire, and was like hey...we live in the same town.,..im also a beginning bladesmith

[@johnkraus5204]

Not just a review, but instructional also. Thank you

[@hangfire5005]

I'd love to see all the youtube smiths in an arm wrestling competition lol

[@dylanmccallister1888]

There is that one guy with the Dutch name who is REALLY good but he is built like a twig man Edit: I found him. Blacksmith Joey van der Steeg Very good at forgingmost different steel and iron types, but he is so skinny.

[@warrenarmstrong2154]

Mic Krout he’s not that skinny, but I get what you mean.

[@ericsprado4631]

If you can find it read the story about Norman Rockwell's famous horse forging contest illustration. It is a true story about two smiths having a forging contest making toe and heeled shoes.

[@leen6bt]

As an amateur blacksmith and armwrestler i think this is a great idea!

[@wesleymccravy901]

I am 5' 10.5". 143 lbs. and holding for 15 years. I get plum tickled and sheer delight when my buddy's wanna play around with some forging. They all played sports back in the day and have jobs where they man handle heavy metal all day and they work out at the gym and stuff... And they can't swing my hammers 10 times without being winded. And you can forget them landing the hammer face where they want it. I love to see their jawls drop when I pick up a 6lb sledge and do surgery on a piece of metal with it and never sit my cigarette down or stop to catch my breath lol. I'm always thinking... "Yeah, Y'all some 'real men' alright". But finesse is a thing of practice I guess.. And when I'm not picking at the boys I seldom use more than a 2lb hammer lol

[@riccroft710]

The thing that made your video really good was the time and effort you took to make something interesting while showcasing that this product wasn't all that bad. Thanks for a quality review of something I've been thinking about.

[@Uncle_Bucks_Forge]

Very nice review. Enjoyed seeing something other than a knife being made. Keep the videos coming.

[@AusyG]

"This is a 66 lb anvil" Handles it like it's 30 lbs Edit. "Let's just take this off here" Proceeds to pickup his 400 lb anvil

[@FSAM2132]

He's a BIG lad..! 😂🤣

[@angrydragonslayer]

Isnt 400 lb something like 200 kg? That's pretty good

[@ninjitsu1986]

I've seen so many reviews on this anvil and little to none of them have shown the anvil being used. I bought this anvil after watching your review. Thank you for the review.

[@Docjakel]

How is the anvil treating you? Considering purchasing it! Currently using a flat 1 " thick steel plate and its horrid compared to real anvils i've forged on.

[@ninjitsu1986]

@@Docjakel I haven't had any issues with it. It's astronomically better than the T-track anvl I had previously. I've missed the material I was forging a few times and didnt have any serious dents. To me it was worth every penny.

[@RandomAmerican]

That into is pretty damn cool. I have to move my 250lb anvil every time I work and it is a pain since its attached to a stump. Anyone that wants to say that any new anvil is trash can come and take a few swings on my fontini and see what they say.

[@HiltsyAdventure]

Ya, I need one I can move around also, I need to use an engine lift to move mine.

[@g-off80]

I stumbled upon your review of the Mr Volcano forge and have been trying to watch as much as I can since. I have wanted to try bladesmithing as a hobby for several years but the startup cost has deterred me from doing so. Now that I have found your review on the specific anvil I was looking to start with and say it is worth it, I am that much closer to starting! I live a little north of your location on top of the mountain at the TN/NC border so it's awesome to find someone close by that's doing the hobby! Thanks a ton for the advice and videos! I look forward to learning the trade, even if just as a hobby

[@christopherharrylang7424]

Good video. I too was curious about these sub $3 per pound eBay anvils. I bought one earlier this year and have found it to be a serviceable little anvil. I've noticed that since I bought mine the price had even come down some.

[@kimcurtis9366]

Seems to be a decent anvil for not much money! Thanks for the review! After using a HF anvil for years, (it actually did turn out hundreds of items for the Rendezvous trade) I upgraded to an NC 70 pounder. It's a good small anvil and best of all, I bought it NEW at the local farm and ranch supply co op for $179 plus tax! In my book, for the uses I will be giving it, that's a steal!

[@raktap12]

Ive used one of these anvils for about 6 months, its decent and done everything I needed and 10 times better than the rail road track anvil I started with that didn't have a hardy hole. The only use Ive had for the hole in the horn is to bend bar stock

[@KRWoodworks]

Just bought one for small projects. Now I'm glad I did.

[@Steve-Kratz]

Thanks for some of your "beginner gear" videos. Pondering getting one of those cheap amazon forges and some hammers/anvil and see what I can do.

[@jaysanders5976]

I have one and would love to find 6 more. They are great for giving classes.

[@neilyakuza6595]

I bought the 110 lb version of this Anvil at Princess Auto in Canada for $ 290.00 Canadian. These are great value for the money.

[@Skelstoolbox]

Same, the one in langford BC? I bought the 22 lb one, but I welded on steel brackets so it can be firmly bolted down to a solid stump, making up for the lighter mass of the anvil itself.. Like Vikings pounded small, spike anvils into tree stumps and that keeps the 40/1 rule as long as a light anvil is anchored to something solid, with mass..

[@megajeremy5616]

UGH!!! going through a rough time at the moment. And the dude tutoring me found this and thought it would be a badass starter anvil... decided to play bankroll for me. Looked 2 days ago and it was still under 100. Got the money today and it went up 2 fold. These things got popular over night it seems. Lol. Maybe it was a deal i missed out on. Oh well. Railroad track anvil at my home forge it is for now ;). Great review though! Very informative.

[@davedoessomestuff8176]

On eBay currently it's 117 dollars. Sorry you're in a hard spot with cash right now, so am I

[@megajeremy5616]

Price has been jumping around on this thing on amazon... keeping an eye on it.. fairly closely

[@melgross]

It’s kind of interesting how anvil makers around the world have different ways of making and finishing their anvils. Most anvil makers outside of the US do paint their anvils. No paint seems to be an odd US phenomenon. A number of expensive models are even painted a bright blue! Imagine that!. I’ve also watched videos of expensive anvils being made, and all the castings are rough, some more so than others. The ones that are more finished, and not all high quality anvils are, particularly for the horn, are finished by hand, with either a flexible portable belt sander, or an angle grinder. I bought the 132 lb black model which is related at 55 RC, and according to my tests, is about correct. While the horn shape wasn’t what I wanted, I went over it so that it was. And while most new anvils have a somewhat hard horn, no old anvils, no matter who made them, do. I highly recommend the book Anvils In America. People will be surprised at how much many people think is true about anvils is actually false.

[@Fu3R4]

Thank you for this video. I've had to give up my blacksmithing hobby when I moved and living in an urban setting has really upset the possibility. This anvil will likely allow me to actually try and start doing hobby blacksmithing again.

[@badwolf6398]

I might have to pick one of these up for craft show/ festival demos

[@travisnull273]

I bought one of these about 2 years ago, having used a piece of railroad iron to get started, and it still does a great job. I later scored a good deal on a 168 lb. Peter Wright that took some repairs, but I still have the 66 pounder mounted and in service, and use it as much as the bigger one. It will need dressed as John said, but it really is the best anvil deal out there that can be bought immediately. Keep up the great work John!

[@valtcustom3602]

I'm no blacksmith, but I did do work that requires using an anvil/beating surface and sometimes bend metal for fabrications. Your approach to earnestly looking at the anvil and other issues made me a subscriber....and I am very picky about my feeds. Thank you for taking the time to share. It enriches those you touch God Bless

[@colinreed62]

Looks like there's also a 110lb version on eBay and Amazon. Definitely on my list to get. Not a whole lot of projects that a 110lb isn't good for. Assuming it's the same as the 66lb, but bigger.

[@Hellish04]

Do you have the link?

[@elijahmcgeorge5198]

I’ve got a railroad track bit for an anvil and it works pretty good great vid

[@esnyd]

Good video, I'm sure this one will be your highest view count. The beginner shit really takes off on youtube and fb.

[@viewsandreviews180]

Thank you for posting this video. I’m glad to see there’s a low cost anvil that might be good for beginners.

[@gunslingerNW]

Just purchased an anvil of identical design, cast steel, probably produced by the same maker only mine is a 132 lb anvil. I'm going to be prepping the anvil for use and building an anvil stump for it over the next few days.

[@Cherokie89]

I got an entire little shed shop set up and going and realized I'd forgotten the anvil. My stomach dropped when I saw how much anvils go for if you want an actual steel one. I dismissed these initially just assuming they were cheap cast iron ones as well. This thing may have saved the day.

[@simonsiron887]

Horn is made soft so that if you hit the horn hard it won't snap. Great vid

[@maddsmish]

Great review, thank you for filming this. My wife got me this anvil and a forge for Yule and I'm really thrilled to give it all a shot.

[@anthonystrunk5360]

I really considered one of those for my first anvil but was afraid it was cast iron being sold as cast steel.. glad they are what they say and I'm sure your video will sell quite a few..

[@Skelstoolbox]

Oh, I have the smallest one, the 22 pounder and once I welded on steel brackets which allowed it to be securly bolted to a stump, it can handle the haviest hammer you can swing at it. Its all in the fact that its anchored to more mass the the anvils weighs itself. The Vikings used tiny anvil spikes they would pound into tree stump and the stump took up for that 40/1 rule..

[@prophesytheorist5130]

Thanks brother, looking into cheap options for my small garage set up. So far it's between this and the nc ferriers anvil.

[@craigmonteforte1478]

Thanks for the video and explanations I am a retired Woodworker thats always had a interest in Forging and Metal work in general Ive been taught by my Dad years ago on basic Welding which means i can weld to make something structurally sound but not necessarily pretty Ive always found watching anyone forge either on a video or in person to be very Enjoyable ! For over 20 years i lived in Maryland and often my wife and i would drive down to Colonial Williamsburg Virginia as a getaway where i always enjoyed watching demonstrations on how they did things without automated machinery and electricity that type of Anvil would be exactly what i would be interested in owning for just a few hobby projects for my shop or home only for bragging rights on saying I made that from such and such and so on

[@SoggyBottomForgeJoe]

That's a cool little anvil. Something like that would be awesome for my little shop. Thanks for sharing.

[@whiskeyjim4126]

I have this anvil and I got some surface cracking. It works but it's not some killer deal. For a beginner it got me off the railroad track and into a more anvil shaped object. Just having a harder hole is a game changer.

[@budshultz1442]

I have been using one for about a year and a half! No complaints at all.

[@d.j.9961]

I am new to your channel, Immediatly when i saw your forge, a lightbulb went off inside my mind! I do not have a garage or a shop, i do however have my basement but, i woukd Never risk it within my home but, seeing your set-up, That i can do within my back yard! I hope you have a complete video on your forge, it's construction, parts, & where you got some of the essentials like the blower motor & etc...Moved out of city limits a smidge over 5 years ago & to me, the further out i go, the more self sustainable i want to be! Thanks for the idea's!!!!

[@HiltsyAdventure]

Might have to get this, I want a smaller anvil I can move around and it will have nicer corners than my big anvil. Another plus is that it will match my 450lb germin anvil.

[@dylanmccallister1888]

You should go to your local renaissance festivals. You're in that crowd man. I see what is on your wall, I see you are versed in things like Roman history, and you have chosen a trade from the era. It is a slice of the middle ages for a few days. Food, music, jesters, blacksmiths, troubadours, wandering minstrels, etc. Oh don't forget jousting. I went to the Ohio renaissance festival they had real jousting competition. That is gnarly shit. Men in 80 pounds of steel charging eachother on draft horses with pointy sticks.

[@jackdawg4579]

Looks like a top little anvil.

[@therealamerican99.76]

Awesome new intro! Also thank you for doing this I have 3 anvils(Harbor freight, custom, and flats plate) but I was wondering if I should get one.

[@mattwyeth3156]

Thanks for sharing I have the railway track anvil and this might be a great next step up

[@Skelstoolbox]

It is great!, I have only the litttle 22 lb one but because I welded on steel brackets (whole thing is steel) which allow it to be very firmly anchored to a stump, violating that 40/1 rule. Since Vikings used small, spike anvils, they used the stump as it was hammered into to absorb the extra mass, like I do with a stack of 4x4s my anvil is bolted to.. Africans use a small steel spike anvil into concrete and make due just fine..

[@DeadMan-gx4vl]

thank,s for all you do for american & your excellent work

[@paulabiscuit7767]

Good to see a young man with good character.

[@neilyakuza6595]

They have a 110lb version of that anvil. I have one in my shop. Works great.

[@paulorchard7960]

Thanks John, once you have one you want more, boy, does that hit home! Hahaha

[@carloscreates001]

Love this review. I've been kicking the idea on blacksmithing but haven't started it because of the prices of the anvils but after watching this review, you made me a believer, lol.

[@markjauregui8138]

Excellent video, I'm looking to get started due knife making, this video has helped me make a good decision on my anvil, Thank You...

[@weston8478]

I have one that's alot like that. Mine doesnt have a hardened face unfortunately. But that's why I got my Fulton, so it all worked out

[@Cortalpsychmajor]

Thank you for doing a review of this anvil, I've been considering it as an inexpensive upgrade to my 15# harbor freight anvil, but I've seen a lot of mixed reviews (purely written reviews) so I've been hesitant to get one.

[@michaelslack5269]

Perfect for us Armour makers...thank you for posting!

[@jb8086]

Really appreciate this, and your vids in general. Needing something better than my railroad track that doesn’t cost a ton. I’m in Madison county NC, it’s great seeing skill like yours coming from around here. Thanks for the content.

[@darrelsprague5964]

Thank you for your effort and education to us.

[@Vikingwerk]

So I got one of these anvils not long after you posted this video, mine came with some kind of clear coat on the face, (which I only noticed after trying the anvil the first time and the coating burned and stank) and the horn was painted, and still rough casting texture. I attacked the thing with a flap disc, got the coating off the face, dressed up the edges, my hardy was not sharp like yours. The ring on the thing is fierce. Mounted down to my loose stump gets it tolerable, i think if I had a set stump it’d calm it down more. Like to u said, the pritchel hole is mostly worthless, but I did make some holdfasts that work in it. The hardy hole is a bit to close to the body of the anvil, so if you are punching through the hardy, your punch can hit the body/foot of the anvil and get stuck. Not world ending, but makes drifting a bit touchy. I just made a bolster plate that works like a saddle to more or less let you use the hardy as a pritchel, will see how helpful that is. Only real complaint is the location of the hardy/pritchel holes, and the horn on mine is kinda awkwardly fat, more like the toe of a boot instead of a cone. If I get fed up enough with the horn I may try and grind it down to a more useful shape. All said, for starting out and working on smaller projects it is a perfectly acceptable starter anvil. The double horn really does come in handy for dealing with small pieces, and the price is hard to beat.

[@coreymerrill3257]

I heard with the ratio thing stay under 1/10th the anvils weight. Which is probably pretty good...a 6 lbs hammer on a 60 pound anvil...not because of the rebound exactly,but because the kinetic energy delivered by the hammer ,if hitting the anvil directly , could crack the hammer and or damage the anvil with the Harmonics it creates from that strike. Making two things ring at the same frequency from impact tends to end baddly . This is why we should not generally hit hardened steel with hardened steel of the same Rockwell. They sort of explode on impact. Gets the molecules all excited and tingly and not hanging into each other so well.

[@christopherconkright1317]

watching you forge on it, It looks okay just seems like takes a lot more effort to move the metal. I used a smaller anvil in my class buy it seemed to add more force back.

[@wht240sxka]

Good info. Thanks man. I hand forged things in the past just hobby wise but always great to learn new things from professionals like yourself. Lots of helpful info here and being a hobbyist blacksmith, I don’t plan on putting tons of money into the tools, however I may upgrade my harbor freight anvil to one of these. Thanks

[@chnkymous]

I’m looking to get started Smithing and definitely needed some direction so this helped tremendously !! Thanks John!

[@78a67h]

Very informative video. Your little forging came out pretty good too. Really enjoyed that, thanks.

[@chapiit08]

This is a style known as "pig" anvil which came out of France and with some variations Italy being the most popular style in my neck of the woods where they came imported mostly from France, Belgium and Sweden. I own a 90 kg Belgian UAT anvil made in the early 1900's that is a dream to work on. The example shown in the video has the hardy and pritchel holes in strange places. The hardy hole usually goes on the face closer to the round horn but to the side with a "L" shaped discharge to the side and the pritchel hole is where the square hole is in the video's anvil. Many examples of these anvils are for sale on blacksmithparadise.com Edit: I checked the Amazon and to my surprise the anvils in the photos have cast-in over relief letters that read "Acciaio" which means steel in Italian. Are these anvils made in Italy???

[@matthijsjansen5838]

It would be an ideal travel anvil for knife shows .

[@clark57225]

Mounted perhaps 12 inches too low. This good little anvil deserves its own stand. I appreciate your review. Thank you.

[@spiteye4206]

I appreciate this video, I am looking to get started into blacksmithing. I want to forge knives and I feel like this may be a good starting anvil for me to learn what I need before jumping the gun on an expensive one. Thank you!

[@sladoeii]

I purchased one similar, and your review is fairly accurate. My guess is that they are induction hardened on the face, and mine skates a file but picks up dents fairly readily. The hardy hole isn't straight or square, either. For the price, however, they're worth the purchase if you're looking to try out blacksmithing.

[@richardbryant7972]

Thanks for the review I’m thinking of buying one of those, I’ve got the sugar anvil and I don’t really like it, it works but not satisfied with it. Thanks hammer on

[@garethbaus5471]

I remember I once used a 9 pound anvil with a 3 pound hammer, my first blow sent the anvil flying, obviously when i found the anvil i nailed it down before trying again, it definitely does seem to be possible to use a small anvil with a large hammer.

[@paullangford8179]

Use a stump as a base, or build one of reinforced concrete, with LOTS of steel in it.

[@garethbaus5471]

@@paullangford8179 both good options, I am going for a less permanent setup though.

[@The_Gallowglass]

Long as she gets the job done, the price can't be beaten. I've seen some guys make decent knives and swords on a 55lb harbor freight anvil.