Cheap Amazon Anvil: First Impression

[@jimlondon3953]

Having worked in Steel Casting Foundry, the "fill" you are showing is actually the sprue side from the pour that has been cut & ground off. The smoothness of the grind would indicate no shrinkage in the gate or sprue. A good solid pour.

[@whilomforge3402]

In the last couple years I’ve hade the fortune of owning half a dozen anvils, 5 of which were 200+ lbs new, cast anvils. Unfortunately, I’ve had to let them all go. 3 months ago, I purchased one of these anvils, just to fill some custom orders, and I’ve been beyond pleased with its performance. No, it isn’t hard enough, or big enough, but I’ve forged 4 blacksmith hammers on it (all over 2 lbs), and it has done just fine. I’ve also made several sets of tongs, chisels and punches on it. It’s definitely not a be-all, end-all anvil, but it does great in the short term!

[@abitoffblacksmithing9985]

I was fortunate enough to have a friend that hooked me up with a 98 lbs 12×8×4 chunk of mild steel for 20$ . It makes a great anvil!!!

[@guardian_ironworks]

That's the same model of anvil I'm working on right now, which isn't that bad considering I've only been at this for a few months. I guess I got pretty lucky with my particular Anvil though, seeing as it looks very cleanly casted, especially compared to some others I've seen. There wasn't really any filler on mine, however the Hardy hole, and the pritchel hole were a little gunkey. Only issue with mine, as with every other one of this model, was the paint on the horn that I definitely needed to remove. At the end of the day, it's not cast iron so I'm thankful for that.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Thank you for sharing your experience

[@daniele3275]

It's not a logo it just tell you that it's made out of steel Acciaio=steel I'm Italian

[@plagueinater]

Yes,I'm Irish,but I know words

[@miteeoak]

I used one today. 8 Scouts worked 6 hours on the Metal Working Merit badge. No complaints from me. It took some abuse. My box looked exactly like yours when it arrived.

[@Playswithfire3782]

I have one and use it daily. The face of mine is as hard as it needs to be. I have had it for a while and it only has a few tiny dings from me working in the dark. The value for the money cant be beat. My packaging looked about the same. The top was flat and true, i actually checked it. I did however take a flap disk to it.

[@bsforge]

Hands down, funniest rebound test...EVAR!!!!! That should be mixed into your intro clip somehow. Just in the background and the “tink, tink, tink” as the bearing dribbles off the edge! 😜 Love it! Thanks, Roy!

[@jadabull]

Thanks for reviewing this. Many folks on my “learning to forge” fb group have been asking about this anvil. I will share to fb

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Awesomeness! And there's going to be more videos to come about it :-) thank you for watching

[@jadabull]

Christ Centered Ironworks anything I can do to help our community. thank you sir for teaching!

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

@@jadabull it's my pleasure to teach

[@lord_kinbote3920]

Just ordered one of these. If you ask me, the cheesy blue paint is part of the charm.

[@olegpetelevitch4443]

Just bought one and dressed it ! The thing was ruff ! The legs were hanging out the bottom of the box ! With a few dings scratches ? Fixed it up took paint off horn grinded sanded horn top was surprisingly smooth ! I got the black color ! Agree had some filler to not to bad payed $98 took me 2 hours to make usable 5 days delivered ! Happy New year m8 !

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

If you didn’t know how to mess up an anvil, just ask the experts at fedex.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Lol your right😂

[@rickpaulos]

@@ChristCenteredIronworks Any shipper can ruin anything. Fedex isn't unique.

[@plagueinater]

@@rickpaulos no,I've ordered from alot of places,but FedEx,my package was destroyed

[@NewWorldHoarder]

Their name derives from customers complaint to customer service “I’m FED up with you EXterminating all my packages!” 😅

[@inconvenientskills]

Thank you for sharing and to the others for the comments. I'm considering buying one but have been a little worried about putting money into something that might end up being HF quality. It looks like it will be better than what I'm bangin' on now.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Your welcome happy hammering

[@the_nothing]

Mine arrived on the 3rd. Your anvil had more packing material than mine, but more box damage. The plastic "dragon skin" was still attached to the oiled surface of my anvil. I ran a file all over mine and found no soft filler areas. For my use, and my space, it'll be about perfect. First thing I did was hit the horn with a flap disk, and part of the edge to round it out. I look forward to see what you do with it as you certainly have more experience than I.

[@wallacedavis8922]

The word on the side is Italian for steel my understanding is that they are surplus molds cast in India. I have the 220# one I have used it about a year and am very happy with it. I think for th..te price they are a very good place to start. The Hardie hole on the large one is 1 inch as well as the pritchel hole. The one I have doesn't have any filler in it that I can tell . I did have to spend a little time with a grinder before I was happy with the round horn but very satisfied with it now . Mine came in a carton with a 3/4 plywood bottom strapped to a pallet . Mine came from tool topia thanks for reviewing these I enjoyed your streem last night the Hardie tool turned out great

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Thank you sir for all the extra information!

[@codypickett575]

Where did you buy the bigger one? If anyone knows where to get the heavier models let me know please!!

[@wallacedavis8922]

@@codypickett575 mine came from Tool Topia. Or Hec Industry's. The are listed as Woodward Fab anvils

[@IslandRainmaker]

I bought one a while back, it is a decent little anvil. It arrived with the box looking like a crushed rhino with the horn protruding from the top edge. After the liberal application of a flap disc and a chainsaw file I had the horn & holes dressed. It was a great step up from the "anvil shaped object" I was using at the time.

[@NeilGraham.I.M.F]

Lol! i think john at old hickory forge has a review/use video on what id say is the same anvil

[@benjamin_griffin]

Thanks for taking the time to give your impressions. 👍👍👍

[@tomk3732]

I have a 110 lbs version (50kg). It is excellent anvil. Its made of cast steel not cast iron. I have black one. I paid for it just over 1CAD per lbs - this is a bit more then cost of steel to make it. Great value. Highly recommended. Italian patent.

[@Playswithfire3782]

I forgot to mention in my other comment. The hardy hole on mine is 3/4. Mine also was a lot straighter looking than that. It was dirty though.

[@guiltyspark7933]

The "dragonskin" thing is wax /oilpaper to prevent it Form rusting . I got also such a little italyanvil and for hobbyuse its just right

[@DownunderFarmandForge]

Certainly not a dream anvil but looks like a good start point

[@spwicks1980]

Nice little anvil. I'd round the straight edges at the side for breaking up and drawing down stock but otherwise, it looks servicable. Its got better edges than my poor old Peter Wright. Someone knocked great lumps out with a sledge hammer by the looks of things.

[@mountaingroveforge6554]

Funny on the E-bay listing it is called a cast iron anvil in the picture and a cast steel in the title description.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Yeah it is a weird discrepancy

[@BrianDaleNeeley]

That is probably just the seller doesn't know anything about smithing (or any related craft). Iron is steel and steel is iron, right? They said it was cast and they cast iron... plus cast sounds important here and it's another word to pad the description. A big paragraph looks more impressive that a couple lines. With a little detective work and two or three examples from different sellers (if you can find them), you could probably reconstruct the two line description from the original manufacturer.

[@drason69]

After the Livestream last night, I checked Amazon.... Sold out.😟. But, still looking forward to more info and modifications, you might offer. Thanks Roy! 👍👍😀⚒️❤️

[@the_nothing]

Check eBay, that's where I found mine

[@jllaine]

the round hole at the base of the horn is not really a pritchel hole, it's an access-way for the extension rod on your ratchet wrench to reach the mounting hole to bolt the front foot to your stand, the hardy hole provides the same access for the rear foot's mounting hole. but I agree that with some talented welding of build-up around the hole it could make a serviceable pritchel hole.

[@mountaincrittercreations2596]

Thank you for the video. Was looking at this. Should be a good series.

[@erikcourtney1834]

I don’t have this anvil but I do know it’s great for beginners. Soft face is good security. A beginner smith will have many miss hits as well all know. Wouldn’t want to many of those on a good hard face anvil. I used a soft face hammer beginning because I had a tool steel top anvil.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Absolutely thanks for watching

[@mandycole21]

THANK YOU for this video and I kinda would like to see a side by side of the ball bearing drop with this anvil and Helga .....

[@nolanherndon2853]

I've seen this anvil under vevor, happy****** (something or other), eko-sport etc ....are they all the same?? O.o

[@bolland83]

If the used market is no good in your area, and the only local option is HF, this isn't a terrible alternative considering you'd need to spend at least twice as much to step up to an NC or Kanca anvil. It's certainly better than the HF anvil shaped object, and maybe a bit better than a chunk of RR track.

[@denniscotey8182]

Mine came today! 2/7/20. Arrived in 6 days. My box was in worse shape than yours! I wish I would have taken pics but was too excited! Time to start the clean up. The blue paint is even worse than in the pics!

[@dragonstonegemironworkscra4740]

Looking forward to seeing the next reports 🙏. Blessings to you Crawford out ⚒️🧙‍♂️

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

God bless you my friend

[@matthewtomes9396]

So the hardy hole is meant to use railroad spikes for hardy tooling

[@waynemorgan8648]

I have an acciaio 50kg. The horn is porous. Can I weld up the the holes and grind smooth.

[@willywantoknow2563]

I'd like some advice. Would you get a 88lb for $300 or 110lb for $600 my other option is a well made cast steel 150lb 4340 steel 59HRC similar style for $1800 (all anvils delivered price)

[@jasongannon7676]

Easy way for the beginner to start out before investing to much cash

[@danielsmith2043]

Great video ! Thanks Roy !

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Your very welcome

[@GWIRailroad]

Thanks Roy, great video!! Wayne

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Thank you Wayne!

[@BLagather]

the “dragon skin” is VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) paper.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Yes, I'm sure it was on the face when it was boxed up but whatever grease/oil was holding it to the face dried up and so it fell off.

[@LanceSheppard]

Have you seen anyone with the 110lb option?

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Some of my channel subscribers have purchased the 110# version, and have been happy with it.

[@LanceSheppard]

@@ChristCenteredIronworks awesome! thank you for the reply. God bless.

[@rabadgett]

Still hoping to win one but if I got to buy one I will, the 24 lbs one just isn't standing up

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Well hope you win :-)

[@chuckschillingvideos]

Pretty annoying that this one has such a rough and out of round horn, not to mention the very large repair. It certainly doesn't look like a new anvil to me - it looks like a return that was given a rudimentary repair and resurface on the face and sent on to the next sucker. That might explain why some are blue and some are black. I wonder if the black anvils are the new ones and the blue ones the refurbs? That ball bearing rings nice and musical when it rebounds off the face, so this might be a keeper.

[@bobbymccoy6096]

Fed-ex is most likely the reason the box is tore up

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Nope bad packaging on the sellers end... But yes the shipping department probably doesn't help lol

[@hamongog]

"Dragon skin?" Oh, because it's from China? That's absolutely hilarious and not racist whatsoever! Thumb up for exposure.

[@srl413]

I think I'll just stick with my railroad track anvil it has served me well so far

[@jacobkaltz1958]

Are you going to do any blacksmithing classes near Cleveland???? (just wondering)

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Not in the near future but will be at tillers in the spring

[@jacobkaltz1958]

Thank you I’m just asking because I am in Pittsburgh Cleveland is only two hours away

[@stephenweaver7631]

Could what you describe as "filler" material" be the junction of the sprue?

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Yes it could but it doesn't have any pores like the rest of the casting??? So not sure

[@kidkv]

It looks that way, to me. I've watched a lot of casting videos, it would be cut and ground down.

[@paulorchard7960]

Yeh, its an anvil, just! Such a shame that so many great anvils have been junked in the last 50 or so years!

[@chuckschillingvideos]

I don't think all that many anvils have been junked. I think there are just a LOT more hobbyists than there used to be picking up hobbies (and there are plenty of them) where you need an anvil.

[@JayBoGuitar]

I have one. The face is soft and easy to ding with a miss

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Yep I've found this to be true as well but better to ding then shatter :-)

[@ibast1]

might be worth peening all over the face before use.

[@jason00121]

It looks like it's in better shape than the old harbor frieght anvils. They needed a LOT of grinding...

[@jackshadow325]

Mark Aspery has been saying good things about this anvil.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

It is a great starter anvil with some elbow grease

[@502deth]

i just came here to watch this video and the notification of a live giveaway was in the sidebar. just caught the end of it. fingers crossed!!

[@rmcmunoz2]

Cool video! Thanks for showing this anvil! Do you have a link for this anvil?

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Yes it should be in the description

[@rmcmunoz2]

Christ Centered Ironworks oh! Thank you sir! God bless!

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

@@rmcmunoz2 your welcome God bless you as well!

[@grandadz_forge]

Great entry level value!

[@matttaimuty5397]

The blue is a temporary blessing in disguise. If it was black you would have needed another color sweatshirt. Black on black doesn't video well. 🤣

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Lol You are funny :-)

[@abitoffblacksmithing9985]

Ha ! Very true!

[@gusgetoutofheregus3332]

king of liking all the comments 😊

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

😊

[@SlowplayRJ]

Fed Ex notorious for throwing, kicking and damaging parcels... probably because of the weight.

[@ralphpatr4627]

Made in China but it’s a great anvil to start with. Use mine alot but mostly for small items and for knives.very pleased with it for the price.

[@gtschanel2362]

Great video

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Thank you!

[@unknown_tanker7294]

I thought it was the one i saw that another set of guy's were endorsing it.

[@RandomMichael]

Dragon skin probably anti rust paper.

[@1080-v4v]

Only an American would call this anvil "cheap." Use "inexpensive" instead.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Because we are the best 😉 I'll keep on being American and do And say whatever I want.

[@1080-v4v]

@@ChristCenteredIronworks / Spoken like a true "Christian"....too vain to understand that this not a cheap anvil. It is an inexpensive anvil. Did you even finish high school?

[@benonablacksmith454]

Here is my review on the 110 lb I bought a while back. www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?/topic/37154-princess-auto-110lb-anvil-review/

[@benonablacksmith454]

On the side I believe is from the sprue when it was cast. I think they were cast in a large casting with several anvils all connected to one large sprue in the center. I have talked to the factory and they make these up to 300 kg!!!

[@benonablacksmith454]

I also find the pritchel hole is lower than the face which marks up the workpiece when using it. I ground about 1/2 inch diameter around it into the face to make it more useable. Real Italian pattern anvils have a smooth transition from face to horn.

[@jasonsisk2902]

Cool looks good 👍👍👍

[@mountaingroveforge6554]

It does look like the same box.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Lol I know right :-)

[@wanderingthewilderness]

Looks like it would do the job

[@brandonfoley7519]

Hey that looks like my box!

[@satheesanbhaskaran1259]

How much this little anvil cost inIndian rupee? I like to buy such one.

[@victormcox]

Oh come on man! Mine is painted pink! 😜👍🤟

[@WayneWerner]

At least it wasn't bondo. I watched a waterjet cut open a HF anvil and it had about a cup of bondo in it, lol

[@stromgray6239]

I have the 110lbs one and the box was a shitty plywood crate

[@Mountainmonths]

i think its pronounced "ah-chai-ioh"

[@OKBushcraft]

Ah man, I wanted to see you whack the filled areA to see if it was bondo or something.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

If it makes you feel better I did grind it and it was metal 😆 but that would of been funny

[@OKBushcraft]

@@ChristCenteredIronworks I've heard of it. Not seen it though. Thank you

[@willlothridge3197]

Chunk of metal in a cardboard box,,, why is the box being beat up such a big deal? If it can’t handle shipping then it is junk

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

It is important for a number of reasons... If the company decides that it doesn't matter if you receive your item undamaged and on time they may not also care about your happiness with the quality of their products. I have got to highlight this in the video as to not lead anyone astray.

[@willlothridge3197]

Christ Centered Ironworks as long as people are buying them they probably don’t care, cheap shipping methods reflect the product. It’s a price point product and not much of a surprise on product and shipping. Hard face the anvil and have something decent ?

[@dejo1976]

It look like it would work

[@bentoombs]

That's a speed hole from shipping. Lol 😂

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Lol yeppers

[@brettphillips3091]

interesting, thank you

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Your welcome

[@RayFromTheHayclan]

You want cheap? You gott it. Lol

[@surfearth1]

Wow that side sucked. I was thinking of buying one but that’s pretty bad.

[@johnnyrebellion8672]

How did this end up on my suggested videos? Now I want an anvil and yet live on the 32nd floor of an apartment complex.

[@michaelrobertson8795]

Lol they could have saved some trees and just ship the Anvil.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

I know right :-)

[@debbiebarbour9467]

The comment about just ship anvil is true. My husband ordered the same anvil off Ebay and it came with the shipping label taped to the top n nothing more.

[@robertbrammer2970]

The 110 lb gets sent in a wooden crate

[@oldschooltunervw]

That rebound looks horrible lol

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Yeah it was sitting on my table that has a 1/4" steel plate

[@melgross]

I love the blue. I’m tired of dark machinery. Old milling machines and lathes used to be black too, but they got smarter and made them in lighter colors.

[@JustinTopp]

From what I’ve seen they are not the best but worlds better than something like the harbor freight anvils

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

They are world's better than what I started on over a decade ago... Guys today don't know how lucky they are lol time will tell how long this one holds out

[@JustinTopp]

Christ Centered Ironworks I started with a claw hammer and a rock before finding some railroad track. Used that for a few months before I got my 150lb Henry wright. I wish I knew about this When I started. If it even existed the time

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

@@JustinTopp if it did it may of been no better than a harbour freight anvil lol or worse...

[@JustinTopp]

Christ Centered Ironworks there’s a good chance it didn’t exist or was of much worse quality :)

[@752brickie]

Love you name !! The name above all names !!! Way to go my brother !

[@abebeaku8369]

that was italian condom, not dragon skin :)

[@Carole_Williamson]

You’re making fun of my only anvil. Can not afford anything else. It is steel, not cast iron

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Not once have I singled you or anyone else out about their choice of anvil period. And I won't in the future. I have made several videos around this anvil with high praise.if I laugh at something in my videos it is not a personal assault against anyone.

[@brandonfoley7519]

I hate blue, c'mon guys The paint smells when it burns I hate it

[@glenndarilek520]

Who cares about the packing? Is Fedex going to break an anvil? And what difference does the color make? Very little info for 11 minutes.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

It's called a first impression video for a reason... The future videos will have more in-depth information. The boxing does matter as this is the first indications of a company that takes their quality control seriously.

[@eliseodiaz7806]

You Talk to much . All no action

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Yep and if you don't like it there is a big old internet out there for you to explore! Happy trails

[@jadabull]

You apparently don’t know what a first impressions video is. How is he to give a review on a tool without speaking? I could translate in sign language but I only know one hand gesture and it wouldn’t be very Christian of me. 😜🙏✌️

[@PleochroicRainfall]

JadaBull Customs 💚👌😂