Forging A Knife On A Cheap Vevor Anvil?

[@GreenBeetle]

In the end these appear to be well-priced and worthy starter anvils. What do you guys say? Coupon code: VVWORKSHOP5 to get 5% off for all workshop items, you could save about 9$ for then anvil in this video VEVOR Blacksmith Anvil Steel: bit.ly/3T4e1vE Workshop Special Offer: bit.ly/3VdPOF2

[@funkyspacecow]

THANK YOU! This is just the sort of review I needed to see for a budget anvil! I'm tooling up to start learning how to forge knives this fall and have been really struggling with sourcing a good starter anvil. I had hoped for something vintage but the local market for them isn't great here and shipping costs on auction sites is really high. This Vevor anvil looks like it will check all the boxes for my needs as a beginner and has free shipping, I've just been really wary of ordering something like this without feedback from an experienced knife maker. Thanks so much for taking the time to actually make knives and a video, start to finish on this anvil!

[@beezo2560]

For $190 bucks it seems pretty good. The crack in the base worries me but it still performs. I agree with you pro/con list 100%. All in, it's a really good starter anvil. The knife turned out really well especially since you were working with borrowed tools and a foreign anvil. Well done.

[@GreenBeetle]

ty!

[@SiliconeSword]

For my anvil, I have a 120 pound piece of steel that I surface ground, and then welded a surface ground piece of 1/2 inch AR500 steel, and it will barely dent with a 10 pound sledgehammer at full blast. You have to make the weld full seal though, that way when the plate tries to bow up it can't because there's a vacuum that it'll pull. I also get at least 60% rebound, but I'll have to check that.

[@Flying0Dismount]

Knife turned out nicely.. Most of the issues with the anvil can be addressed with some work: grinding the heck out of the horn to reshape it to a better profile. The pritchell hole I would either make a very close fitting plug out of scrap iron and hammer it in place and carefully weld it in place and regrind to create a straight edge, or I might even consider plugging the bottom with clay and damming around the top and just pouring some cast iron into the hole to fill it..

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Great work guys

[@Cyemese]

Vevor actually sells an upgraded version of this anvil. The pritchel hole and horn are flush with the face of the anvil making it actually usable. However the price is about $250 for the 110lb version, and currently out of stock.

[@farmerboy916]

If that’s delivered price, yes please. We can only hope they start selling larger too.

[@ghill1010]

It’s my first anvil!!! It’s not super but a lot better than a railroad track on my knees in the dirt. Lol. Super happy with mine!!!!

[@ShootingUtah]

I own a 50kg version of this anvil I bought on ebay and it's definitely good enough to do basically anything you want with it. The horn seems soft to me but for the price these are really hard to beat.

[@Pablo668]

The knife turned out really nice, well done. "I started out on a railroad track" That sounds like the beginning to a blues song.

[@GreenBeetle]

heheheh

[@mikewomack5178]

Funny, there was a post in one of my blacksmithing forums this morning asking about this same anvil. I just shared your video to the forum. Great video.

[@GreenBeetle]

Cool, thanks!

[@mannsdan]

88lb vevor anvil is 37% off on oct 15th, 2022 in the vevor store, $142!! I'd personally go for the blue 110 lb anvil which is 36% off and $222 on this day

[@GreenBeetle]

NICE

[@ilmbutton]

Awesome video Steve! The knife turned out awesome:) I love the wide face of the anvil and the shape of the anvil overall. Agree that thr rounded horn is a little girthy:)

[@GreenBeetle]

Thanks for letting me use your shop!

[@bromine4884]

Gotta love when i see a green beetle video in my notification... Big fan. Also i always comment asking for another tums video.. Not gana surrender now... XD... I really do hope u make more tums in the future.. Love your videos.

[@PANNARALEJ]

Got one of these from a reseller, only a 66 though. Very good anvils in general overall.

[@krissteel4074]

Actually picked up a 66lb one I think it was about $145 delivered free in Australia and it rocked up about 4-5days later. Mines slightly different to that one, the horn was better, no flaws in the casting, dead flat and it was really damn hard, the hardy hole is even worse so at some point I need to give it a seeing to with my power file. I make a lot of knives, but mostly stock removal and just use the forge for throwing together a little bit of pattern welding here and there, some san mai once in a while and its perfectly fine for that. Honestly, I can't find 4days spare and fill up my car for $145, let alone drive 10hrs to ye olde anvil shoppe, 10hrs back (because I live in the country) and pay 450 for an equivalent, probably undoubtedly 'better' anvil. So the anvil you got is better than the one I don't have

[@richardbryant7972]

Watching your video reminded me I need to get back to basics on my knife making I’ve been doing a lot of fancy stuff time to go back to the beginning. I made myself an anvil out of 3 pieces of RR track with a fork lift tine as face it works really well.

[@DatBoiOrly]

ngl probably gonna buy one, here in the UK i was looking for a replacement anvil after mine failed (had a internal hairline fracture that caused the horn to shear off)and to buy a 80kg one used was £400 to £600 and those were in awful shape if my anvil goes again i'll buy one off them since they're damn cheap.

[@Charlielizard]

Excellent video and review. Knife turned out to be a beauty. You hit quite a few excellent points. Maybe I see things differently, but good tools are worth paying for. An anvil is a lifetime relationship and it's worth spending the money to get a good one. Understand that starting out money can be tight, but use what you can while saving for the investment that will stay with you. 👍👍👍

[@GreenBeetle]

I've been burned a few times by cheap tools. This is definitely not a 'lifetime anvil''. Anvils get expensive so quick. Really good anvils, even small ones, start around $500-$700. Coupled with the other costs of starting a shop it puts forging out of reach for folks. People who decide they like forging and want to forge regularly probably aren't going to stay on an 88 lb anvil no matter how good it is unless they need the portability.

[@Charlielizard]

@@GreenBeetle Agree with you 100%.

[@oneshotme]

Beautiful knives and nice review on the anvil!! Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic work and review, Steve! 😃 I can't make knifes here... But I need to get a small anvil! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@GreenBeetle]

Thanks 👍

[@everready19373]

What do you mean, "I can't make knives here"? Where are you?

[@cryophile]

I have one that I bought for my local Makerspace. It already has some dimples in it, but it doesn't effect my work much. I'm a beginner, so I'm not looking to spend upwards of $500 for an anvil just yet. I just wish it had better rebound.

[@everready19373]

I know this is a bit late but it might help someone else down the road. If you don't want to permanently mount the anvil stand to the floor, removed the anvil, flip the stand over and screw a big piece (like 4'x4') ply wood to the bottom. Now flip it back over and put the anvil back. Now when you're forging, your body weight will help keep the stand and anvil from bouncing around.

[@GreenBeetle]

nice

[@mulepowerforge]

I’m lucky cause my grandpa had a 64kilo Brooks anvil that he passed down to me. It’s like 95% pristine, just a couple deeper dings on the face, but closer to the hardy hole so it doesn’t affect forging and a few on the horn as well. Absolutely beautiful thing to work with though. Probably could go for over $1000 but I’m not too sure what the prices are on them.

[@thunderstruck1078]

Love the handle. Great job once again.

[@mannsdan]

knives turned out great! sell a couple of those and you've got your vevor anvil paid for!

[@Mordoria]

I use the 60KG anvil from Vevor. It is much more usable than the foundry I got from them.

[@BradGryphonn]

If I'd known the value of anvils 40 years ago, I'd have taken one from the abandoned farm shed we found out bush when I worked in remote oil search. I'd have had to have gone back with a ute and a crane most likely though. Trivia: The same shed had some late '20s era cars, as well as a heap of other equipment. We found out later that the sole heir to the property, who was as young as I was at the time lived in the city and had no interest in the place.

[@mannsdan]

i wonder if the 110 pound poperly mounted vevor has better rebound.... hmmm

[@jackkuehneman9300]

If I drop this off the grand canyon, can you assure me that it will kill a very crafty running bird? Debating between this or a giant combination safe. Thanks

[@GreenBeetle]

It doesn't say ACME on the side but I think it will still end up on the coyote's head.

[@RickSolid1]

I’m really digging your choice of handle scales, burlap micarta (?) it compliments the rough forged blade beautifully.

[@GreenBeetle]

Ty

[@melgillham462]

Over time it will also work harden the surface. Me, myself, and I, we all voted for the 77lb North Carolina short sugar to start, and it's still my baby. The kanca pattern is pleasing. As is the price.

[@hinz1]

Only if the steel is good, i.e is alloyed or at least has plenty of carbon in it. Mild steel with maybe 0.2% C (what that likely is) doesn't work harden at all.

[@melgillham462]

@@hinz1 likely true, unfortunately, still a decent starter anvil. Price wise my short sugar was almost (not quite) double that.

[@tellket]

Nice review. Thank you for the post.

[@WojciechP915]

50HRC is good. You can't get that without some kind of deliberate heat treating and sufficiently good steel.

[@choppy1851]

Is that burlap/sackcloth micarta with some darker dye for the handle scales? Sooo good with those pins against the blade. Superlative choice!

[@gothamantiquities2595]

Those knives came out pretty good! What is the best HRC for an anvil if you had to say?

[@GreenBeetle]

The baby rhino I use is 54 HRC and I like it. A few points harder would be nice. 55-57 range?

[@wolfparty4234]

Beautiful as always, my sir!!!

[@GreenBeetle]

🙏

[@ryanblystone5153]

Thank you

[@Smallathe]

Sounds like a great starting anvil. Definitely the cost. Lovely knife!

[@GreenBeetle]

ty

[@coltonthorpe7812]

Ive got one and I pretty much hate it. The face is has the consistency of playdough. Checking rebound left dimples in the surface, it wasn't hardened at all. If you're debating on buying one of these, save your money for a real anvil and work in train track a little longer.

[@lancemillward1912]

a cheap anvil a friend bought had solder in the anvil face that when he struck the hot metal on it splattered out. eye protection required

[@willroberts6777]

Sweet review and an awesome blade!

[@StuartSmithHandForgedKNives]

nice neat forging

[@GreenBeetle]

Thanks friend

[@melgross]

I have the 132 lb version of the black. No defects, very flat surface. It tests to around 55 RC. The 55 barely scratches it, and the 50 skids. Even the files aren’t exactly what they say. By the way, manufacturers harden anvils anywhere from 48 RC to a max of about 58 RC. The harder it is, the worse it will chip. Not great for beginners who miss the work as often as they hit it.

[@TheShadowCamo]

I think I'd just grab some cold rolled or T1 and weld a work surface to it. Then get it milled or surface ground. It's a good size and shape. you'd have a really decent anvil for 250ish.

[@redbearworkshop3219]

You should try some of the anvils sold on Amazon. They say the anvils are good quality yet its hard to say since I've been dupt before.

[@GreenBeetle]

christ centered ironworks does some of this I think.

[@redbearworkshop3219]

@@GreenBeetle I'll have to look him up

[@TWKKNIVES]

Would it be possible to grind the horn down to a more suitable size for knife making? An anvil is the next part of shop equipment I'm in the market for. Being on a budget this seems like my range

[@GreenBeetle]

Probably, with enough care

[@kylemckeown2456]

i have the 50 and it hasn’t let me down yet

[@xizzleman]

As I start my journey into blacksmithing and knifemaking I'm trying to find my groove and learn what my optimal thickness is for my starting bar stock. Where would you start if you were making a hunter if you were aiming to wind up with a 3/16 or 1/4 spine?

[@GreenBeetle]

A hunting knife is a skinning knife with enough meat on it to engage joints and accidentally tip bone without damaging the knife but be thin enough to offer a narrow, slicing geometry. So I think of these as 1/8 - 3/16" thick at the spine in most cases. 1/4" is too thick for a hunter in my opinion unless you're going to put a hollow grind on it. I'd start with 3/16" thick flat bar and see where that takes you.

[@xizzleman]

@@GreenBeetle appreciate the insight!

[@everready19373]

A few years ago I made a Canadian belt knife out of 3/16 stock for a friend. I think it was 1095. He's a hunter and uses it to clean/butcher deer. He said it works well.

[@danbance5799]

The rebound on an anvil has nothing to do with "work efficiency" or anything like that. I shows that you have a hardened face instead of wrought iron. This means that it is a more durable surface that will remain true for a much longer period of time. If you look at older anvils and compare hard faced vs wrought iron, the softer anvils consistently have a dished face and more worn edges. There are definitely better made anvils, but the Vevor is a very affordable anvil and exceptional value. Unless you're a full time blacksmith (and not many of us are), it's hard to justify spending more than that on an anvil. I've been looking at getting one to replace the DIY anvil I made from assorted chunks found in my steel dealer's cut off bin.

[@anthonystrunk5360]

I would've bought one when I first started forging if they were available back then..but they weren't so I too started on a piece of Rail road track until I upgraded to the Papa Rhino..

[@GreenBeetle]

NIIICE

[@brianlawson3757]

I was genuinely surprised it held up so well. I thought it was going to crack and split apart, or you'd end up with big divots on the face. I too started on a piece of rail and my current anvil is just the upper portion of a forklift tine. One of these would be a huge improvement. I gotta ask though, what's the shipping like? I don't think this would be covered by Amazon Prime lol !😅

[@GreenBeetle]

On amazon they're $209 delivered with Prime. I don't know about the website.

[@brianlawson3757]

@@GreenBeetle That's awesome! I just might grab myself one before they sell out. I could do with a proper anvil that I can make tooling for. Thanks! 😎👍

[@mduvigneaud]

Huh, a few days ago Amazon started recommending a ~77lb forged anvil to me. I don't even remember what I was looking for at the time, maybe sheet metal tools... Anyway, IIRC it was about $300 or so. [Correction: wow! $818, assuming there's also a bunch more for shipping.]

[@timhorton555]

That's how I felt about it.

[@timhvac6869]

Beautiful knife 👍

[@dingdonderp]

At the 6:00 minute mark you can hear the forge sputtering a bit. What causes this? Is it a problem, and if it is, how do you fix it?

[@GreenBeetle]

Dunno

[@kren1101]

I have the 66lb version. It's adequate, but I can't help but wonder how much easier it would be on something like a 200 pounder

[@GreenBeetle]

lots

[@lorneclose7312]

The face HRC must depend on the batch I have one of these acciao anvils and it skates a 60HRC file

[@GreenBeetle]

woah that'd be tough. how much was it?

[@lorneclose7312]

Bought about 2 years ago think I paid $160 AUD

[@transplantx6969]

That same anvil is £370 in the UK. Using our average exchange rate (not the current one which is on the crapper at the moment) that’s $507 US. The UK get really ripped off with the cost of tools. ☹️

[@GreenBeetle]

STINKS sorry to hear this

[@benonablacksmith454]

I got the 110 lb version from princess auto a few years ago and mine got 90% rebound. I have a video on my channel of rebound testing.

[@GreenBeetle]

I think the stand, anvil size, ball bearing steel and other issues play a role in rebound.

[@mathurm100]

i picked one of these up to upgrade from the cast iron harbor freight... so i am clearly a moron... and this is also an awesome improvement. like going to hifi audio from rotten paper cone speaker and a bookshelf system that cost $50 in 1992

[@GreenBeetle]

😂

[@gradeyundery4939]

if they send an anvil to a youtuber that will make a video that probably hundreds of thousand people will watch, why do they not send a hand picked one without any casting errors?

[@rozzydozzyknives]

How much did you pay for shipping?

[@GreenBeetle]

They sent it to me for free. If you have Amazon Prime these are $209 shipped.

[@mikebabb2155]

I really want that knife.

[@Dylanschillin]

they have a 110lb one i got at princess auto, and it's not a piece of shit

[@zirconia21]

Maybe get out the flatter and do some work hardening?

[@projectsdonepoorly1383]

I was not the "smart" and i bought a harbor freight anvil....what a waste. This looks like a better option all the way around

[@adamdiaz8442]

On uk vevor it close to 500$

[@GreenBeetle]

👎 there are probably better options at that price

[@howto1863]

If you order from vevor do not expect to be able to return products that you are unhappy with. Customer service is horrible, their telephone number doesn't even exist (at least where I live), quality of the products is bit great and if you wish to return it they may or may not ghost you or offer you a 5$ refund. I bought an electric motor from them. Couldn't use it, lost 195$

[@dominickmaone]

Cheaper anvils lately seem to be made out of ductile iron instead of tool steel.

[@mrirondance]

You can make a knife on just about any flat surface, to an including a flat rock. If the question is, are these anvils really any good, the quick and deliberate answer is of course. NO. Pure junk . However, for someone just starting out or fooling around , they work. As far as anvils go, bigger is always better,: it's simple physics, the more mass, the more energy is directed into the work rather than the work surface.

[@Argosh]

Could you maybe take the audio of the sped up sections and reduce the frequency? That stuff seriously hurts my ears.

[@GreenBeetle]

all sped up sections are set to maintain normal frequency in my editing software nothing should be higher pitched. the resampling makes some funny noises when i do this, maybe thats what youre hearing

[@WanderingGunslingerGaming]

Forging with shorts on doesn't seem like a good idea

[@GreenBeetle]

i do it all the time when it's 95 degrees outside and the shop gets over 110

[@-Evilempire-]

Italian Anvil? "Acciaio" is the Italian word for steel

[@GreenBeetle]

I gotta think these are made in China. This anvil's double horn pattern is referred to as "Italian" so maybe that is the connection?

[@-Evilempire-]

Ok,now I understand😀🇮🇹

[@darraghchapman]

@@-Evilempire- You beat me to it ;) Green Beetle, in case you're interested, the pronunciation is ~ "atch-chayo". The chinese provenance makes sense. I'd love to hear the manufacturer pronounce it :P

[@hinz1]

Chinesium chewing gum steel or whatever... Same crap as the machines from there. Buy old US/European stuff and have fun with it for the rest of your life.