Anvil, finally found one!

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mark.177

Maker
Apr 21, 2014
722
152
Cornwall UK
really interested in forging of late. iv gotten by with a hunk of rail track for a while now and it has served well but have wanted something heavier for a while and had my eye open for a 'proper' anvil for ages and seems they're not easy to come by in good condition, perseverance has paid off though as after searching for what seems an age (because it was!) i have finally got a good'n! little bit of damage around the the edges and heel but nothing i cant work around and the striking face is flat and true.

brooks1.JPG brooks2.JPG brooks3.JPG
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,209
362
73
SE Wales
Nice find, they are difficult to come by, eh? Seems they've become one of those items like guitars, good tools etc. that are collected by folks who have no intention of using them and have enough money to drive prices through the roof. Plus they're heavy things and you have to go collect them, on spec, and you can do a lot of miles going to look at items that are mis-described (?) and much overpriced; you must be chuffed to have found that one.

Let us know how you get on with it :)
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,446
1,284
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
Nice size! Very cute!

One of the big problems with anvils is that a lot get bought here to then be shipped over to the states. I've been told of a trader that slowly fills a shipping container then sends thatbacross when filled.
 

MartiniDave

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 29, 2003
2,355
130
62
Cambridgeshire
Ah! Memories! Filing the anvil was the standard punishment for discretions both real and perceived when I did my engineering apprenticeship!
 

Tony

White bear (Admin)
Admin
Apr 16, 2003
24,131
1
1,878
53
Wales
www.bushcraftuk.com
Nice find, I regularly kick myself when I think back at all the anvils that were kicking about years ago, no one wanted them, now they're rare and expensive and I've not got one!!

Good for you getting hold of this one and I hope that you'll share your creations with us goodjob
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,981
7,757
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
You're the envy of quite a few on this forum I would think. Like you I have been looking for ages and the only ones that come up here haven't got a square corner on them anywhere! People seem to want them as garden ornaments :(
Nice find.
 

Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
12,777
1,510
51
Wiltshire
When I got an anvil for my Japanese swordsmith friend, he melted it down, saying the metal was best used elsewhere...

But an anvil hunter might want a word with Pillars Antiques, of Bradenstoke, Wiltshire, as they had one the last time I was in there.
 

Bazzworx

Full Member
Mar 5, 2009
461
148
38
North Wilts
That’s crazy, I bought one off a farrier in the next village about 8 years ago for £100 and sold it to a mate last year for £100. Came with a stand too.
 

Arya

Settler
May 15, 2013
796
59
39
Norway
I'm envious!! Congratulations!
I could only afford the small tripod version of anvil, but I would love one of these. Even if it's mostly just for shaping horse shoes.
 
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grip

Forager
Nov 30, 2009
160
45
here and there
I got my anvil and a aldays and onions forge out of a scrap yard 30 odd years ago for a tenner a piece. Back then nobody wanted them.
I've been collecting old gear not just blacksmith since then and have a workshop full of junk according to the wife.
With the rise of YouTube the price of all this stuff has rocketed and it's becoming harder to find.
 

Everything Mac

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 30, 2009
3,112
83
36
Scotland
Well done Mark. That's a nice looking Brooks you have there. They're English cast steel. 64kg is a good future proof size, plenty big enough for just about anything you're likely to want to make and small enough that you can easily move it about by yourself.
£400 isn' cheap though. I've been keeping an eye on anvils and anvil prices for years now. I bought a 262lb anvil 5 or 6 years ago for £150 but the average price these days seems to be double that. Which is very unfortunate but it is what it is. They are worth it long term as you'll always make your money back on them eventually.

By some miracle here in the UK we're actually blessed with remarkably cheap anvils and blacksmithing equipment compared to mainland Europe, let alone the rest of the world. TV shows like forged in fire have massively driven up the price in the last few years but be thankful we (The UK) never adopted the ludicrous dollar value per pound in weight they have in the USA.

thanks, same, the horn and heel ring but a little quieter/muted in the center of the face.

That's just the physics of the beast - the thinner horn/ heel vibrates more when struck thus is louder with a higher pitch.


I'm sure I've shared this in the past but here's a video on anvil construction:


With regards to mounting it big blocks of wood or a stack of smaller bits works absolutely fine. But if you have the means to fabricate a steel tripod stand you'll find that a bit better. (IMO) I like to get my feet under the anvil and get a bit closer at times which is a bit more awkward with a wooden stand.

Personally I'd take a flap disc and grind out those chips on the edges. Brooks anvils are renowned for chipping at the edges because of their cast steel construction. Grinding a radius where the chips have occurred will mitigate any further chips and you'd be surprised how handy it is to have a few different curves on the edges as well.

Feel free to send me a message if you're ever passing through Glasgow, I'm running lessons with some regularity now.

All the best
Andy
 

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