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Old 03-28-2017, 07:17 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Acworth, GA and/or Hanging Dog, NC
Posts: 3,583
Goater, We waited for you like hawgs at the trough. Very busy weekend with a lot of participants as well as visitors. Rough count was 30-35 youngun's got to try out forging and we had 15 to 18 forges running off and on all weekend.
Sorry the auction didn't work out for you. Tip - Always carry a small clean face ball peen hammer with you, never know when an anvil might peek out of the pile. Only takes a second to tell if an anvil has any promise.

I have worked on a few of the HF anvils, the larger cast steel ones (115# from Russia). They are serviceable but a bit on the soft side with low rebound. The 55# is cast iron and will not begin to hold up to any reasonable forging. Putting a plate on top will be a waste of time and energy, as the transfered impact energy will compress the CI and you will get a void that will eat your striking energy as you forge and greatly reduce your efficiency. Save your money a good one will show up when you least expect it.
If you send me your email address I will send you a short tutorial on how to check out old anvils - not near as hard as one might expect (may have already sent you one but don't remember).

Not speaking for any other smith, but if I catch someone cold forging on any of my anvils they will be asked to leave. I make a living with my tools, abuse is not an option. The horn and cutting deck are designed to be used for that kind of work, but I have a big block of milder steel for that kind of thing. When it comes to forging high carbon blade worthy steels, most are getting pretty close to a "cold forging" range as soon as their color leaves. Good anvils are too valuable to scar and mar up that way. Every nick and dent you put in the surface will show in the blade surface.

The ones Jim has pictured are both old school and older school anvils. The top one appears to be a Haye-Budden, judging by the surrounding items probably in the 100#-120# range. The one in the foreground looks to be an European Mouse Hole, based on the thicker waste and foot pattern, probably in the 60#-80# range. Both are excellent anvils if they have not been abused - wrought iron bodies with hardened steel decks. Just from the pic I'd venture to say "75" is a lot number, otherwise someone has no idea what they have. The H-B, if it has a sound deck would be every bit worth $300+, the MH between $130-$200 depending on how bad you want it. Either would serve well for most blade work unless you plan to do a lot of big stock reduction.
Jim is correct on the mounting of an anvil. Not a big fan of the steel stands as they are noisy but if designed well give great service. I prefer wood, but that's just me. One of the coolest adjustables I've seen was a wood box style filled with river sand and a solid plank on top of the sand for the anvil to sit on. Easily adjustable for height and very quiet as anvils go. It had a 270# Peddinghouse on it and a delight on which to forge.

Dates for my Fall Trackrock Hammer-in are Sept. 29/30. If you plan to stay at the Campground it would be best to book a site now as about half have already been booked. All onsite cabins are booked.

I am working toward conducting a smaller version hammer-in at Crawford's Campground in Beaver Dam/Hanging Dog, NC maybe mid-summer. Like I said, still in the works and will have to be after the Blade Show and the Highland Games (in Blairsville). I will be sure to post here and on the Georgia forum below.

Keep looking your "Precious" is out there.


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Carl Rechsteiner, Bladesmith
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