Mad About High Anvil Prices?
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- Опубликовано: 30 апр 2018
- Learn about my main anvil here • Hay Budden Anvil - 448lb
And a tour of Cy's Anvils here • Tough Old Blacksmith S...
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Thank you, be safe, and be grateful.
I'm nostalgic for an age when anvils were so plentiful that your average cartoon character had to watch the skies for falling ones. Times have changed.
HAHAHA!!!
Always carry an umbrella just in case.
Super Omelet good ol' Acme general supply! Every thing you want...
I think cartoon anvils are not reliable to forge on, seeing how they tend to float in the air a while when dropped before falling down.
Now I know where Wile E Coyote got his money for dynamite
A guy I worked with 20yr's ago bought one at farm sale. When they got it home and were working on cleaning it up they found a wooden plug in the bottom, inside was over a $1000.00 in silver certificate's.
My bosses brother new a guy who bought an old refrigerator from a second hand store, got it home and found a box underneath it hidden away with a good amount of cash inside it. Of course, I would never get that lucky....lol I can’t even find money I lose from time to time!
It's really cool to see where the older generations hid money when the banks as screwed em over. I'm only 29 in and I have no trust in em. They took the money once they'll do it again.
Cut your plastic and withdraw your cash! Lol
Good way to burn up silver certificates.
"there was an anvil sale and we missed it " haha gold. Keep up the good work
My father in law and I were headed to a farm auction last year. I told him to keep an eye out for an anvil that I was wanting one. HE then says " I have an anvil at the house" . I have seen his piece of railroad track on a post tied down with a chain and did not think that much of it. About 2 weeks later I asked him to show me the anvil, He walked past the railroad track and pulled up a piece of rotted plywood. Under that plywood was a 345 lbs Peter Wright. He let me take it home to use. It has never really been used at his house. As you said about passing things down. I foresee that anvil going to either my grandchildren of some of my nephews children. Its an awesome thing to see.
I can vouch for this. 4 years ago when I was 18 years old , I got interested in blacksmithing. At the time, the rebirth of the art of smithing was just coming back due to that forged in fire show but it was still rare to see anvils for sale by me but knew i needed an anvil. I sent out a group chat to all my friends and family with a picture of an anvil and said “I’m looking for one of these if you see one please let me know”. A month later I’m at my cousins house (also 18 at the time) who lives about 30 miles away and he said to me “did I get you a birthday present this year? I can’t remember but I got you one anyway. Go look in the back of my truck” and laying there was a beautiful Trenton anvil that he saw in a horse stall of a barn he was delivering hay to less than 1 mile from my house!! He asked the owner if she would sell it and she asked him why I want it and he told her I’m going to make stuff with it and she said “if he will put it to use, it is his for free”. Moral of the story is that you need to network yourself. I would have never known that in my neighborhood there was a lady who would have been willing to give me a free anvil if it wasn’t for me telling others I was interested.
This is so true in many things, not just anvils... lol
Thanks to your advice I got a 174 pound high quality anvil for $100 and I will never stop looking for more.
AdirondackNY like coin collecting, sometimes expensive but the satisfaction never ceases. 😉
What's considered a good price for an Anvil
electric trialsbikes the best way to see the value of them is search anvil on ebay, highest price first then click closed auctions to see what sells
I watched one sell for $14,500 my jaw hung open
Don’t be a hoarder sir! Lol,lol,lol....
Please don't hoard no one likes assholes like you.
I clearly remember seeing an absolutely enormous anvil in my grandmother's work shed on her little farm. It obviously belonged to my grandfather who moved out of state after my grandparents divorce. Back then, I didn't know what a treasure it was and to this day I have no idea what ever happened to it. My grandmother doesn't remember there ever even being an anvil because she never step foot in that shed even once. I don't know if my grandfather came and took the anvil during one of his visits, or if one of my aunts sold it off. I sure wish now that I knew better back then.
People don't collect anvils; anvils collect owners.
Cholula Hot Sauce chuck Norris doesn't get wet when he goes swimming. The water gets chuck norris
Pithy
Tell that to the owners of "anvil trees" with dozens of anvils in it.
Nah. There are plenty of anvils collected by people who have no interest in using them beyond as a decoration, often times, they have many of those decorations.
@@wayneparris3439 what?
Recently called a craigslist listing for a beautiful little 42lb Hay Budden to get the price thinking I could have just found the perfect starting anvil. The guy told me $1400 and I said "No, how much for the anvil?" He then yelled at me that I knew nothing about antiques and should do some research. I should have told him I may be 23 years old, but I watch Essential Craftsman, you sir should do some research. I want to hit hot metal on it with a hammer not put it in a china cabinet.
Okay, it’s been five months since you’ve posted this comment but you can use a slab of railway track as an anvil. You should try it anyway, they’re usually dirt cheap.
When I see people doing that I usually get on eBay, look up their item under sold listings. Then send an offer along with pictures of similarly sold items. But it rarely works lol everybody is an expert these days remember
Track pieces are too light for me, I’d go down to a machine shop or scrap yard and get a big chunk of mild steel or a defective part the machine shop doesn’t want
For 1400 you can buy a new 200 lb anvil. Trouble is when things get antique pricings, it's no longer interesting for a blacksmith, other than for restauration orders.
My friend works for a company that sets beams into homes and businesses and when I went there, the steel dumpster was overflowing with beam cutoffs. I grabbed a couple 12-100's. That's a 12" web and 100 lbs per foot. These were both 2' long and approximately 1" thick material. Basically I'm saying go find the company near you that sets beams and ask to buy a cutoff. They're getting less than 10¢ a lb so flashing a $100 bill will definitely get their attention.
My great great grandfather was born in 1898. He was a Comanche. He was a blacksmith in Texas. His shop burned down once. The whole town got together and rebuilt his shop. He was very well respected Army vet in a white town. Shows that merit and mutual respect can bridge any gap. If not you still have your blacksmith hammer.
Talk about hats for all I care, any wisdom Scott is willing to impart, I'll listen. I wish there were more men like you in my country, I'd be so grateful.
There was a sale on anvils... 80 years ago. We missed it.😂😂 great video!
I suspect anvils would have cost a _lot_ in earlier times, compared to average income and cost of living. I've heard stories of people who were leaving their business for an extended time - like for a war, possibly - who used to heavily grease their anvil to help prevent rust, wrap it up and bury it for safekeeping, until they could come home and reclaim it. Not really sure if it was a true story, but a surprising number seem to be found when digging post holes and suchlike.
Relative to income, newly made anvils are not that expensive these days. One can buy one for about $10 /kg (the larger ones), there used to be a time where one could have someone employed for a full week for the price of 1 kg of steel.
I know anvils could be bought from $2.40 for a 20 lb, a 90 lb could be bought for $5.55 in 1892 when a man's average weekly income was between $6-8.00~
Sears and Roebuck Catalogue.
My father has a wilderness camp in an old ghost town from the early1900's that I was exploring a while back, where I found a 98 lb Henry Wright Anvil. It's extra neat because I'm pretty sure it was never used. I haven't fully cleaned it up, but there aren't any obvious wear marks and I found it near the site of the old hardware store. I got another 150 lb Soderfors anvil from my uncle. It was his father in law's and hadn't been touched in decades because he had no idea it was worth more than scrap. It may be hard, but you'll always find anvils if you keep looking.
Kris Ranney that ghost town anvil story is cool! Just curious, was it an old gold rush town?
Sweet! Congrats.
No; copper rush. Katalla was a projected port city for the Kennecott copper mine in the upper Copper River basin in Southcentral Alaska. It boomed to about 15,000 people, the largest city in the territory at the time, before the extreme weather of the region destroyed their port facilities two years in a row. The terminus was shifted to Cordova which was in protected waters, and the town disagreed. One hundred years after it was founded all you can plainly see of main street is the bank vault.
Peter Wright
Anvil hidden during the war to escape being melted I imagine?
I can confirm this works. About 2 weeks after watching this video (2 weeks of telling everybody I wanted an anvil). Word got to my old motorcycle mechanic who had 2. He called me up asked what I'd pay. I said the most I could afford was 2$ per pound. They are my anvils now!
Seriously 2 weeks!
I did it. I did exactly what you said and it paid off tremendously. I have an anvil and it was the best price ever. Free. It was left in a guys yard. I was looking for railroad track asking some guys who had some. This guy says I have an anvil you can have. He wouldn't take any money for it, so I told him when I become proficient in making knives he will have one of them. It was your advice that led me to this find. Thank you. I love the channel and all your videos.
In 1998 I found my first anvil , a 175# peter wright, rough but repairable. It was under 60 years of trash in the corner of a shop I was working at. When I ask the owner if I could buy it he said no. I use it all the time he said. His son over heard us and when his father left he helped me load it in my van. What do you want for it ,I fearfully asked. Just use it he said and when your done give it to someone else. 2 years ago I let it go to an eager young smith , 20 ish, the look on his face was payment enough.
Awesome story ! Thanks for sharing that, it put a smile on my face !
"You make it important enough to include in your day to day list of obsessions".
Love that turn of phrase. Well said.
You're right. I made a point of talking about anvils as much as I could, and in less than a year, I had a stunning 1926 Columbus Forge and Iron Co. anvil (marked Village Forge) for free. Thing is in great shape, and I am so blessed to have it.
Just read a similar story about a (not mine) neighbor clearing a brush line for a new fence, called a friend, “hey, what have I found”. Anyway, it really does seem like some anvil prices are exorbitant, , but they couldn’t be if there weren’t a market. However, like you, I started hammering on something less and many people starting out may not realize that a $2000 dollar anvil will not create $2000 dollar work. Like you I started banging on a piece of RR rail and it was fine, at that time I did some fabricating but wasn’t enthralled yet with smithing. I bought my first, starter anvil from Harbor Freight (75lbs ish) for about $60, I hammered a lot of stuff on that anvil and it encouraged me to expand my entire blacksmith experience. My father recently gave me his old (50lb) Vulcan farrier anvil that he bought for 88cents at auction around the time I was born, as kids we abused this anvil but I’ve cleaned it up a bit and still hammer smaller stuff on it and use the smaller horn. My main anvil, a Peddinghaus/Ridgid 125k was given to me by a friend that worked on one of those DIY Home Improvement shows, they had gotten it along with all manner of other toolage from manufacturers wanting exposure on this TV program. After a year or so of lugging it around and not doing anything with it except dropping it on some hardhats and such, he asked me if I would like it, knowing that I did some blacksmithing. YES, there are anvils out there,,, but seriously if you are starting out, go to a scrapyard, go to Harbor Freight, get a hunk of anvil shaped steel to hammer on while you put together the plethora of other equipment, tools and space that you’ll need to completely embrace this activity. The $2000 dollar anvil should not be the first step, you might not be any good, might not really have the time, might just not have the interest that you initially thought you would. Then again maybe money isn’t an issue for you.
You don't need a $1,200 anvil to start blacksmithing. Go to your local metal recycler or fab shop and see about getting a piece of 2" plate or a cutoff from a 6" solid round stock. Either will get you started and will work just fine for most jobs. If you have a stick welder and a little skill, do a search here on RUclips for people who have BUILT anvils from solid metal stock. Trent over at Purgatory Iron Works did an entire video on anvils and perfectly acceptable substitutes for the beginner.
One of my mentors had a pig iron counterweight from an old track loader outside of his shop. It made for an excellent anvil.
Someplace on line is a website where a guy bought a huge slab of steel from a scrap yard and went through something like 2 or 3 bottles of oxygen cutting it into the shape of an anvil... he made a solid one piece anvil from it.
Nice Video! I had been shopping around for anvils for a while on and off, and lately saw the Doyle at Harbor Fright for $139. I was going to buy it yesterday, but decided to wait until I get one of those coupons for 15-20% off any purchase...well TODAY, at work, a coworker had mentioned out of the blue that he had an anvil he was looking to get rid of. I asked how much, how big, etc...he just made the size with his hands, and said it's rusty AF. I was like..."How much?" He said "Hundred bucks?" Well, I picked it up after work. He changed his mind to just 80 bucks. I knew nothing about anvils, but thought it was more than a fair deal, and brought it home. I wire brushed the markings, and realized it is a Peter Wright, in excellent condition. Had no idea how much these were sought after, but grateful that I got one. I believe that it's 112 pounds.
My dad tripped on an anvil point sticking out of the ground. He cleaned it up, and it has worked great ever since
Hi Scott, thank you for the excellent advice . From asking everyone that I see "where do you keep your anvil ?" I now own 5 anvils.
Imagine the cost of labor to hand forge a wrought anvil today. It took lots of training and skill to weld them up and extra skill to weld the faces on. Now add raw materials, tools, equipment and building cost. I estimate that a quality 100 Lb hand forged anvil would retail for about $2,410. High quality cast ones run about$1,200. Cast ductile iron ones can cost over $600. You won't see cheap anvils past along for generations and used professionally. Fun video. I hope you make more soon.
Mossy Hollow the heck? Brand new anvils are still made and being sold for wayyy less than that
CoeurDuPetitPrince "Hand Forged Wrought" is the key to my high estimate. USA made of course. Also "Blacksmith" and not "Farriers" anvils. So what ones are you referring to?
@@mossyhollow3732 from what I saw looking for them your prices are pretty close.
There's always cheap exceptions like the 60 dollar harbor freight special, but there's always a reason for that. Saw some guys cut one open with a water jet and found a void in it filled with Bondo
Good inspiration advice .
I bought my first Peter Wright
1 /1/ 13 ? . 41 yrs ago , still use it .
Finally bought another Peter Wright 2/2/16 . A year ago .
My wife inherited her Uncle's 1/ 0/2 London pattern anvil . No brand .
And she can use it also , to shoe her horses and making her sculptures etc .
I like that thought ,
We are only the care takers of these instruments for the moment.
I used the little anvil doing demonstrations in a period museum for a couple of years (1850s-1930 the gold mine operated)
( no electrical equipment was used in my demos )
Not only love the subject matter, my Grandfather was a blacksmith on some days as he worked as a maintenance man on a ranch. Also, love that music you ended the vid with, sweet... Blessings friend
I live in a small town in South Africa. I have bought all four my anvils at the local scrap yard at scrap prices. Not all of them are in great condition, but it was cheap. Just wait and watch and keep your money ready and when it comes around you can pounce.
Cubic5 That's great! My local scrap yard said that the workers know to pull them aside but haven't seen one in years.
Scrapyards in the US or Europe always pick blacksmithing tools aside and sell them very overpriced. They say "Profit over everything"
Cubic5
How are things going down there I've seen a few things on private channels.. But MSM here in the USA Makes no mention they would
Rather bash on the president Donald Trump than bath.
@@baladar1353 What? It's not overpriced if it sells. It's a company not a charity!
Feeling lucky after watching this.. big fan btw .. I just recently acquired a 200 pound anvil .. It was sitting in a barn indoors for 60+ yrs .. Local farmer who I've helped out here and there from time to time gave it to me as a sign of appreciation for my help .
That be said over the years I never took any money for my time.. I helped because I wanted to not because I wanted something in return
But when I was offered the anvil I said sure ..
I have much appreciation for blacksmithing yet it's one trade I haven't taken a huge interest in just yet. Your commentary and story telling however delights me unlike any other channel and that alone has made blacksmithing something I may be interested in. Your videos do bring me joy. Thank you Scott
The rediculous used anvil prices in this country are a result of the antiquers thinking everything old is gold, and online bidding sales.
No matter the commodity, as soon as people think there will be a shortage. they go on a buying frenzy. Look at ammo as an example.
As to new anvils.. that's a different story. The current market is mostly fair. You are getting a new, high quality, high tech, cast steel, machined piece of tooling.
It is sad that more often than not, that used anvils prices are approaching the price of new ones, even the junk
Thanks for the video...
As well as youtubers raving about them.
shadowcastre honestly, I know very little about anvils, but I’m seeing them go for like $600-$1200. Hardly a massive sum. You gotta think how much income it will generate for you. I can think of at least a dozen professions/hobbies with initial investments that eclipse those sorts of prices.
Even if it’s $5k, gotta consider how much use you’ll get out of it, what it’s worth to you etc. if you want something badly enough, you will find a way to make it happen.
DrewskiTheLegend
I did find a way to make it happen.. I bought a new one. I say "buy once cry once" but not for a used one when a new one is almost the same price.
It is still rediculous that used ones are approaching new prices when not that long ago they were just 1 or 2 dollars a pound.
Lets not forget FAKED IN FIRE TV show, demand has at least doubled. Then there are the "collerctors" who pay insane prices to "fill the hole in my anvil tree" then antique dealers, yuppies and every guy on craigslist thinks that anvils are SUPPOSED to cost $15 a pound!
Remember when earthenware butter crocks were "the thing"? 20 gal crock? $500! Idiotic. Same with anvils. Bubble will burst, and the asshats who spent $1500 on a decoration will throw them out like an old sofa.
That "First Anvil" that you showed was BEAUTIFUL! I don't know, but to me, it looked like someone took a hunk out of a rail road rail, did some rounding on it, and "Poof!" instant anvil. Functional elegance at its finest!
anvils have actually come down in price since the 60's .... when you account for inflation.
however, being that we have access to scrap bigger than anvils now, for pennies on the dollar, one can have a block of steel for far less than a 150 year old, beat up, inconsistently manufactured anvil.
i use a mild steel anvil with a stainless steel face (for weatherproofing!) and i can tell you this with absolute certainty - _you do not need a hardened face unless you plan to use your anvil for striking daily for 50+ years._ in fact, short of being in a factory, this is moreso a hindrance as your anvil will chip before it dents. some of these chips are deadly; for example, if you end up with a .22 sized chunk of tool steel lodged into your gut at 4,000 fps. remember the rule about striking hammer faces together? still applies here. and evidence of this is hundreds of years of "soft" steel or wrought iron anvils. it really wasn't until the turn of the century when manufacturers began using cast iron bodies that the necessity of steel faces even became an issue, from what i understand.
and so i bought a chunk of mild steel, welded a horn and a heel onto it, welded a base onto it .... and now i have something like a *120lb* anvil (never weighed it, actually, but it is close to the limit of what i can carry myself) and i only spent about *_$40_*
that's a whopping thirty cents per pound - scrap price!
Where do you buy a big block of steel? How do you know what to get? How do you know you’re getting what you want.
Speaking of digging and finding anvils. A local fabrication shop has a few anvils that i was told about, my current employer at the time mentioned that he would take me to the owners business to see his small collection. One in particular was very interesting as it measured almost 40 inches log, stood nearly 14 inches tall, the face was 6"x6", (small for such a large anvil) with a 17" long 4 sided horn on one end and a 17" long conical horn on the other. As far as a the base, the best way to describe it would be if you were to take an common base, cut it right up the middle and spread it out in a uniform fashion leaving a big gap in the center and the feet on each end. How did this person come across this anvil????!!! 30 plus years ago, working at a salvage yard he explained that one of his workers tripped over something small protruding from the ground. They then started to dig with an excavator and out came this huge anvil.
to my surprise, i dug the head of a splitting maul out of the ground the other day, looks to have been there far longer than i've been alive, if that was down there, who knows what else is, maybe even the murder victim.
That style anvil is referred to as a "Bridge" anvil. You found them where heavy fabrication (like locomotive works) was being done. For a great source book about anvils see "Anvils in America" by Bob Postman.
Hell yeah!!! More anvil stufff🎉🎉, when Will you do another anvil envy video?!
Jacob Drescher Yes, i agree. The first video from Scott that i watched was “how to find an anvil” and i subscribed and watched every video. We need more anvil videos!!!
Nice one, Scott!
Did you ever think about doing a video on anvil manufacturing? Would be awesome if you did (and maybe a little trip that you'd enjoy doing)
That's a beautiful message packed in a wholesome video, Mister, thank you for brightening my ambitions with such a great positive energy
Bless you, great master, may your anvil never go quiet
You're an absolute gem of a man.Love your videos,love the great example you're setting,the wisdom,the intelligence.All the best to you and your family from mine here in Bulgaria !
i have an anecdote and a proof of concept for spreading the fact you are looking for an anvil to everyone. i was working as asset protection at walmart, and part of my job was scanning receipts and just being a friendly face. i saw a gentleman with a tee shirt that just said event organizer on it. i took a moment to chat him up, asking what the event was, was it local, etc. i was hoping that it had something to do with the up and coming ARRL field day, an amateur radio event. it wasnt and i dont even remember what it was for, but he was fascinated by my interest in HAMM radio. we started talking hobbies, and i happened to mention that i was learning everything i could about blacksmithing and i was searching for an anvil to get started. the older gentleman, ide say 65 to 70 or so, said " well, i have my dads old anvil, and its just taking space in the garage. say 75 bucks and its yours." i said once i see it that could be a fair price. other than a minor coat of rust it was a nice 100 lb anvil, had some heavy chipping on the edges because his dad used it for automotive body work. he lowered the price to 60 (his own call, i was still happy with 75 but he refused to take it) because he didnt remember the chipping. a trip to a local welder buddy later we heated the anvil, stick welded in the chips with the right welding rods, reground and i had a perfectly good anvil for 60 bucks and a bottle of scotch to a welder buddy. did some price looking up later, and that anvil is currently being traded for about 500 bucks or so. tell everyone!
Your opening statement brought back a great memory...my brothers and me using a sledge-hammer and ball-peen hammer to make arrow-heads out of 16-penny nails and installing on the ends of our home-made arrows we made out of, believe it or not, a weed called "arrow weed" because it's stalk was straight as an arrow and the perfect size for an arrow. We used larger arrow weeds for our bows. Two of those brothers are gone now, four of us left.
You give hope, and that is a very important gift.
What an encouraging video. I’ve been looking for an anvil for over a year to get in to small scale black smithing, not extensive. I found one at an estate sale posted online. I showed up to the sale, first in line. When they open the doors I made a B-line to the shed out back but the problem was, there were 3 sheds so I had to guess which one it was in. I made the wrong turn into the wrong shed and a gentleman had already gotten the anvil in a different shed! Turns out, he had his wife go one direction and he went the other. They conquered and divided, smart! Fast forward to a year, I found another anvil at an estate sale. The sale was an hour away from me. I got there early enough to be the first in line. I B-lined to the basement and found the anvil. Maybe 5 seconds after I found it a lady yelled, “Oh I was looking for that! Sorry honey he beat me to it”. Her husband ran in and offered me $100 on the spot. I politely declined. It was a satisfying moment and the best part the anvil was only $60 for the old 120 pound anvil. It was old and not the best but at last I found my anvil! Keep looking and don’t give up! It’s out there.
Really enjoying these videos. As a guy who got sick of office work, and jumped ship and became a masonry apprentice at 34 and 4 years later am now running my own concrete and masonry business, I find not only a lot of useful tips in your videos bit encouragement and solace.
My son is getting into blacksmithing (wanting to) I can't believe the prices the anvils are bringing. I bought a 123 y/o anvil, 138 lbs at an auction for him for less than $500 and still can't believe what they sell for. The anvil was in great shape and worthy to live on. I thank the Essential Craftsman for keeping the skill alive and mentoring this next generation.
Scott! I'm beginning to like You very much. You're a real inspiration. Thank's a lot.
As purgertoryironworks says, Aso anvil shaped object. I just got a 4x6 x 1 foot block of steel. It will work, till I get something else.
I would call that an anvil substitute myself, an anvil shaped object is something that looks like an anvil but doesn't work like one, like a HF cast iron "anvil".
tek413 great idea! How do you mount it?
Purgertoryironworks is a decent blacksmith, unfortunately he got confused about the term "ASO", which stands for Anvil Shaped Object, indicating that it only has the shape of an anvil, but can't really be used as an anvil (cast iron anvils for instance, not to be confused with cast steel anvils). When that guy says 'aso' he means 'anvil', he made a video where he gives good advice, but keeps misusing the term. As a starting blacksmith, you need something that works like an anvil, not something that is merely shaped like an anvil, so that would be an 'AWO', not an 'ASO'. A massive hunk of steel with a decent surface like you are describing sounds like a great AWO.
I just spent 5 hours forging a rebar throwing knife on a train track anvil. It was my first to forging, probably my new favorite hobby yet.
I could listen to you talk about tools forever my friend I absolutely love your passion for this!
Just got my first anvil 70lbs for $100 at a yard sale a block away from my house. I have been searching for 6 years. Can't wait to start learning 🙌
I got a NC farriers anvil from Centaur Forge around this time last year. $300, plus about $60 shipping. Great purchase.
Thanks for the encouragement! I will keep looking
Many anvils lost to world war 2 scrap drives
This is true
Isn't that an interesting thought if you find one made pre war it must have meant a lot to the owner not to be given up for scrap
David Mcarthur thank you. I believe you get the anvil connection quite well.
@@EWDAVID94 a lot of people didn't care about the war effort.... You know, the people selling sirloin steak as dog food to dodge food rationing, and the draft resistors....
My Dad remembered a rail car full of anvils heading to the steel mills out east.
Ha - a piece of track! I recognised it as soon as it came in view. I have two close neighbours who are both blacksmiths. One wanted to run courses and needed several small anvils for the attendees, and he mentioned track. I happened to find a five foot length for him. By the way, you should put your name on that anvil for posterity, maybe on the underneath.
Just start chasing roadrunners,
you will have an anvil in no time just wear a hardhat
Those old cartoons still control most of our thought process
Thank you so much for your videos. I've learned so much and just bought my first anvil. I'm forever greatful. A rail rd pad has gotten me a long way. Along with a homemade forge that I adore. Bc of you I got my 1st welder and made my set up. I love what I do thank u
Time for me to start digging fence post holes..... Love your videos!
Great discussion Scott, thanks for posting it.
I still use a RailRoad track about 8' long i got it from my dad and he got it as a young man wile fixing track out by Pollock South Dakota in 1958 still havent managed to scratch it
I have an 1890’s 250 lbs Haybudden and a pre 1820 Mouse Hole 131 lbs anvil in my smithy. Both fell in my lap. Both are in workable shape. I am blessed to have them . It is amazing to think of all the men who earned their living over those blocks of iron.
I could listen to the stories you tell all day long! Thanks for the video/
Didn't get my first anvil till at least 4 yr(closer to five) after I started forging. Started off with a square anchor plate (used to hold train rail to the crossties). Think that it's still propped up against a fat lighter stump near the hen house. Brings back memories. Will now probably look 4 it in the morning and wire brush it and just play around with it just for the the nostalgic heck of it! 🔥😎⚒
Great video.
I had an experience with anvils that made me reach a conclusion. The concept applies to more than anvils but my wish for one created the experience.
In the fall of 1994 I took a Blacksmithing class at Tillers International in Kalamazoo, MI.
I had worked as a welder, machinist, fabricator, and toolmaker before becoming a Manufacturing Supervisor. I took the class as a distraction from my workload. I covered 5 states and two countries for work. 7 Days A Week.
I learned to forge weld in the class. I wanted to keep doing it at home. A 50 lb cast iron anvil and a brake drum forge let me stumble forward. In my travels I always looked in the area for flea markets, yard sales, and antique shops. I began asking if they had an anvil.
That winter I hit 20 stores, 10 flea markets, and talked to people in all five states. No luck. Business changed in January and I was anchored until about June. I stopped at a tiny store In Allen, MI. I asked and the owners husband said "Yeah".
He took me out by his shed where a well used Trenton 116 lb anvil sat on a stump. I paid $200.00 for it. It was the only one I had found.
The rest of that year, every shop I went to had an anvil. Most were junk, all were high priced, because there was a big call for them. Every store had someone ask about an anvil. I don't have documentation but I would bet it was me that created the call. Not world wide but in my area. Now there are internet groups sending the message that there is a call.
I also think I am a Leading Edge Boomer. We all tend to go through phases. Hippy, Rock and Roll, motorcycles, family, Yuppie, Tennis, Blacksmithing. 😆 Demand sets the need, availability sets the price.
I learned from the experience. When I wanted a forge and a treadle grinder I didn't ask, I just looked. 😈
I am a new subscriber and am really enjoying your channel. Unfortunately age and arthritis have limited my ability to enjoy the use of an anvil. I gave my grandson my grandfathers anvil so he could pursue his dream of making knives. Anvils used to sell for 2 to 5 dollars at farm sales around here as late as 20 years ago. I had a friend who has passed on now who collected anvil's and power hammers. The back lot behind his shop looked like an anvil farm. A sad thing but better than being sold for scrap, as so many were.
Love the way you delivered your encouraging words God bless you and yours!!! Thanks!
I love the video and the info talking about how anvils have always been high. I did not know that. I have a bit of RR track and a real oddball - both from estate sales where they didn't know what they had. I am a hobbyist so don't need pro gear. I do find many hammers and other assorted BS gear at great prices from yard - state sales, but no real classic style anvil yet. Improvise, adapt and overcome until one appears.
I had assumed that the recent smithing shows such as Forged in Fire, which I absolutely love, plus antique dealers had made prices skyrocket recently. Thank you for correcting my lack of knowledge on that.
I was extremely lucky to pick up an anvil for free. as he said in the video, let people know you are looking.
Friend of mine messaged one day and said "I might have an anvil for you, remind me next week" i set a reminder and phoned him and he said yeah it's yours will drop it off this evening.
turns out his boss had two and refused to give his 'spare' to anyone who had asked before as they just wanted to scrap it/sell it. because i was going to use it, I got it for free. It needed a little TLC but up until that point i had used a structural I-beam from a demolished mental hospital in Inverness, and man did that ring loud.
I am just happy that so many people are interested in blacksmithing and metal work.
My favorite channel on RUclips.
I am not much into blacksmithing, but your channel got me to buy a little 40 lb new advil for my shop for some basic metal work. Nothing fancy but its nice to have for some tasks!
I feel like I've been taking 40 lbs of Ibuprofen... massive toothache I've been trying to manage the pain till I can get it pulled next Tuesday. Hoping my liver or kidneys don't give out first :D (being snarky because you misspelled anvil)
Me and my dad were walking/exploring along the Chattahoochee and spotted an anvil cone buried in the bank with other debris behind some old factories.
We dug it up, made a raft and floated down stream to where his truck could drag it up to the house.
My current "anvil" is an 11 gauge piece of structural grade square steel tube strapped to a large log. It does me for now and when it wears out I'll have some more scrap steel to work with.
How is it that every time someone makes a great video full of great information. So many people give it a thumbs down. Can’t even just take it for what it is. I appreciate everything that this man shares with all of us each and every time. He’s full of useful knowledge that you can’t find just anywhere. A thumbs down is a slap in the face. Anyways thanks for another wonderful video!
Great video as always! You’re a man after my own heart (or vice versa) Wow that’s cool... what am I gonna do with it... I don’t know but let’s do it again!
Here in Germany the chance to find someone with an anvil that he doesn't need, is quite high. Because from 1918 to 1955 almost nobody had money. So the blacksmiths couldn't effort milling machines and higher technics. And there were blacksmiths in almost every town. So there are many (old) people who's parents owned a blacksmithing shop and they still have got a lot of the equipment like the anvil.
Great thoughts and great advice! Thank you for the great video God bless you
Good advice! The more I bring up blacksmithing or anvils the more anvils I hear about! Hey Scott I found a blacksmith hoarder in NJ when I picked up my Hay Budden on Sunday. Get this, he had two 400 pounders in excellent shape, one Hay Budden and another a Trenton think. Wanted a small fortune for them
The problem is people think they need a big name anvil, when in reality all they need to get started is a piece of railroad track, a thick piece of steel or an old broken anvil that can be bought really cheap. My first anvil was a giant, but the heel had been broken off so I was able to pick it up for $80. That anvil is still useable and I had no problems moving hot iron with it. I've since upgraded, but I keep it to remind me that it doesn't have to be perfect. There is no good excuse, other than you just don't want to try.
I have been wanting an anvil for a long time. Being disabled, it is even harder to obtain now more than ever. I hope that I can find one at an affordable price to do some projects with my son before my disability gets too bad that I won't be able to. I know what you are saying is true, but I'm hoping for a miracle. I know such a thing is rare, but you are right. It can happen.
Never thought you could make an interesting video on 'anvils' of all things! Well done!
There is truly something amazing and mythical in that anvil shape. Its just is.
Centuries upon centuries of technological advancement led to this basic design. It is a thing of true beauty, its relative symmetrical form is aesthetically pleasing as it infers balance in shape.
I don't have an anvil and I really don't have a need for one. However, ever so often I need something heavy and sturdy to beat on so I managed to scrounge a one ft piece of railroad track and it served me well. Sometimes I beat on it and sometimes I use it as a weight when I am gluing boards together and they want to cup. I put it on the top of the boards and they cry uncle and straighten right out.
Well said. I paid $1200 for a brand new RIDGID/Peddinghaus 75kg model 9 last year, worth every penny.
Is it weird that I actually stop whatever I'm doing and go to RUclips as soon as I get the notification for another EC video? Because I do.
As I’m sitting on my truck step, taking a break from scraping popcorn ceiling on a new job that kicked off today........
Kinda weird
namewithoutdigits that was a rhetorical question 🤣
@Adam Jensen / Nope not weird at all -- in fact it's a good sign of above average intelligence ! ;-)
Weird would be doing what I'm doing and that is going back and re-watching old EC videos on anvils just cause I like to see the beautiful beasts ,
( and wishing I had one -lol )
Thanks for the encouragement!
I heard a story of a railroad round house that had a anvil for each pit, (5). Sadly only one of them went home to be cared for. The others were pushed into the pit and covered over with the demolished round house.
The lone surviver was 346 pounds and nearly 3 feet from heal to horn tip.
Your previous advice about watching Craigslist like a hawk paid off big-time. I checked CL and OfferUp religiously and picked up a 109 lb. peter wright for $300 and a 211 lb. hay budden for $550, both 9/10 rebound and over great condition. I saw them within a couple hours of being posted and was the first to respond. I also had a friend on the lookout as well. He tipped me off to an estate sale which turned out to have six nice anvils. Two is enough for now but it was a nice find. Thank you, Sir.
Jay Bee Are there any of the six still available?
Clayton Sunley I doubt it, but I have no way to verify.
Before spending a lot on an anvil, consider what it is you want to use it for. You can get a few heavy chunks of scrap steel, in different shapes, and use those for much of what you want to use an anvil for.
I enjoyed your insights. I'll say that if you come across a decent anvil you better buy it if the price isn't ridiculous. They are around, but I think the people that have them, even if they don't use them, just leave them sitting in the shed not knowing that they are valuable. They think that it is just an old tool that has been sitting around the farm that Grandpa had, and don't give them a second look. Only a certain group knows the value or wants them. I'm not a blacksmith, but I came across a 131lb Nash in good shape a few years ago, which was on a farm. The people had come from England around 1912 so they may have even brought it with them, not sure. The grandson had a few among some scrap, and sold it to me for $40 (gave him $60) and it is a prized possession of mine. I straighten a few things on it and don't have any plans to sell it, so I won't make anything on it. Its just sitting in my shed instead of his. My son in law is a tin basher and has his eye on it. ;-)
For this reason I'm looking to buy a brand new anvil today at a farrier shop 💪. Used anvil prices are insane!
I use a small section of railroad rail as an anvil. I found it at the scrap yard and cut a small 6 inch section off with a torch. I use that as an anvil and for small projects, it works pretty well. Even a little 6 inch section might weigh about 12 pounds which makes it somewhat portable.
If this channel didn't have 242k subscribers maybe there would be more anvils around. You have given us all anvil envey.
I was lucky enough to find an old 220lbs Trenton in my grandfather's barn and he gave it to me. I asked him where he got it and apparently there was a shop was selling it off for some reason. his dad bought it and took it home to use it and even my grandfather used it when he was a kid. now I have it and I'll be using it when I can get the rest of my supplies in check.
This is so true. I’ve been telling all my friends I wanted an anvil. I was using a big square hunk of steel as one for a while making small things on it. I would show my friends what I made and they’d think it was so neat. Then a year later I get a call. Just 2 weeks ago now. And he said I found you a full size anvil. He brought it over and it was rusty with 2 layers of paint flaking off of it. A few chips in it. So I wire wheeled it clean and could barely see some lettering. So I knew if I heated hot steel it would sweat a little so I put a torch on it and when I did I saw the start of the word WRIGHT. I frantically cleaned it more and uncovered the words Peter wright england. I was so happy. I even found out it came from a hardware store in Chicago and that it was 139 lbs. Point is I guess I never gave up making things and I kept on showing my friends my work. They kept me and my hobby in mind and one of them came through. It is definitely something that can happen for any of you looking as well. Best wishes.
I just go to some railway tracks and flatten anything which needs to be flatten or hammered!! There is always joy in taking your whole team of smith working outside near some tracks..
You make an excellent point. Patience is a virtue.
I just gave 400 for a 1912 . 150 pounder i love it the rebound an ring is awesome
Discovered your channel a week ago and I already love it :)
Love listening to you tell stories.
I just bought one of the KnifeMaker Anvils you recommended. Hoping it gets here soon so I can start heatin' and beatin'. :D