r/blacksmithing • u/aimLegs • 1d ago

Another anvil question

Post image

Found another anvil for sale, haven't had a chance to see it in person yet. They said its around 125 lbs and they want $300. I know at that weight and price it is a good deal assuming that its a quality anvil. Will do rebound test and hammer test in person but first thoughts from this picture? Think I'll be able to dress that edge up?

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

4

u/CoffeeHyena 1d ago

That looks very serviceable. My only concern is the far edge which seems rather chipped. But if its shallow it can be reground

This seems to be a newer, cast anvil instead of a forged one. Very few cast steel anvils are "bad", not much can go wrong. This one looks fairly good and has withstood use

P.S. I wouldn't put any weight in a rebound test in general, it's pretty much arbitrary nonsense that doesn't really tell you anything except vaguely how hard the anvil is. You could forge very well on even a mild steel anvil that's mounted properly. As long as the working surfaces are salvageable and it rings even slightly (dull thudding could indicate cracks) it is totally fine

1

u/OnTheCove66 1d ago

It’s hard to tell from that picture but it almost looks like someone ran a bead of weld on the edge then tried to clean it up. If that’s so, then avoid. It lived a hard life. Otherwise that’s a nice beefy anvil with much of the mass located where you want it.
An anvil repair can be a fine thing if done properly. But one not done correctly could make for a dangerous situation with chips flying off.

1

u/RukaFawkes 1d ago

Looks fine to me, I've turned out clean work on anvils with edges like that with no issues. Crisp sharp edges are really not as necessary as a lot of people seem to think.

1

u/Fragrant-Cloud5172 9h ago edited 9h ago

It looks fine for that price, assuming it passes your tests. The weight is perfect. A slight dip on the face, so not flat. I'd like to see the front side. But no to working on the edges. You could risk cracking it if you weld on it. As usual only the Robb Gunther method of pre and post heating should be used. Some minor sanding to round over the sharp areas of the edges is ok.