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Stopped by an old forge in Virginia last weekend and it changed how I think about anvils
I was visiting a historic blacksmith shop in Williamsburg, VA and the guy there showed me a 200 lb anvil from the 1800s. It had this deep ring to it that my new 150 lb NC anvil just doesnt have. He said it's because of the wrought iron base and steel face combo. Anyone know if you can fake that sound with different mounting or is it just a lost thing?
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fionaw5420d ago
A 200 pound anvil from the 1800s with a wrought iron base and steel face is going to ring like a bell because the wrought iron is softer and transfers vibration differently than a solid steel block. That deep ring people love is actually a pain in the ass for most smiths anyway, it means you get a lot of rebound and resonance that messes with your hammer control on finer work. I'd bet that 150 pound NC anvil you have is way more practical for daily forging because it absorbs more impact and lets you place your hits better. The historic anvil sound is nostalgic but it's not better for actual metalworking, it's just different and people romanticize it. Forging isn't about how pretty the thing sounds when you tap it, it's about how it works when you're hammering hot steel for hours. Keep your NC anvil and don't worry about chasing some old-timey ring that's probably a liability in a real shop.
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