Wasted $60 on a cheap anvil from Amazon last month

Honestly, I thought I was being smart saving money on a 50-pound cast iron anvil. It showed up with a soft face that dented after my first real hammer strike on a 1-inch round bar. The rebound was basically zero, so I spent more time fighting the anvil than the metal. Has anyone else gotten burned by those budget anvils online, or is my local scrapyard the better bet?

2 comments

2 Comments

scott.mia5d agoMost Upvoted

50 pounds of soft iron is basically a doorstop with a fancy shape. My buddy fell for the same trap last year, he ended up using that Amazon anvil as a boat anchor after the face caved in on a hot chisel. The real kicker nobody talks about is the horn, those cheap ones are usually hollow or filled with sand so they ring like a bell and transfer zero energy. Scrapyard is your best bet if you know how to test rebound, bring a ball bearing and drop it from 6 inches, you want it bouncing back at least 70 percent of the way. Even a beat up old farrier anvil from the 1800s will outwork anything from China because the steel is forged, not filled with junk. Your mileage may vary but I bought a mangled Peter Wright from a guy clearing out a barn and after a little cleanup it's been solid for years.

nora105d ago

Did you ever run into a problem where the horn was solid but the face delaminated from the body after a few heavy strikes? I'm wondering if that's common with the old forgewelded ones or just bad luck.