Appreciation post: How a 200 year old anvil taught me a lesson

I was at a flea market in rural Ohio last Sunday and spotted this beat up anvil from like 1820. The guy wanted $300 for it and I almost laughed. Then I checked the rebound with a ball bearing and it bounced back almost 90 percent. My $600 new anvil from the big box store only gives me about 70 percent rebound. That old thing had way better steel quality and it got me thinking about how much we rely on cheap imports now. Found out later from a blacksmith group that those old anvils used a specific wrought iron body with a steel face that just lasts forever. Has anyone else tested old tools against new ones and been surprised by what worked better?

2 comments

2 Comments

paige42711d ago

Almost laughed" but the old anvil is a better tool because they actually knew how to make steel back then.

reesemiller11d ago

My grandpa had this old Fisher anvil from the 1800s that he swore by for sword making. I used it once to straighten a bent truck axle and it barely left a mark on the anvil face. Meanwhile I've seen modern cast iron anvils chip or dent from just hammering on a cold chisel. The old ones just have a better grain structure from being hammer forged instead of cast. Plus that wrought iron base absorbs shock way better than any hardened steel block you buy today lol.