Hot take: That old guy at the flea market gave me the best advice I ever got about anvils

I was digging through a pile of rusty stuff at a flea market in Ohio about 6 months ago and an older dude maybe 70 years old watched me tap on a beat up anvil with my knuckle. He walked over and said "son if you're looking for a real anvil you gotta check the rebound with a ball bearing not your hand." He pulled a steel ball bearing out of his pocket and dropped it on the face from about 10 inches up. It bounced back almost to his hand. He said that an anvil that doesn't give you 80% rebound is junk for forging. I bought that anvil for $80 and it's been my main one ever since. Has anyone else run into a random old timer who saved you from a bad purchase?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_miles9d ago

That ball bearing trick is a good one, but here's the angle nobody talks about. That old guy probably knew the anvil was a Fisher or a Trenton, because the flat top and the sharp edges are a dead giveaway on the older ones. A lot of modern anvils have a rounded face that looks nice but kills the rebound. I'd bet the anvil you got was made before 1920, they used a different type of steel that rings like a bell. The real pro move is to also check the edges for chipping, because a forged steel anvil from 1900 can handle a mis-hit without snapping, but a cast iron one from 1950 will just crumble. You lucked out finding a guy who actually carried a bearing in his pocket, most of those old hunters just want to sell you a broken ASO (anvil shaped object) for $300.

bettyroberts8d ago

@the_miles nailed it on the Fisher or Trenton guess, those old anvils have a distinct ring you can hear. A magnet will also tell you if it's forged steel or cast iron, stick to the face and see if it holds strong.

amy9748d ago

Feel for you on that one, those old-timers with the ball bearing trick know their stuff but they can be tricky. Glad you got a real anvil though, beats getting stuck with a junk one for sure.