What kind of peening anvil is this?

Hi guys!

I found this peening anvil in my family's house. It was probably used last in the 50s, before tractors arrived, and it was most certainly used by people who mowed large areas to cut hay for milk cows, which is the main activity here.

The thing is, I don't know whether I should use it as a narrow anvil, thus using the flat end of the hammer, or whether I should use it as a flat anvil, using the pointed end of the cross peen hammer.

It is narrow in a strict sense, but it's not really curved. It's not totally flat either, but I find it more flat than round.

What do you think?

It's a narrow faced anvil and would be used with a broad-faced hammer, with the blade upside down during peening. It isn't the shape I'd prefer personally, but given it's an antique with some degree of provenance I'd not make any alterations to it and use a different anvil.

Thanks a lot for the swift and helpful reply!

I'll try it with the flat face of the hammer then.

Thanks again very much!

Hi Vic,

I am glad that you raised that question. Somehow, the "internet age" scythers have decided that the two standard forms for peening anvils had to be either "narrow" or "flat" according to Picard's gospel, everything else being considered heretic, or at the very least, suspect.

Following the "official" way of doing things, I first started with the peening jig, and upgraded to the narrow anvil from Picard. Then, at Landi (a kind of general store here in Switzerland), I noticed an anvil like the one you are showing (except that it is shorter in order to be put into a stem). What the heck is that, I thought, this does not go by the "rules" at all ! But after some initial hesitation, I went down the rabbithole and bought one - after all the design must have been around for a few decades, hence not totally wrong.

Let me tell you, this brought my peening to a completely new level ! I did within minutes what I could not in hours with the narrow anvil ! Why this is so, I cannot really explain (only guess), but let us at least notice the following points :

- The area wrought with each stroke is larger than with the narrow anvil ;

- the stroke will (common knowledge) work the blade surface comprised between the hammer and the anvil ; if the blade's edge is put on / very near to the anvil's edge closest to you, then,  the section wrought with each stroke will end on the opposite edge of the anvil ;

- in other words and given the width of the anvil, the area wrought with each stroke reaches quite exactly between the blade's edge and where the bevel is supposed to begin, with the hammer making a small "step" or "furrow" in the blade on that last contact point between blade and anvil (side away from you) ;

When using a narrow anvil, each stroke creates both a "furrow" and a "ridge" (the metal tends to stay where it is and does not go further if not moved by a certain force). My guess for explaining the excellent functionning of your kind of anvil, is that with your kind of anvil, as opposed to the narrow one, a force is exerted on the amount of metal that would otherwise build a ridge, so that this one is pushed lateraly towards the edge of the blade.

The only task I still use the narrow anvil is for one or two final passes on blades is intend to use on very lush and tender grass on well-kept meadows / lawns.

Thank you VERY MUCH for this SUPER INTERESTING answer.

I'm sorry that I am replying so late.

This is so interesting. Guess what? My family's house is literally 100 meters from the Swiss border, so it makes a lot of sense that you would have found this anvil in Switzerland. It's probably in the same region, same climatic conditions, same traditional economy, same tools.

Do you have any insights on how to use this anvil?

For example:

Should I use the flat or narrow face of the hammer? From your explanation I would tend to think the flat one, to cover the whole width of the anvil.

Anything to know on how to position the blade? From your explanation I would tend to think I should line the edge with the edge of the anvil closest to me.

Does it mean positioning the blade upside down?

Does it mean only one pass for each peening session?

Anything else different?

In case you're interested, people here tell me that the way this was used is that it was planted in the ground. I guess that's why it's taller. Also I found it in a bag, still hanging at the wall, with the hammer in it. So I guess people were taking the bag with them on the field for a day's mowing, and peening on site.

Again, a huge thanks for this super interesting reply!

Hi Vic, you are welcome.

Should I use the flat or narrow face of the hammer ? From your explanation I would tend to think the flat one, to cover the whole width of the anvil. -> Correct !

Anything to know on how to position the blade ? From your explanation I would tend to think I should line the edge with the edge of the anvil closest to me. -> This would be the most extreme positioning, you do not necesserily want to reach systematically that far back, especially if your blade is not that dull. All ways are doable, but the anvil edge furthest from you will tend to "bite" into the blade, while the flat part will tend, as you guess, to flatten the blade. So, position your blade accordingly.

Does it mean positioning the blade upside down ? -> Yes indeed

Does it mean only one pass for each peening session ? -> This will depend on how worn out the edge is. An abused blade will take multiple passes, while a well kept blade will require no more than a slight touch up.

Anything else different ? After quite a bit of practice with different anvils and hammers, my observation is that the quickest way to get to the goal is to alternate between a narrow anvil that will create "furrows and ridges" on the blade, and a flat anvil (like yours) that will, conversely, flatten these out. So, I do not know if there is THE perfect anvil out there ; but for now, I am ok with a "system" in which every piece of gear makes up for the shortcomings of the others.

Although your anvil can be stuck into the ground, the best results will be obtained by planting it into something that will not give with every stroke, like a stem. Back in the days, people would even plant it into a boulder near the house, and this would be the peening place (not necessarily ideal, since exposed to the weather and difficult to move to a spot with the best light conditions). The lenght of the anvil allows all these possibilities.

Try and try again, you will see how your blade responds !