Do you have an anvil?

Once upon a time, the anvil was an important tool in farm shops in order to repair/create tools on the homestead. Is that still the case?

M+H Armitage Mousehole Anvil

I have inherited an anvil but have not 'needed' one prior. I'm wondering if anyone still makes use of anvils at home.

We have a couple of anvils on the farm, but I have almost never used them.
My Grandpa used them a decent amount - not for blacksmithing much, though he did a little bit of that.  
I recall him heating metal with a torch and hammering it on the anvil - to straighten a damaged piece of equipment or to put a bend or curve or flattened end on some piece of iron.  He was always making stuff and breaking stuff and fixing stuff.
I think a savvy person could find a use for one on occasion, or very often if one was inclined to make their own tools.

 
 

I have one that is built into a vice. I have never used it as an anvil.  What is seeing a great deal of use that comes from times past is a largish bell that I mounted on our back deck.  My wife uses it to summon me back to the house.  It can be heard at all points on our 10 acres.   I have a cell phone … I seldom carry it.

I do have an anvil (100 lbs) and I use it on regular basis to make functional objects, modify, repair and fabricate. I use gas forge, torches or my outside stove with hand blower and eucalyptus firewood (produces excellent dense coals).

We have one real anvil and two poor mans anvils (bits of discarded railroad track).   We use ours all the time for repairs and making things.  

Funny though, we had to almost to a major city to find an old one for a good price because the country folks around us collect them, throw them in their kitchens or family rooms and call it “primative decor”.    It pains me to see good tools hanging on some guys wall used solely as decoration.  

I don't. My metalworking options are limited to rough casting, filing, hacksawing, drill press, and cold forging.

So far I haven't found a use for an anvil if you don't also pick up a torch and/or a forge...which is a much larger investment.

Anvils, Of course.  The Wile E. Coyote approved A.C.M.E. tool for catching the road runner.  I have a small one in the garage, & a large one in the barn. They are handy for shaping metal objects. maintenance is minimal, wire bush, light oil or bees wax after cleaning.  John

We have two.
A poor man one, for Liz in her art studio, this gets daily heavy use.
And my 1940's WW2 surplus vice, it gets used quite often itself.

Becarfel about going down the anvil path, as soon you could be a collector, both of tools ( for both square and round holes in anvil.  The variations are tremedous, with the largest I have seen at 400#, but all are very useful.

Holding the anvil is almost as important as the anvil itself.  Often edge cut blocks, ( edge face towards floor and anvil ) if it is heavy enough, ensuring it will not move out of place is often enough.

With the right tool selection for the anvil, often cold bends can be preformed easy enough.

Best of success.

Scott

A few tools, to make tools of course.

Let the fun begin!

I don't know, I've never counted them. Probably at least twenty or so. Maybe thirty. Maybe more. I just know there's at least one in every shop we have.

Yes,  a purchase in a job lot at a farm clearing sale.  It sits on the bench in the man cave (aka the Shed) I have no idea what it has been used for, for that reason.  It's safer to give the shed a wide berth 🤣🤣🤣

Like Timothy, we inherited ours and like John's, I think it is a vise.

We ask the seller to leave it and he did.  As far as I know it has never been used since we moved here.

It sits on top of a rust metal cart or shelf.  Yard art?

Funny question not applicable for people living in an apartement but when you consider yourself a PROFESSIONAL AND SUCCESSFUL farmer you will have the following:

A pile of all kind of stuff behind the shed.
This pile are items that have been used to try to improve farming related things but didn't work out or could have been done better.
This stuff has value as it could become handy when you try to develop something new.
Visit successful farmers and you will find excactly this pile

A workshop equipped with most equipment which you find also in any repair and construction company workshop

a small forge fire place including ANVIL and tools

a couple of (not a single) freezer and canning corner

a huge kitchen where you easy can ennoble your overshoot of fruits/veggies by canning, freezing, making snacks and cut all from meat to fish

If you haven't this I am sure you are living from the hand into the mouth barely making a living (at least not from your farm)