Wasted $150 on a cheap anvil from a flea market in Ohio...

Picked up a cast iron anvil thinking it was a steal, but the face chipped on my third project. Anyone else get burned by those cheap anvils that look the part but can't take a real strike?

2 comments

2 Comments

green.jenny12d ago

Cast iron anvils are a trap for sure, but here's something nobody talks about - those cheap anvils work great for leather working or jewelry if you just grind the face flat and cover it with a thick piece of tool steel bolted on top. Turned my junk anvil into a dedicated silversmithing station that's taken years of tiny hammer taps without a single chip. You can also fill the hollow base with sand or lead shot to deaden the ring and add mass. Have you tried repurposing it for lighter work instead of just writing it off?

barnes.kai11d ago

I read somewhere that a guy up in Maine took a beat up cast iron anvil and bolted a salvaged piece of sawmill blade to the top for a cheap armoring setup. Said it held up fine for years of hammering out helm blanks. Seems like there's a lot of life left in those things if you're willing to get creative.