Been forging for 10 years and just discovered using a wet wooden stump instead of an anvil for dish shaping

Was hammering out a 14 inch carbon steel wok in my shop in Austin last month and got so frustrated with the shallow curve on my anvil that I grabbed a wet oak stump from the woodpile, and the metal sank into that soft surface perfectly on the first try - has anyone else ditched the anvil for certain shapes?

2 comments

2 Comments

garcia.charles19d ago

Yeah the wet stump trick is solid. Used a soaked mesquite stump for about a year to shape some big skillets. The wood gives you control an anvil just can't match for deep dishes. Only problem is you gotta keep it wet or it'll burn up quick. Learned that the hard way with a dry oak log.

karen_sanchez1019d ago

Oh wow, I read somewhere that blacksmiths used to prefer willow stumps for that exact reason, holds moisture way longer.