Unpopular opinion: cheaper anvils are just as good if you know what to look for

I blew $400 on a brand new cast iron anvil from a big box store last year, and it chipped like crazy on my first big project. The face cracked after just 15 heat cycles on a 2-inch billet. Now I'm looking at beat up old anvils at scrappers for $150, and they hold up way better with proper peening. My buddy swears by a cheap Harbor Freight anvil he re-faced with a mild steel plate, and he's made 50 knives on it no problem. So what do you all think? Is spending over $500 on a vintage anvil really worth it, or are we all just buying brand names and ignoring the dents? Has anyone else lost money on a fancy anvil that let you down?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley8738d ago

Yeah this reminds me of a bigger thing I notice in EVERY hobby I've tried. People get hyped on buying the EXPENSIVE version of something because they think it will make up for lack of skill or experience. Cast iron anvils are a perfect example. They look pretty in the store but the metal is way too hard and brittle for real forging. Meanwhile those beat up old anvils at scrap yards have been through decades of use and the steel is just softer and more forgiving. My neighbor does woodworking and he says the same thing about old hand planes versus new ones. All that polished chrome looks great but the old tools just work BETTER because they were made for actual use not for sitting on a shelf. Sometimes paying extra just gets you a shinier headache.

derek_burns8d ago

Huh, buying old junk is somehow better now?