New member? Read here.

Introduce yourself by telling us a little about yourself! Post a new topic, the subject can be anything like “Hello from Minnesota!” or “Glad I found this place”.

Here are some questions you can use for a template:

Where do you live?
How did you get started?
How long have you been in the craft?
What has been your most proud project to date?

Welcome to Blacksmith Forums!

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Hi from canada. I am from ontario. Really happy I found this place.

Hey everyone, I’m very new to this craft but I hope with a little practice to be forging my own blades soon!

Hello from Iowa! Just starting out and very glad to have joined here. Seems to be a place of good company and just the right amount of bull. Just found out about the app, hope the new one is up and running soon! Thank you for all of this guys and gals, take care

Hi from South Africa

Sent from my 2014817 using Tapatalk

Hello chaps, Uhtred from Dorset, England. Very new to this, in the process of making an anvil and a forge. Did some forging with an ‘oppo recently.

Hello, I stopped in to get some advice please. My late husband had a beautiful anvil. Very old. I think it weighs 200 pounds. I’ve used the anvil several times and it has a lovely ring to it. It is strapped to a huge chunk of wood which puts it at a decent working height. Daughter is talking about selling the anvil and I adivsed her to not sell it too cheaply. Can someone advise me as to the current value/price for an old anvil? The anvil is currently in storage but I can drive there (100 miles) and take photos and look for a maker’s mark and do a ball berring drop test if it would help. What else should I look for that would be helpful in a description to the buyer. Thanks.

@greene33 Makers mark would help, a Hay Budden is typically worth more than a Vulcan, for example. It sounds like it’s quite a far way away (100 miles) but when you are in that area I would snap some photos.

The most important part that really determines price is condition - are the edges crisp or chipped? Rounded is ok, and preferred, but good edges on an anvil come at a premium. Is there swayback (a dip in the middle of the anvil) when looking at it from the side? Put a level or straight piece of wood length wise on the anvil. If there is no “dips”, it comes at a better price.

Typically, these days, you can fetch at least $3 per lb unless it’s in poor shape. If you have an anvil that is in very good condition (flat, no dips/divots, clean edges) and of good make then you can get up to $5-6 per lb.

Ball bearing drop tests are good for show, but if it’s a good maker then it becomes pointless. A good hay budden will always have good rebound, for example. The ball bearing test just shows it’s good steel.

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OakForgeGrant, thank you for the information. I really did not have a clue what to look for so each of the responses has added to what I need to do and what I need to look for. When I can drive over to where the anvil is (in storage) I will bring a digital camera and a level plus I will take detailed photos to show the areas that are most important. Thanks to you and to the others who have offered advice.

Hello! Been metal working for almost ten years. Finally invested in a new anvil today and figured I would sign up to learn more. I’m in Philadelphia USA

@SharpPotato Welcome! Glad to have you around, let’s see a picture of that anvil (unless it’s still shipping :slight_smile: )


Three it is!

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Hi, I’m Michele from Italy.
I arrived on this site because in Italy there isn’t a community of wrought iron! I hope to find it online here with all you!
Forge is my hobby and my passion and I want to learn as much as I can.
I completed two courses with Roberto Giordani, one of the greatest exponents of artistic forging!

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Goatgas
Im in SW Florida, got in forging many years ago, couldn’t find enough info to do it right so started a bronze casting foundry for several years (have half of it still in my garage). My wife was interested in forging and now we are both bitten by the bug. we built a forge and just bought an German style 100# anvil. and are members of FABA.

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Hello from middle TN. Glad to see so many smiths and the information here. Looking at some of the post for DYI hydraulic presses brought me here and what a find. Have seen a couple that are just what I am looking to build.

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Hi all.
Where do you live?
A 55 year old noob just saying hello from the Kingdom of Fife Scotland/UK.

How did you get started?
It’s been whispering in my ear since I was a child.
Made a big mistake a watched some Black Bear Forge videos a while back.
Can’t get enough of that Guy.

How long have you been in the craft?
Hope to start forging this Saturday coming.
I’ve worked with Glass hot and cold professionally for over 25 years, and also work in the Marine Industry(land based). Access to lots of steel.

What has been your most proud project to date?

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Hello , i am from iraq , i am new to the blacksmithing thing , i am doing it more like a hobby , i am gathering lead to make a pubg helmet and i would like to know can i melt copper using only coal or i will need another heat source?

Retired electronics, fiber optics, and a micro-soldering tech from Maryland, now in Wichita, KS. I’m not much more than an apprentice metal user so my applications to the craft are working with soft metals and shaping techniques.

Hello from Connecticut completely new to smithing never actually done any do to my work schedule but very interested in learning I’ve read a few books and watched some shows and I feel like it’s calling to me

Hello
I´m friedmann from Austria
My work in forging is nearly 10 years.
My opinium is Damastforging
I com her over the pressbuilding from Jafos