hand forging a blacksmith anvil hardy tool 

Fredrik, I've very glad the tools suit you and I appreciate your open recommendation here in the comment section. Word of mouth is what really drives business. And thanks for your latest order. I will send you pics of the punches/drifts soon... Thanks so much. Glen

I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. Thanks. Glen

I probably should have used this tool and drawn out a piece of steel. Would have made it more convincing... Thanks.

Jeff, I really need to get that anvil in the works. I've had this idea in my head for months. I will first make a cardboard mock up to see what the dimensions look like and make appropriate changes. Thanks.

Abby, Hi, I would love to see a pic of that anvil. I have really been wanting to get a similar anvil made for the longest time. I glad you can take away anything from my videos as I imagine you're probably more experienced than I am. Thanks for sticking around. Glen

Glen GS Tongs I was a Wheelwright Apprentice in the 60s, I was learning how to make Harness, and Saddles, but back then in Los Angeles there wasn’t a lot of call for that kind of work so I went into the Marine Corps, because I really needed a job. So I did 30 years, was forced out and banged around for 20 years and started back in Blacksmithing. So while Wheelwrights do Blacksmithing work it is nothing compared to real Blacksmithing. I also did some smithing at my Grandpas farm but that was fixing knife blades, plow harrows. We didn’t make any tools or axes, because he already had hundreds of tools.

Pardon me, Abby, but surely it was a wrought iron anvil, not mild steel? Mine is wrought, but of course the face is steel.

Brady, Glad to know you're up and running. Don't concern yourself too much with specific projects at first and just work on the foundation techniques like drawing, upsetting, scrolling, folding, etc. Always think while your piece is heating up and see the steps you're going to take in advance. Once you have a feel for how steel moves when in a plastic state, you'll be off to the races. Thanks.

It just seems to me that this fairly simple tool would be ideal for blade edges though that's something I very rarely do. Having this made out of railroad track would is great - much more surface area than the little tool I made here. Thanks for sharing.

Ed, This tool needs slightly wider shoulders, otherwise, it's not bad. I should have showed it in use too. Thanks.

James, I think you should make the shoulders a bit wider than what I did here. I will do another hardy tool in an upcoming video and show another way. Thanks.

Christopher, It doesn't necessarily have to be a higher carbon steel but for something like this, it is preferable. I will make another hardy tool in an upcoming video and probably just use mild steel. Thanks.

I'm getting a little better with the editing. Or maybe just lucky not too many buses passed by when I was filming! I have some ideas about improving the sound, we'll see... I need to get that anvil on the drawing board and stop procrastinating. Thanks.

Clyde, Mee too, I also look forward to the new anvil. I've been yapping about it for months now but have been dragging my feet. I totally agree with you on the ornamental look of this tool. This wasn't intentional though I had an idea it might form that way. But it looks cooler than I expected. However this tool needs more shoulder - more area touching the anvil face. Thanks.

Dav, I'm glad you found that interesting. The radius of striking tools (and tools that are struck) is an often overlooked aspect...I know in the past I didn't give it much thought and that was a mistake. Thanks.

Glen GS Tongs It's got me thinking about my sledge hammer lying around that I was going to use as a substitute anvil (I don't have one). Now I think the rounded face will be useful to draw out stock, and I can use the flat sides for other work. I just have to plan how to mount it on a base so I can use both faces.

You're exactly right. This tool needs slightly wider shoulders to make more contact with the anvil face. I will make another hardy tool in an upcoming video and approach it somewhat differently. Glad you subscribed. Thanks for watching and for your good suggestion. Glen

Looking forward for the next project! And thank you for the reply!

Rick, Kind comments like yours keep me moving along with these videos. By the way, my brother-in-law wants me to make him a crucifix so I might show that in a video. Thanks.

Glad you like this. Thanks for watching. Glen

Bill, This place was rocking and not in a good sense. But most of the damage was elsewhere. We still have tremors every so often. Like living on a bowl of jello at times. Thanks for watching and concern.

Thanks for watching and for your support.

Annealing is softening the metal :)

That's interesting to know. My shop isn't really much of a shop, more just a work space, and so what you typically see in my videos is the extent of it. But I may do a video with wide angle shots so others can get a better feel... I did explain why I sit in a past video but probably should go over that again. Thanks for watching and letting me know. Glen

Glen GS Tongs, Please by all means go over that again, for us new people. I am wanting to try doing some forging for years and now I am old, suffering from scoliosis and can't stand straight or very long. Would love to see how you do it !!

hey guys my name is nick layton, I am a blacksmith! I would appreciate it if you would check out my channel I want to grow my channel and hopefully grow the blacksmithing community!! Thank you for reading this!!

Nick Layton Blacksmith goto facebook and look for the group "forge it forward".

drason69 thanks will do

This is a good question and fairly easily answered. H13 would make for an good hardy tool, you're right. But it would be nearly impossible to hand forge a piece of H13 of this size. What makes H13 so heat resistant, tough and maintain hardness even at very high temperature is exactly what makes it so hard to forge to shape. And once H13 is heated past critical temperature, there is virtually no way for the average blacksmith to get it back to a softer, normalized or annealed state. Anyway, if I took the time to hand forge this from H13, I'd still be working on it! Thanks for watching.

Doug, My block style anvils are made from 4145. They are completely heat treated top to bottom and so any surface can used. Thanks for watching. Glen

Glen GS Tongs they do look like nice anvils, they always look so clean and perfect without virtually any marks from working on the faces.

John, That flat stock (1050 medium carbon steel) is 16mm x 38mm and is 80mm long. Thanks for watching.

George, That makes me think of "Gene-Gene, The Dancing Machine" from the Gong Show.

Approximately 5/8" x 1&1/2" and 3&1/8" long.

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