Hi Nathan. Still kind of new to forging, but I have an Austrian Style Workhorse which I like quite a bit. The top is completely flat, the legs on the base are thick and flat which is nice for upsetting, and it has these deep vertical recesses called "church windows" which have come in handy. One side of the anvil is flat while the other has a shallow bulge and the axis of the horn isn't uniform, it has more of a pitch on one side than the other. All of these have come in handy for working on different shapes and all. My biggest complaint is that the horn is short and stubby/fat. I wish it was about 3-4 inches longer tapered to a thinner point, b/c it's difficult to fit small scrolls or arcs over the wider point. It also might be nice to have an anvil with two different horns, since most of the work is decorative. Never really worked with one so it's just a theory. The Workhorse is available from 180lbs. to 556lbs. If you want some close up picts let me know and I'll send you some. Let us know what kind of anvil you decide on.

Jake

Well, I love my Nimba Centurion.
http://www.nimbaanvils.com/
Its about 260lbs- but it has plenty of mass unless you are routinely working with a striker on material above 1 1/2" diameter or so.

The Nimbas are based on an Italian anvil that Steve Bondi brought back from Italy, when he was working with the Bennetons in the early 70's. It is a classic design, tried and tested for a few hundred years, that was then cleaned up and perfected by Russell Jacque. Russell was a consummate craftsman, an incredibly good blacksmith, and somebody who had worked on a lot of anvils. In other words, he knew what he was doing. (he was also a great guy, a friend of mine, and sorely missed now that he is no longer with us).

So the Nimbas are a modern reinterpretation of a classic.
They are made in the USA, of the finest materials, heat treated, and individually dressed by another extraordinary blacksmith, Jim Garrett, who bought the company from Russells widow.

Yep, they are expensive, and worth every penny of it. They will always be desirable, and are instantly attractive to any blacksmith, whether he knows the history or not.

I have mine right next to my 130 lb Arm and Hammer- an excellent wrought iron/steel plate London Pattern anvil, often considered to be one of the best american made anvils.
And virtually every time, unless I need the step, I use the Nimba.

The mass distribution of the Nimba makes for less work. The massive horn is just right for most of my curving needs, with true radiuses rather than strange oblongs, and it, too, is heavy and useful.

Contrast that with the Czech anvils sold by New World and Euroanvils- these are also a series of classic european designs, but they are mass market products made in a big factory. They are well made, and good anvils. But they dont have the spirit or personality of the Nimba- its like a Jaguar versus a Ford Taurus. Both will get you there, but one will make you smile every time you use it.

Hey Nathon, I have 2 Hay Buddens both made around 1908, one is 490# the other is 180# and both have great rebound. I'm sold on the older wrought anvils myself.

"GRIZZ"
www.grizzlyiron.com

Nathan,

I have four anvils, ranging in size from a 100# Peter Wright, to a 90kilogram side-face London Pattern, to a 250# Fisher, to a 450# Nimba Gladiator. The Nimba is, far and away, my favorite, and not simply because it is the biggest.

The Nimba is everything Ries said, and more. Simply the finest anvil available today. I do wish mine had a side shelf, and I may very well add one to it, albeit that doing so would have most Nimba purists outraged. Still, it is my anvil and a shelf would make it more useful to me. Setting the shelf 3/4" lower than the face would give me a step, as well.

The double horn style of the Nimba is eminently practical, and its generally massive bulk makes the main face about 7+ inches wide. I use the square horn about ten times as much as I use the round horn, it seems. I don't know how I ever got along with out one, except that I fought with floppy and insubstantial flat bick irons for too long. I believe that the Nimba is the finest forging tool available at any price.

If you want to try out a Nimba before you buy one, feel free to drop by my shop and use mine. Okay, its a bit of a reach to get here, but the weather is good. :-)

Rich

P.S. - I nearly forgot tomention that the Nimba has an absolutely mind-boggling ring, but you can kill that by bedding the anvil in Geocel 100% silicone construction sealant. Mine is on a welded steel stand set that way and has almost as little ring as my Fisher (arguably the quietest real anvil made). Sure saves the hearing.

Ries and Rich, what is it about Nimba anvils that make them such better quality? Is it the metallurgy? I looked into them, but they were a little bit out of my price range at the time. Another anvil I looked into which was also out of my price range was Ernst Refflinghaus Anvils. Have any of you had any experience with these anvils? There's a fella here in Nebraska that imports them from Germany. Here's the web address.

http://www.blksmth.com/Refflinghaus%20Anvils_1.htm

Jake

Hey Nathan, did you end up getting your Rat Hole Anvil and if so, how do you like it?

Jake