Bought a $60 harbor freight anvil to start out. Huge mistake.

I figured I'd save money with a cheap cast iron anvil. It chipped on the second project, a simple leaf keychain. The face got all dinged up and uneven. Had to buy a proper forged anvil for $300 after that. Anyone else try to cheap out on an anvil and regret it?

3 comments

3 Comments

murphy.aaron9d ago

Oh man, I had a buddy who did the exact same thing. He was so proud of that cheap anvil until it basically exploded on his first real project.

linda1148d ago

Basically exploded" is exactly what I've seen happen too, but I think there's something deeper going on nobody's mentioning. It's not just about cast iron being brittle. Those cheap anvils are often cast with hidden flaws like voids or cold shuts right in the striking area. So even if you hit it perfectly, the internal stresses from that first real project force can crack it from the inside out. I've seen guys try to salvage them by welding, but the repaired spot just becomes another weak point. You're better off saving up for a proper used anvil or even a chunk of railroad track if you're on a budget.

spencer_coleman8d ago

Cast iron anvils were never meant for real forging work.