[TheForge] RE: Old Anvils/ schooling

Tue Apr 8 10:39:00 2003

Aaron,

A 248# Peter Wright for $350 sounds like a fair deal.

You can be a good smith and be self taught. But you will get there faster
with schooling in the craft.  As far as the price of your products goes,
most people don't care what your education history is. They do care about
the quality of your work. From that point of view the sooner you start
making quality items the sooner you can ask and get a premium price for
them.

The only risk I see in formal training is that sometimes the student can't
break away from their training and all the studend's products look like
their teacher's, they seem to never find their own style. My son is a knife
maker and I see this when a beginner spends a lot of time with the guy that
got them started, they can set their tables up side by side and you can't
tell the knives apart.  Of course if you have a lot of different teachers
you will have a lot of different styles to draw from. And if you have a
creative mind you will be able to build on what you have learned, using
their techniques with your designs.

Bob Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo

Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 00:26:27 -0600
From: Aaron R Williams <[email protected]>
Subject: [TheForge] Old Anvils
Reply-To: [email protected]

Hello group

I have been reading the talk on refacing of old anvils and I have learned
a lot but I was wondering if there is any of the older anvils that you
shouldn't try this to or that it is not worth doing it to.  I have found
an abused Peter Wright 248lb that is selling for $350.  Every thing I
have found on used anvil prices is 1.00 to 3.00 a pound.  The guy that is
offering me the anvil is going to help me fix it at no charge other than
that I help.  He has been refacing anvils and reselling them for years
locally.  What do you think?

Also on another subject,  a little wile ago I asked for information on
schooling  I was wondering if you thought it makes a difference if one
gets a formal education in this art or if they are just self taught with
going to workshops and reading books and lots of practice?  Will it make
a difference on how one is accepted and will it make a difference in what
they charge.

Thanks

Aaron
Pueblo, CO