[TheForge] make shift anvil

[Ries Niemi]

This is one of those subjects that comes up again and again.
Dont use an I beam- what you need in an anvil is mass, not a large 
surface. I beams bounce and flex quite a bit- way too much cantilever.
A much better starter anvil is any big chunk of round bar- say 4" 
diameter and as long as you can find. Bury one end in the floor, and 
you have a great anvil. Or mount it on a stump.
But any relatively compact chunk of metal that weighs 100 to 200 pounds 
is going to be a much better anvil than an I beam. Dont get hung up on 
it looking "anvil like" You can buy a bick for 15 bucks from centaur or 
kayne that will replace a horn, so you just want a rectangle or 
cylinder of the heaviest weight you can get. In many third world 
countries they use sledge hammer heads, mounted up and down on a stump. 
You cant beat on an area any bigger than the head of your hammer at 
once- So you could get away with an anvil the same size as your hammer, 
but you should be able to find a piece of scrap that is bigger than 
that. Big time pro knivemakers anvils are only 5" or 6" square, but 2 
feet tall, solid steel.
Then you can take your time and find a good deal on a used anvil, when 
you are ready.

ries