[TheForge] Anvil shaving 101

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> Sway or "bellied" anvil faces take some getting used to when
> straightening.  With a swayed anvil face you can go too far in the other
> direction ("over straighten" if you will).
>
> I prefer my anvil face nice flat and level.  Straightening is simple: lay
> an item on the anvil face and anywhere you see light between it and the
> face, hammer down.   Or when working from above (which is most of the
time)
> your hand will tell you when the gap is gone because the piece is fully
> backed by the anvil.  You don't even have to think how far to straighten,
> because the anvil face is true.
>
>
> Daniel Crowther

I agree with Dan. While I'm perfectly capable of working on pretty much any
anvil, sway-backed or not, I prefer a straignt face, and at least a section
of sharp edge.

But keep in mind, guys, that a good smith can do good work with any tools,
but a poor smith can't do good work with the finest tools. It's more a
matter of knowing how to use them properly, than it is the tools themselves.
I'm getting ready to teach a couple folks on my RR track anvils, just to
encourage them to understand the tools they have.

Saint Phlip,
CoD

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....