Most anvil shopping takes place in person- not by mail order- hence Ratholes lack of modern business techniques.īlacksmiths want to kick the tires- so Rathole had a good dozen anvils in their booth in Seattle, and sold a few, I am sure. The Czech anvils are running about half what the German anvils last cost, 5 or so years ago. Meanwhile, blacksmiths are extremely parsimonious- (Cheap)- so they buy used, or they buy Czech. Similar situation with the Kolshwas- no US distributor has been willing to pony up the minimum order they want, and it keeps getting more and more expensive as the dollar drops. The Germans havent sent any Peddinghaus' over in several years- I think because the prices are so high, the demand so low, and probably internal corporate politics as well, they have been pretending they make them, but not actually doing so, for quite a while now.Īs with any German tool, they are mighty proud of them. Like any tool, how can you be satisfied with a cheap piece of crapola once you know that real, elegant, classy ones exist? ![]() These are coffee table quality, in terms of fit and finish.Ĭant find their own website, but here are some good pics and a review. In the classic London Pattern most of us think of when we think "anvil" there are these, really really nice anvils, made in america, called Ratholes- because there used to be a nice 19th century English anvil called a "mousehole". More than you want to spend, but hey, quality and class cost money. ![]() They are elegant, beautiful, emminently usable, and going up in price.Ĭool names too- personally, I have a "Centurion". My friend the late, great Russel Jaqua, made these, based on an old italian anvil he worked on. However, for a guy who appreciates the finer things in life, like Deckels and Swiss Mill Drills, you really ought to be looking at a nice new Nimba. It will probably appreciate in value, not drop like a stone, like a cast iron anvil would.Īgain, some good deals at just about your target price. Their 175 lb, at $540, is a good deal, and a good anvil. Not the classic London Pattern, these have 2 horns instead. The Czechs have been flooding the market with cheap (relatively speaking) cast steel anvils lately, sold as euroanvils and old world anvils. I was at the ABANA conference in Seattle today, where 1000 blacksmiths had gathered from around the world, and new anvils there started at around $500, and rapidly went up to $2600. ![]() Real anvils start at 3 or 4 bucks a pound, and go up from there. Their illustration shows a cast iron anvil with a steel top plate, but I dont think thats what they really sell- i bet they are solid cast iron, and, at the price, just as good as any of the other cast iron ones out there- so if they are convenient, go for it. Not sure who makes the Mcmaster anvils, they could even be american made, but I doubt it. Grizzly, Jet, and all the usual suspects sell cast iron. Most of the cast iron ones around today come from India (so-so) Russia (ok, sold at harbor freight) or china (pretty crummy). Which is not to say they arent ok for just beating on, as long as you dont mind all the dings in the top you will be making. Cast iron anvils are generally known as doorstops or "anvil shaped objects" in the trade.
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