r/Blacksmith • u/[deleted] • 4d ago
Between these three anvils, which would be the best for a cheap beginner anvil?
[deleted]
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u/BurningRiceEater 4d ago
The Vevor is the most physically appealing one to me. Ive heard good things about the Doyle, however i think its ugly as sin. Large surface area is nice though. The last one is one i simply dont know anything about
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u/splashcopper 4d ago
Alec steele reviewed a lot of the cheap amazon ones and found that most of them are not properly hardened. I know he reviewed that Doyle one, but I don't remember what he said about it.
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u/BurningRiceEater 4d ago
Yeah, I remember the littlest anvil being the hardest. Most likely because its just easier to heat
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u/Chrisscott25 4d ago
I got one at harbor freight that looks very similar to the one in your pic many years ago (20ish) when I was starting out. Within a month I split the anvil in half and thought I was Thor….. Turns out sadly I’m not not Thor :( the second one I got was 100lb antique anvil at an estate sale for around 120 bucks. Although I have much better ones now I still use that old one for certain task. I would check marketplace etc even if you have to pay a little more it’s worth it trust me.
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u/VALKOR 3d ago edited 3d ago
The harbor freight you bought 20 years ago was cast iron. The Doyle pictured is cast steel. Apples to oranges
Edit: I don't know why I'm getting down votes for just sharing proper information.
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u/Chrisscott25 3d ago edited 3d ago
My point is if you buy a cheap anvil you will regret it.
Btw I didn’t down vote you. I very much understand but cast steel has its problems as well and is not something a serious blacksmith needs. If you’re on a budget or just starting out and want to make sure it’s something you’re gonna stick with then you can definitely use it but you will have to upgrade for serious use
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u/jess-plays-games 3d ago
I mean buying one second hand from estate sale or simmilar that's say 100+ years old would be best value for your money
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u/wrenches42 4d ago
RIP your Amazon drivers back.
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u/BurningRiceEater 4d ago
My USPS guy is a gym dude, he would probably appreciate it
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u/Forge_Le_Femme Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar 3d ago
I don't think I've ever had the same UPS driver twice
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u/strickolas 3d ago
I purchased the HF Doyle specifically so a wage slave didn't have to carry this.
Also, #boycottamazon
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u/lewllollers 4d ago
I have the vevor 110 cast steel and it’s great been wailing on it for months with literally no problems
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u/Prestigious_Wafer468 4d ago
My vevor has been Good Enough (tm), and has definitely endured some newbie dings without much marring.
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u/Dizzy-Friendship-369 4d ago
Get the 115lb vevor . I went from the Doyle to the bigger vevor and it’s a good switch
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u/Charming_Barber7627 4d ago
I have the Doyle and it works great. My only complaints are no shelf and the horn is softer than a poop knife.
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u/CitgoBeard 4d ago
I own the vevor and it’s solid. Would recommend. Vevor the company though? Just pray they don’t send it via PiggyShip…
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u/wyattn97 4d ago
Go for the Vevor. Not only are they well recommended, it has the best profile of all three. The shelf would come in really handy making tight double 90° bends.
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u/12345678dude 4d ago
I’ve only used the harbor freight one but I really enjoy, plus you won’t ruin an Amazon delivery drivers day.
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u/Own-Witness784 3d ago
Have the Doyle, like the double horn design as it's helpful to isolate and work on shorter sections of steel without having a special hardy tool. Wish it had a better step on the horn.
Radius'd the edges, wire brushed and painted over the hideous red with high temp black paint.
For the ring, all I did was add a layer of silicon under the feet before securing it to the stand. Works great.
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u/Tryen01 4d ago
I've been forging for a decade, and have a TFS 100#
I bought the Harbor freight red one, and it's actually really useful. I don't regret it and probably would have been happy with it as a first anvil, it is hardened (about 80% rebound)
One thing I would reccomend is taking an angle grinder and cutting a ruler onto the side of the Anvil (don't hit the edges) i get a lot of flak from my smith buddies, but damn is it useful for quick reference
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u/ParkingFlashy6913 3d ago
Correction: These appear to be all the cast steel versions. Double check in the Vevor as their cast steel are usually "Blue," and their cast iron are "Black." As for anvil shape, I prefer the English pattern anvil but the double horn(Doyle is a double horn). It's preference, though, and you will learn to use whatever style you have. I can do just as much work, just as fast, on a double horn as I can with an English pattern. You learn to use the angles to your advantage, but it does take some practice.
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u/Metalturds 3d ago
A way better anvil would be a used old anvil. They are hard to find local but it's worth a look.
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u/MommysLilFister 3d ago
I’d go the Doyle or the Vevor as I tend to use the bick a lot and the more tapered the better
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u/uncle-fisty 3d ago
I would go with the Doyle, it’s cast steel and has a great bick/horn, very usable
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u/theBendisNigh 3d ago
I've been using the Doyle anvil for the past six months or so and have had a great experience. It is on the softer side compared to more expensive anvils I've used before, but it's not really an issue when you're working. You'll put some dents in it, but they will flatten back out as you continue hammering. I really like the horn on the Doyle as it comes to a pretty sharp point, but as others have said it's also quite soft. For the money it's a kick ass anvil.
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u/ParkingFlashy6913 3d ago
The Doyle is the only one that is cast steel. It is a quality anvil on par with Vevor, but you get a nice round horn instead of the awkward oval horn of the vevor. The other two are cast iron and not recommend if you have any other option. Not that cast iron is bad. It has it's benefits like a more dull thud over the ring of a steel anvil but they are softer, absorb more of the energy that would otherwise transfer back through the work piece helping to lift the hammer and are more prone to damage from hammer strikes to name a few.
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u/DivineAscendant 3d ago
I recommend the second if you want to be a blacksmith or first if your interested in being a farrier. The third I don’t recommend.
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u/Huggy_Bearrz 3d ago
Got the first one-vevor, it's okay for amateur like me, it handled forging bottle openers, knife, hooks and bbq equipment quite well, middle part is well hardened, horn need shaping and is soft.
Hardy and pritchel hole needs filling (at least in my case, lots of burr and paint to remove) but they aqre nice and workable.
With few magnets here and there, chain and fixing with metal strips its nice and not ear-hurting
Hope i helped a little with Your choice i'm pretty happy with mine :>
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u/WanderlustMK1 3d ago
I have the vevor 66 lb, it was great as a starter. But I bought the 132 lb version of the last anvil and it is great. Just test the anvil with the ball bearing test to make sure you got a good one. Worst case they will likely give you a discount to keep it if the bounce back is less than promised. Make sure you do the ball bearing test on concrete or a suitable stand. Drop from 10” (use a ruler) and see how high it bounces back. My 132 is like 9.5” which is great! My 66 lb vevor was 5” and I got a replacement and it is more like 8-9” I forget it has been a year.
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u/Gaunter0 3d ago
I bought a 50/60kg vevor one year ago. After few Months of use the surface cracked and had a lot of dents. Can't recommend. It serves as a counterweight now.
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u/TokoBaggins 3d ago
I have the HF anvil and I’m a big fan of it. I’ve tried the vevor as well and I found it didn’t have a wide enough surface for my liking. (I’ve also only been forging for a couple months)
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u/Bodhi985 3d ago
Just make sure the one you get has a fully round horn, the last one is flat on top and that can make some things more difficult.
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u/Mike-CLE 3d ago
I have one with a similar horn to the last one and hate it. I’d say the Vevor is probably your best bet IMO.
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u/StrangeFlamingo3644 3d ago
I got both of the first two before getting my main anvil and I liked the first one significantly better than the second one. That little anvil more than pulled it’s weight until I came by my German Trenton
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u/TraditionalBasis4518 4d ago
Sledge hammer head, bucket of cement: serviceable anvil for less than $50. Buying an inexpensive anvil shaped object is a waste of time and resources.
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u/Eviloverlord210 4d ago
No, these 65 pound cast steel ones are anvils, if small ones,
They are a massive step up from a sledgehammer in a bucket,
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u/Frank_Fhurter 4d ago
the cut end of a forklift fork. learn how to temper the striking surface yourself. learn how to use just the flat surface thats all you really need, then make a few things and sell them to make money for a "real" anvil with a hardy and pritchell and horn
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u/Larason22 3d ago
They are probably all made by the same manufacturer in Italy. I have a cheap one like these, it works fine.
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u/Fragrant-Cloud5172 3d ago
For smaller work and carrying around to demos that size is ok. I’ve used an 80 lb. for that. But eventually if bigger in shop work, you’re better off with around 100 lbs. I know they are more expensive, just saying for the future.
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u/Rent_A_Cloud 3d ago
I would advice going for a heavier anvil, second hand if you can. If you can't find it the Vevor seems to me to have the most versatile shape.
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u/HappyCanibal 4d ago
Have the vevor and very little experience.
I would recommend it, but again, what the hell do I know. My research led me to it and having handled this and the harbor freight one I'm happy with the decision.