Anvils

[Tom-ADC]

These are the same size but I'm thinking jewelry making not knives

[NapalmCheese]

In general use whatever anvil floats your boat. I use a piece of railroad track because it was free.

That being said anything under 20 or so lbs (really even under 50) is likely to move and wiggle and do weird stuff if you're really going to town with the hammer and as such is better left to smaller work like jewelry. That being said, if you can get the anvil locked down sturdy enough use it anyway.

Stump anvils are reasonably popular and they're just a piece of metal with a flat face and a spike to be hammered into a stump. They are secure once in the stump, but the anvil itself is quite small.

[riprap]

I use a piece of railroad track because it was free.

This.

[Tom-ADC]

These may be salesman samples! based on finish they have been in family for ages

[STRICTLYFORMYNINJAS]

Depends on how much pounding you are doing.... a 60lb anvil will work fine for making a knife is secured properly

[Tom-ADC]

These are 9 inches long at top 2 inches wide 4 inches high with a 4 x 4 base weight about 10 pounds. I do get a ring when tapped with small ballpeen hammer can't locate steel ball bearing for rebound test yet.

[NapalmCheese]

These are 9 inches long at top 2 inches wide 4 inches high with a 4 x 4 base weight about 10 pounds. I do get a ring when tapped with small ballpeen hammer can't locate steel ball bearing for rebound test yet.

10-11 lbs is a pretty common for jewelry but don't let that stop you from using it. My wife uses one for silver work and I use the same one for brass fittings and stuff. You just need to strap it down really well to keep it from moving so much.

I'm working with a super low budget set up, 4 fire bricks, a propane torch, a piece of railroad track and a stump. If I kept waiting for all the perfect stuff I'd never have started forging anything!

Figure out how to heat, beat, repeat and get after it. I've only forged one knife (a tiny little thing from some 1075 I had leftover after making a stock removal knife) but I've been making a hardware for medieval reenactments (cloak pins, hangars, belt rings, etc). Now I'm making some tent stakes that'll loop around 2x4s to hold viking style tent frames in place and thinking about making all of my gate hardware.