How Do You Train With An Anvil?

[Dumnorix]

I just got a hold of an old anvil, which weighs 126 pounds on my bathroom scales. Those of you that can clean and press one by the horn are unreal. I want to eventually pick it up with one hand by the horn, but gravity says otherwise. That thing is glued to the ground. I also tried a two handed pinch grip on the flat top of it. Again, no deal. Anything else I could try?

[Rocksurly]

You could work with it underwater as it would then weigh less :stuart

[crushjunior]

I think you should try getting stronger. Do plate pinching and picking up dumbbells by the end and lifting other odd shaped objects that are lighter than the anvil. That's a heavy anvil btw, I don't think many here could pick it up one handed. I myself wouldn't know, I don't have access to one.

[Jedd Johnson]

Rick's got two that weigh about that much. We could all pick them up, but I didn't see anybody cleaning them.

55 pound anvils go up pretty easy. These are the only two denominations I've evr had the chance to play around with.

Except of course for the one in the machine shop at work. Still have to find a way to smuggle that thing out of there.

-Jedd-

[Digdogz]

I too have just got hold of a 130 pound anvil and I had been having a go at that, in my pop's back yard, for about a couple of years every time I was back home (rarely)

I now own the beasty and I can get it off the ground one-handed with both hands, this came about as my gripper strength grew. I think also fat handled dumb bell work did the buiz as well. It seems the thumb is quite important as it needs to be able to press down on the horn and stay in place.

I love the thing and as soon as I've mastered it for timed holds I will start to attach extra weights to it.

Its a good feeling to raise it, keep training and you'll get there,

Digz

P.s. Use lots of chalk

[Rick Browne]

You could try to assist your anvil up using your free hand.

Located on the heel of the anvil you should have a square hole,

it is called a Hardie (in case you were interested ). It should

be either 1/2, 3/4 or 1 inch diameter (approximate). Thread a rope of appropriate

size through the Hardie and tie it in a loop. This loop will be your assist

handle for the free hand. You can decide after some trial and error the

best length the loop should be.

With the anvil positioned so that the horn is facing up, pull on the horn

with the working hand and use the free hand to pull on the rope at the

same time. It should come straight up. Make sure the working hand

is doing most of the pull and that the free hand is only tugging slightly

with the looped rope. You can then hold the anvil statically for as long

as you can until the time you can ween yourself from the rope.

Or you can get fancy and put a threaded eyebolt in the Hardie and use

a single lat machine handle and hook the handle to the eyebolt with a

carabiner, and use this set up for assist.

By the way, does your anvil have a makers name on the body? I am sort of

an anvil buff and would like to research it with my references. Any markings

or numbers would be useful too. Also does it have a round hole by the

square hardie hole?

Thanks

[foggymountainmuscle]

I wish I had an anvil to work with. Anyone ever tried that little big horn from IM? It's supposed to simulate the grip of an avil horn. But since you have the real thing, the rope idea sounds better.

[Dumnorix]

By the way, does your anvil have a makers name on the body? I am sort of

an anvil buff and would like to research it with my references. Any markings

or numbers would be useful too. Also does it have a round hole by the

square hardie hole?

Thanks

Thank you for the replies everyone. I now have another goal to work for.

And zcor, thanks for getting me to look at the anvil closer. I cleaned it up a little, and on its right side, it says Liam Foster (best I can tell), and in large print it says 1845. Underneath that, I think it says WW, but it is unclear. It also has a small hole on the end, diagonal to the 1" x 1" Hardie. I was told it was an antique. I took some digital pictures of it, but it may be a while before I get this camera hooked up right. Have you ever heard of this maker? Should I quit training with it and try to keep it clean instead?

Thanks

[Rick Browne]

And zcor, thanks for getting me to look at the anvil closer. I cleaned it up a little, and on its right side, it says Liam Foster (best I can tell), and in large print it says 1845. Underneath that, I think it says WW, but it is unclear. It also has a small hole on the end, diagonal to the 1" x 1" Hardie. I was told it was an antique. I took some digital pictures of it, but it may be a while before I get this camera hooked up right. Have you ever heard of this maker? Should I quit training with it and try to keep it clean instead?

Dumnorix,

The actual name and maker of your anvil is William Foster. He was an

English Pattern anvil manufacturer and said to be from Sheffield, England.

He exported his anvils to America between 1816 and 1870. If it does not

have a horn on one side at a right angle, it is a Smith's anvil. If it has

a horn on one side at a right angle(in addition to the normal horn) it is a Coachmaker's anvil. He also made double bicks or a horn on each end.

On the opposite side where you see "Foster" do you see 3 numbers? If

you do this is the stone weight at manufacture. 1845 is the date it was made

Also, does your anvil have a crown emblem above the name Foster? or

maybe 2 crowns?.

The WW is most likely the inspectors initials. The round hole is called a

Pritchell hole and was used to punch holes or knock out pins or nails.

It is very much an antique! but I see no reason why you can not train

with it. Ya "ain`t" going to hurt it.................. I throw my 1892 Peter Wright

around and it laughs.

But it appears you do have a jewel and the best of luck to you.

If you take a real wet towel and rub across the body, you should be able

to see the markings better

[Dumnorix]

THANKS ZCOR!! All I knew about the anvil was that it was old and heavy. If you, or anyone else here, want to take a look at it, I downloaded the pictures to my web space at school. Pictures are at www.birdnest.org/leem1 if you want to see it. I didn't see any crowns on it, but it does look like there once was a weight stamp on the left side. Also, it has two odd shaped holes on the front. Should I take it to "Antiques Roadshow" next time they roll into town?

[Rick Browne]

THANKS ZCOR!! All I knew about the anvil was that it was old and heavy. If you, or anyone else here, want to take a look at it, I downloaded the pictures to my web space at school. Pictures are at www.birdnest.org/leem1 if you want to see it. I didn't see any crowns on it, but it does look like there once was a weight stamp on the left side. Also, it has two odd shaped holes on the front. Should I take it to "Antiques Roadshow" next time they roll into town? 

I just looked at the pics and yes the numbers on the side are the stoneweight.

Nearest I can make out from the pics is 1 0 17, which in English stoneweight

is 129lbs. Given the anvils age and use over the past 159 years, it could easily lose

some weight. But bathroom scales are not the most accurate.

The odd shaped holes on the front are called Handling Holes. This allowed

the anvil craftsmen to insert iron rods into these holds and lift it and move

the anvil around when it is being cast. The William Foster anvil is what you call

a multi-piece anvil or the sum of 2-5 parts. I have no specefic references

to Fosters' technique, but I would guess he used the 3-4 piece method of cast

Peter Wright and Armitage Mousehole where the most prominent anvil

craftsman of Sheffield , England in those days.

I would say the Antiques Roadshow would just roll their eyes at you

Thanks for the pics