My grandfather's anvil finally got a new home after 50 years

I was cleaning out my uncle's barn up near Barrie and found my granddad's old 150-pound Peter Wright anvil sitting under a tarp. It's got this beautiful ring to it, you know, no cracks or chips that I could feel. I buiit a proper stand for it out of oak last week and finally set it up in my own shop. Has anyone else inherited a tool from family that just feels different to work with?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade2261mo ago

Hate to be the one to say it but I think those old anvils get WAY too much credit. Granddad's tools were fine for HIS time but modern anvils are WAY better balanced and quieter. The ring you love is actually just wasted energy that could be ruining your wrist over time.

the_sean1mo ago

Got a modern anvil in the shop a few years back after using granddad's old Fisher for like fifteen years. The difference in working with that thing was night and day. My wrist bothered me all the time with the old one, especially on long forging days. The new setup just absorbs the hit better and my arm feels a lot less beat up at the end of the week. Quiet is a big deal too, the old ring drove me nuts after a while, honestly surprised I put up with it that long. Guess I'm part of the modern anvil crowd now, they just work better for how I actually use them these days.