WHEN in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary….
On Old Anvils: “The time has passed when we must go to England for our best anvils.”
byVanderleunonDecember 18, 2020
The steel mill sky is alive.
The fire breaks white and zigzag
Shot on a gun-metal gloaming.
Man is a long time coming.
Man will yet win.
Brother may yet line up with brother:
This old anvil laughs at many broken hammers.
There are men who can’t be bought.
The fireborn are at home in fire.
The stars make no noise,
You can’t hinder the wind from blowing.
Time is a great teacher.
Who can live without hope?
In the darkness with a great bundle of grief the people march.
In the night, and overhead a shovel of stars for keeps, the people march:
“Where to? what next?”
“Lay me on an anvil, O God.” Also from Sandberg. Prayers of Steel Solid imagery.
AggieDecember 18, 2020, 1:06 PM
There’s a whole plethora of ‘anvils’ out there courtesy of the cheap manufacturing industry in China and the East. Lots of anvils to choose from, but as the Essential Craftsman says, getting a true hand-forged one is not easy. I’ve been looking for some time – real ones go into the thousands of dollars. Blacksmiths derisively call these newly-minted Chinese wonders ‘Anvil-Shaped-Objects’, because of course they are poured into a mold instead of being forged, and some of them are so bad they even have bondo filling in the casting defects, under the shiny paint. If you are reading a blacksmithing blog and see ASO, now you know what it means.
ghostsniperDecember 18, 2020, 2:08 PM
Since I didn’t win the contest last year I am still looking too, most likely in vain.
So I’ll keep beatin’ the devil out of my railroad track.
Bruce WayneDecember 18, 2020, 5:11 PM
My Mousehole anvil was made in England between 1854 and 1875
Snakepit KansasDecember 18, 2020, 6:22 PM
Well I use the same improvised tooling as Ghost. I have an 18″ stretch of railroad track in the garage. If something needs some pointed forming, I’ve used the corner of my old Craftsman table saw.
I’ve got two inherited chunks of rail that served my great grandfather (a metalworker and plater) and grandfather one my side of the family, and another that came my wife’s great grandfather’s farm. I expect to pass them down to my kids. Forged anvils around here start around $500 and go steeply north from there.
TerryDecember 18, 2020, 7:47 PM
My Grandfather was a blacksmith. He had a sizable blacksmith shop at the gold mine the family owned and operated. There were two or three large anvils, a huge forge, air blower and what seemed like hundreds of special tools for the anvils.
He had a smaller blacksmith shop in a shed at the home a mile from the mine site. He was a very powerful man with real muscles in his arms, not fake muscles as per playing with weights.
One of my brothers has all of the blacksmith tools and other items from that mine. He knows how to use every item as taught him by grand dad.
AnonymousDecember 19, 2020, 12:14 AM
A good anvil is nice to have.
Every man should have a good anvil. Or several.
Today most don’t.
Not even a lousy one.
Like Ghost & others I’ve a nice length of rail anvil. I mounted it on a 16 inch steel I beam base and find it quite satisfactory though I gotta get around to cutting a hardie hole in the I beam.
PubliusIIDecember 19, 2020, 4:25 PM
Scott Wadsworth is absolutely marvelous. Whatever your workshop skills are, you’ll get something — and sometimes a lot — from his videos. And keep up the good work.
Boat GuyDecember 21, 2020, 2:28 AM
Anvil – the real thing, not those produced by communist slaves – are true wonders and emblematic of our civilization; yet a skilled worker can produce wonders on a piece of rail.
My anvil lives at our refuge, I don’t get to see it often enough, much less work it; I hope the day comes soon when we both get to produce something worthwhile. Unfortunately I suspect we’ll be forging plowshares into swords; that will be worthy work if my grandson can then return the plowshares to their form.
Real World Address for Donations, Mash Notes and Hate Mail
Gerard Van der Leun
1692 MANGROVE AVE
APT 379
Chico, Ca 95926
Green Pants Interior by Klahn
Who Am I? by Carl Sandburg
My head knocks against the stars.
My feet are on the hilltops.
My finger-tips are in the valleys and shores of universal life.
Down in the sounding foam of primal things I reach my hands and play with pebbles of destiny.
I have been to hell and back many times.
I know all about heaven, for I have talked with God.
I dabble in the blood and guts of the terrible.
I know the passionate seizure of beauty
And the marvelous rebellion of man at all signs reading “Keep Off.”
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
Duty, Beauty, Liberty, Country, Honor, Family, Faith — Plus a few simple easy to follow rules for guys
Men saw the stars at the edge of the sea
They thought great thoughts about liberty
Poets wrote down words that did fit
Writers wrote books
Thinkers thought about it
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
Many’s the road I have walked upon
Many’s the hour between dusk and dawn
Many’s the time
Many’s the mile
I see it all now
Through the eyes of a child
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
And close your eyes
Leave it all for a while
Leave the world
And your worries behind
You will build on whatever is real
And wake up each day
To a new waking dream
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Change, change come over
Change come over
Talkin’ about a change
Change, change
Change come over, now
Change, change, change come over
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
The steel mill sky is alive.
Gerard Van der Leun
Comments on this entry are closed.
“Lay me on an anvil, O God.” Also from Sandberg. Prayers of Steel Solid imagery.
There’s a whole plethora of ‘anvils’ out there courtesy of the cheap manufacturing industry in China and the East. Lots of anvils to choose from, but as the Essential Craftsman says, getting a true hand-forged one is not easy. I’ve been looking for some time – real ones go into the thousands of dollars. Blacksmiths derisively call these newly-minted Chinese wonders ‘Anvil-Shaped-Objects’, because of course they are poured into a mold instead of being forged, and some of them are so bad they even have bondo filling in the casting defects, under the shiny paint. If you are reading a blacksmithing blog and see ASO, now you know what it means.
Since I didn’t win the contest last year I am still looking too, most likely in vain.
So I’ll keep beatin’ the devil out of my railroad track.
My Mousehole anvil was made in England between 1854 and 1875
Well I use the same improvised tooling as Ghost. I have an 18″ stretch of railroad track in the garage. If something needs some pointed forming, I’ve used the corner of my old Craftsman table saw.
I’ve got two inherited chunks of rail that served my great grandfather (a metalworker and plater) and grandfather one my side of the family, and another that came my wife’s great grandfather’s farm. I expect to pass them down to my kids. Forged anvils around here start around $500 and go steeply north from there.
My Grandfather was a blacksmith. He had a sizable blacksmith shop at the gold mine the family owned and operated. There were two or three large anvils, a huge forge, air blower and what seemed like hundreds of special tools for the anvils.
He had a smaller blacksmith shop in a shed at the home a mile from the mine site. He was a very powerful man with real muscles in his arms, not fake muscles as per playing with weights.
One of my brothers has all of the blacksmith tools and other items from that mine. He knows how to use every item as taught him by grand dad.
A good anvil is nice to have.
Every man should have a good anvil. Or several.
Today most don’t.
Not even a lousy one.
Like Ghost & others I’ve a nice length of rail anvil. I mounted it on a 16 inch steel I beam base and find it quite satisfactory though I gotta get around to cutting a hardie hole in the I beam.
Scott Wadsworth is absolutely marvelous. Whatever your workshop skills are, you’ll get something — and sometimes a lot — from his videos. And keep up the good work.
Anvil – the real thing, not those produced by communist slaves – are true wonders and emblematic of our civilization; yet a skilled worker can produce wonders on a piece of rail.
My anvil lives at our refuge, I don’t get to see it often enough, much less work it; I hope the day comes soon when we both get to produce something worthwhile. Unfortunately I suspect we’ll be forging plowshares into swords; that will be worthy work if my grandson can then return the plowshares to their form.