Hey guys! We're gearing up for a live-stream on the channel this afternoon if I can get all the technology up and running after a few years in boxes! Turn your notifications on! The Live-Show just might be back! ;)
Leave them in as they are received from the foundry, offer the finishing as an add-on and for everyone else toss in a tutorial page on how to finish it off. This allows the price to stay lower, and still be finished in an Alec Steele manner this also allows people to finish it to their liking.
Someday, a hundred years from now, a smith will be standing in his shop and bragging, "Yep, this is an original Steele 140lb anvil. One of the best ever made!". What a solid, permanent contribution you are making to the future. You should proud of what you've accomplished. You taken a basic simple skill, mastered it and turned it into a success story. BraVO!
@@N1ko0L tbf, it's infinitely better than the anvils YOU make! There are always better and worse characteristics of ANY product. It's all in how you define what "better" means. I was just applauding Alec for following his passion and having the courage to give up his life in England, move to the US and become successful through hard work and perseverance. What have YOU done?
@@bumblebee2989 what i've done is irrelevant, i'm just saying that this anvil is cool and steele should be proud of it, but at the end of the day it's not "the best one ever made" like the op comment suggested, like he basically said himself in the video that Forged Anvils are better, but i respect his anvil because it's goes with his philosophy of "everyone can forge" and a casted steel anvil is a way to make it cheaper in a good way.
Can we take a moment to appreciate Jamie's editing? I'm constantly impressed by the timing of the hammer blows with the beat of the music. It just makes the whole thing so much more satisfying to watch.
Alec is a genius. This is the best possible advertising there is. What a beautiful anvil. Not only that, but for those that can't quite yet afford this quality of a tool, he shows an alternative way to achieve your goals, and in that, a way toward maybe one day affording the anvil of your dreams.
I think it has more to do with the kind of man he is. I like that he is more worried about " doing things right " and will show you the way....in turn it makes me want to support him back by buying his tools. It's how the world should work. You earn your reputation by being the person you know you should be. So yeah, I guess your right , he is a genius 😁✌️😎
@@tarunkasa9579 my dad gets a kind of meat that has the same name. Its gross af and tastes like cat food but he likes it. I think its pronounced *brunch-wager* i couldn't spell it for the life of me though.
You want instant gratification, you watch the "maker" channels of people making some dumb thing for people who just want to see someone use a welder, mill, lathe, and grinder. Those types of people love watching those channels because they don't care about the process of making things, they just want to watch other people use told to make things, because they don't know how to use those tools, are scared of those tools, and will never build anything in their lives.
@@magoolew5131 depends on what kind of samurai armor you're talking about. Regardless, i don't care to make any cause I'm not a weeb, so unless i get a customer asking for some it ain't happening
If you sell these, I'd suggest that you offer an "as cast" version. Most of the people who would be interested in an anvil will be able to do the finishing themselves and will appreciate the reduced price.
@@liamholcroft7212 you don't stamp cast iron, you actually have to have the casting number built into the molds. I've worked in a foundry, by the time the casting is cool enough to handle, it's way to hard to stamp without deformation.
I've been watching you for just a couple of years, Alec, and I appreciate how you've grown as a businessman as well as a craftsman... But I have to say that watching you go to town with your hammers trying to push this anvil to it's limits really reminds me of the younger versions of you learning the earliest steps of the craft and the joy you exhibited while doing it... I'm glad to see that your evolution has not taken the fun out of beating hot metal with tools you're holding in your own hands!
My vote would be for a "rough" version to make it a bit more affordable. Nothing in the prep I couldn't easily do; heck I'd probably surface grind the top anyway, because why not?
And on a secondary thought, alec’s anvil being finished off by This Old Tony... yea there are not enough pairs of boxers in the world for a nut like that...
Thats a very good point. Practically all people who'd be buying Alec's anvil would likely be capable of dressing it up. Alec would just need a brief video going over things like what size radiuses one may what to grind in.
hey Alec you should invest in some hearing protection for Yogo. Dog's hearing abilities are way more sensitive than humans and it would suck if Yogo went deaf :(
He surely knows that you should check out his Instagram where he says so and I guess yogo is put in the office as I understand is soundproofed, but yogo is certainly the most important :)
I saw your livestream and admire that you're testing the anvil thoroughly. Do you have any plans to test it on a roadrunner? I'm asking for a coyote friend.
I absolutely LOVE how you started this video! Even though the main focus of the video was to feature a very expensive "luxury" tool, you started off by reinforcing the fact that you don't need much to get started, so if you want to give it a try, don't let the lack of fancy, expensive tools stop you!
So what your admitting openly, is, you want to watch Alec beat his horn for 8 minutes straight? I mean thats fine dude, maybe just don't be so public about it.
Please in your process think about offering this in an unfinished (as seen received on the pallet) condition to allow the purchaser to put their signature finish on it.
I just gotta say...I have been searching for a proper anvil for YEARS. Some don’t have the right look, the right feel, weight, rebound, etc. THIS...is truly a thing of beauty and would LOVE to have one of my own.
It’s pretty incredible how far you’ve come Alec in a matter of only a few years. Having your own range of grinders, hammers, and now anvils - pretty amazing really!
A very nice anvil if and when I get in to forging some knife blade's one of these days after this mess is over I'll have to look into one of them it sounds like it's just the right weight as well. Hope your all doing well during this trying time be safe.
Most UA-camrs: "Hey guys buy my t shirt" Alex: "So we're prototyping a custom designed anvil we'll sell you and ship to your house if you wanna, if not check out this cheaper alternative"
The confidence to swing a 26-lb hammer with full strength on such a small target is probably close to if not the most impressive skill being a career blacksmith probably doesn't think much about anymore, but I've never gotten two solid strikes back to back on a splitting wedge about that size, yet I can fairly consistently get 2 in a row where the glancing blow wrenches the hammer sideways and nearly sprains my wrists from twisting. Mind You, that's with an 12-lb maul too
Andrew Werner look how he holds the handle he’s relatively chocked up on the top of the handle which gives you better control and reduces shock a bit too, learned this from a guy I apprenticed under for about 6 months
Absolutely this. In fact, I think the first Alec Steele video I watched was just a simple tutorial on doing a taper on a small piece of square stock. In two heats or so he had an absolutely perfect beautiful taper. Being an absolute novice, that was a real eye-opener as to what you can do with truly great hammer control. When every strike is exactly where and exactly how hard you want it to be, it makes forging look quick and effortless. I'd have taken 10 minutes to do what he did in less than 1. I was so impressed I had to go and watch all his videos :)
Andrew Werner I use an 8 pound maul for all the splitting and an axe for the smaller stuff. If there’s anything I’ve learned from splitting wood is that I hate river birch and practice makes perfect. The more I’ve done it the more I’ve gotten better. Hope this helps
I've been watching your channel for years and learning so much from you. Now, I'm working on starting a shop out of my family's farm and have been planning on a blue hammer anvil, HOWEVER, seeing that you're making a design of your own, I'm really looking forward to placing a pre-order. Here's hoping the tests go well, give it hell.
I’m a simple man. I see a dude working on his own anvil with a pup in the back. I hit that like button with all of my masculinity. Keep up the amazing content Alec! And the whole team too!
I started watching you and being very impressed with your work ethics and your drive to offer your knowledge to the public. Well that has not changed. I am proud of how far you have come from that dirty faced kid to the business owner, brand owner , young man you are today.
Personally Made in the USA gives me the warm fuzzies, but if I'm being honest, my Favorite Blacksmith was mad in the UK I would have been ok with the anvil made there as well, all that being said, that thing looks beastly and beautiful, keep up the amazing work Alec, CHEERS :D
Alec.. Just watched your video on an anvil design by yourself (excellent design & toughness) nice size for a knifesmith ,well done! Every reason to be extremely proud of this work.
Looks fantastic! Consider offering it "as is" in case folks want to do their own finishing? Also how much did your arms hurt after that? Wow! Sucker was jumping around like a jack rabbit!
Binge watching your youtube channel for the last week. I hope you have the greatest success here in the states Alex. I think you are and outstanding teacher and mentor; teaching what you can do with less and then showing what can be done with more helpful tools. God Bless, be safe, and good luck. Looking forward to more content.
"this anvil is about 230 pounds" Me: thats alot of mone- oh wait, weight haha "i got it online for about 90 pounds" Me: how does an anvil gain weigh- oh right, money
I bought my nice 285lb Peter Wright in 2018 for £325. You just have to look for them and act quickly when you see one for a decent price, they are a lot more expensive in the USA in general though.
One of the weirdest things about living in the same town is I can tell exactly what day you film by if it snowing, or sunny, or snowing while it's sunny followed by a tornado and a hurricane. Montana weather
Very cool finding a good legitimate black smith anvil is nearly impossible. 35 years ago when I needed a good anvil all I could find was old antique cast iron junk or real anvils that had been worked /abused to death. I got in touch with a foundry that was willing to cast a anvil for me - if I provided a wooden positive mold, so with their guidance on how to taper the mold I gave them a mold. They cast a anvil for me out of Chrome molly tool steel and aneled it for me it was 178lb. Milling off the top and bottom tapers was quite difficult, only carbide cutters would touch it. After milling and shaping it we put it in a forge heated it and tempered it. Having a good anvil is essential for many tasks. You are doing a very good thing providing these quality anvils, they do need to be sold with the tops and bottoms milled though as that process is not easy to do.
Well, I was gonna get one of the cheap cast steel Anvils off eBay, but now that I know you might be selling them, and of nicer quality, I'm just gonna start saving and get one from you.
@@Pado01 yess but..... the basic idea lied Behind two different philosophies of forging. You can always make it round later or you can always Make it square. Not that either are wrong.... But .... You can always round it later
@@leaunoir I'm no expert, so feel free to correct me, but I would also imagine that the more sharp an edge is; the more prone it would be to chipping? But I guess it wouldn't matter as much since you would be forging soft on hard... But like a few have said, it might be a good idea to sell it as a virgin anvil, and an additional add-on service to have it surfaced.
I'm no expert either but from a logical point of view, the rounded portion of the anvil edge has multiple uses; more consistent pressure on the metal with each hit, less banana bending of the metal because only the hammer is rounded, less straight line hammer markings on the metal because of the sharp edge, and more of a "squeeze" movement of the metal instead of it bending over the sharp edge.
One doesn't see many 'new' anvils. I've seen tons of antique ones, old ones, abused, ruined and revitalised ones, but I have to say this is the all round best of the best. Who better to design and spec an epic tool than Alec Steele. Well done Alec. Makes me wish I were a smith.
I think it would be great to offer it up in an "as cast" (how it was before you ground it) offering as well as with your prep. It really looks great and apparently can take a beating. Look forward to seeing more of it in use and come to market.
I wish you all the bet on your new venture. I think it will be a real winner. An anvil designed by a blacksmith for blacksmiths. Can't beat that. You earned it Bro.
josh for weight pounds are good enough for anything non-precise, you can more or less just half it to get the Kg weight (I know that’s not accurate but good enough). For anything precise, metric makes more sense and distances are much easier in metric
Alec! This is cool stuff! Would love a touch of more education on all the blacksmith's tools, etc? Like why is an anvil the shape it is, why do you have the various types of hammers and sizes and weights, etc
You should really get some ppe for the pupper. I was so paranoid of his eyes while forging with all the hot scale flying off. Will the Anvil be available in Europe? And what about the grinders? Would love to get some!
@@jeffreypeters8446 Well they are sensitive to hearing higher frequencies, not necessarily volume. He doesn't seem spooked by the sound so it should be ok.
Also... he hammered repeatedly with a 26 lb sledge... and HARD! The strength it takes to do that... then he went at the horn for 7 to 8 minutes with a 12 lb sledge... if i tried that same feat my lungs would give out... right before my arms curled up in a spastic muscle cramp, leaving me crying on the floor with T-rex arms
Actually, it's very good to teach you patience. Some times you are working with some steel and it's not moving as quickly as you want or exactly how you'd like - take a quick water break because you need it anyway and all of a sudden everything's going swell. Happened to me this afternoon drawing out a blade and it's hidden tang. With a hunk of rail and a charcoal forge in a lasagna tin. At least the hammer's not terrible.
Yeah, that's a pretty good description of what it's like. Probably why everyone's confused by my ability to stay stress free about literally everything. I think it scares some people.
looking forward to seeing where this goes. I have been looking at anvils lately to start learning. pretty lucky to have an up and coming school local to me. I will be taking some beginner classes there when I finally get started.
You remind me of an old roots reggae song called "looks is deceiving" by The Gladiators. One of the lines is "don't watch the tool - the work it can do: *watch, the man that's behind it* " Wise words!
Love the enthusiasm and sheer love and joy you get when you engage in your craft. You are such a genuine person and I admire you. Keep up the hard work.
I only do a small bit of smithing for custom parts on my farm I literally use a slice of railway track and also this big flat lump of steel I found as an anvil.
I have been watching your channel for over two years, I greatly appreciate your "do with what you have....make it cheap, make it work...etc." mentality, by no means am I a black smith, I'm a hobby carpenter, but I love watching your work and your mentality. Watching you learn as you go gives me great inspiration and appreciation for what you do and my own work going forward. Rock on Alec, keep up the good work and lifestyle.
My grandma maiden name is Steele! She will love this! Her dad was a railroad worker in WV and I’m gonna make a railroad spike knife for her with this anvil!
this is a cool idea till you bump into it in the dark at three a.m whie carrying a plate of late-night pizza causing the shattering to wake your parents up and leading to them thinking you're sleep deprived forcing you to sleep at 8 every night
@@fortune6858 Go to a railroad yard and get a piece of rail and see how you like stumping your toe into that in the middle of the night. I bet you'll say a a few say a few swear words.
The more I watch Alec the more I’m fascinated by the idea of what he’ll be making 30 years from now. Also Alec doesn’t usually come off as buff but my god he man handled that 26lb sledge.
I have had to step away from my shed, as I developed a neurological disorder and can't always control my limbs. So as my lathes gather dust, I live vicariously through your videos, thankyou
Any idea of a ballpark price for this anvil when it comes out? I would love to get my hands on this amazing anvil! Just started blacksmithing about a month ago and I'm loving it!
this might seem like it is expensive. but here in germany you've gotta pay at least 500 € (roughly 540$ ) to get a used anvil in good condition. 1200 $ seems fair.
hopefully if this all goes well, you'll make these in different sizes. sometimes all a person needs is one of those mini anvils for a bit of tinkering. you could offer a range of say 5 sizes. suits any shop size
I've spent the last four years in seminary and the last three of them watching your show. I graduate in May and as soon as I have a job and a manse, I'm going to buy one of your anvils and one of your hammers, set up a forge in the back yard, and start wailing on some steel. You are an inspiration!
That is a beautiful anvil! If I was still able-bodied, I'd be strongly considering getting back into smithing, but I know my limits. When I was in my 20's, I was in the SCA, and made some lovely armor under the tutelage of a very knowledgeable man. We went together to symposiums on smithing, and I got to try various tools, from handmade hammers and cobbled-together anvils made from lengths of discarded railroad track, to some very nicely maintained vintage anvils. The forges were everything from fire cement lined wheel housings to purpose-built firebrick forges. A few had bellows to blow them up, while others had motorized blowers. I never got a chance to use a power hammer, but would have loved the opportunity. Unfortunately, along with the impact of the SCA's "heavy" fighting -- heavier armor, rattan weapons, etc -- and the demands of making such armor, I developed a repetitive stress injury and had to stop. I didn't quit altogether, I was in "on the ground floor" with rapier combat in my area and studied that for several years and competed a fair bit, but it didn't require the blacksmithing that heavy fighting did. You could use repurposed fencing gear along with period-designed arming doublets and gambesons. I still have a pair of my favorite rapier-style weapons, fencing epees mounted on saber grips, and my 3-style fencing mask. My other armor succumbed to a basement flood and did not survive. As the only surviving article from my heavy-fighting and armoring days, I still have the steel helm I helped make by hand. We acquired some roll-end steel, which calipered to about 13 1/2 gauge (it was upset a tad thicker from 14 gauge because it was a roll end). We never did know the specific mix of the steel, as it was scrap from a steel company who let us scavenge from their scrap bins so long as we didn't abuse the privilege. They were very nice about it and even cut long pieces to something we could carry in the back of a little hatchback car. We didn't have a forge, so we cold-forged it on a chunk of tree stump. We cut it using a manual Beverly shear, and cold hand-riveted all the joins. The top of the helm was designed to be re-dished if it got badly dented, but nothing we ever hit it with could so much as mark the thing. It weighs about 12 pounds, is designed so it will NOT spin on your head if struck wrong (a real problem with helms made from old Freon or propane tanks), and actually had decent peripheral vision. It was designed to LOOK "period", but was more closely modeled as the bastard love-child of a modern motorcycle helmet and a European helm. Someday, I'll have to polish it up and take some pictures. I call it "George", and it lives on my mantelpiece. I've always loved watching your videos for the vicarious thrill of seeing someone do what I no longer can. I hope this new product does very well for you, and for your customers, in the months and years to come!
I Want One Let Me Know When They Will Be Available Just The Anvil I've Been Looking For And I Absolutely Love That It Actually Has Mounting Holes. I Give You An A+ On Designing This One
I would probably spend my money on other things since I already have a fair quality anvil, but that doesn't matter because I don't qualify for the stimulus anyways.
Hey guys! We're gearing up for a live-stream on the channel this afternoon if I can get all the technology up and running after a few years in boxes! Turn your notifications on! The Live-Show just might be back! ;)
Yayyy
Alec Steele ur my favorite you tuber by far lol
you should make a discord or i could make one for you
Livestreams are back baby!
Livestream? I’m down for one!
Leave them in as they are received from the foundry, offer the finishing as an add-on and for everyone else toss in a tutorial page on how to finish it off. This allows the price to stay lower, and still be finished in an Alec Steele manner this also allows people to finish it to their liking.
Good idea.
Absolutely!! Also, hopefully I can drive down to pick it up. I would rather spend my money on fuel than shipping.
That is a very good idea.
Rough casting please. we all have quirky preferences!
I've always wanted a rough casting anvil, so I can modify it to my needs, for example.
If you ship to Europe you have a customer in the north.
Most youtubers: sell shirts, hats, sweaters, maybe the occasional figurine
Alec: HAMMERS. GRINDERS. AND ANVILS
Just wait, power hammers and full workshops are next on the menu
Please tell me there aren't UA-camrs selling figurines.
@@xenonram Pretty sure Zone-TV sells figurines :P
@@xenonram Jimmy diresta had a limites serie done a few years back. And David Wealder made a small cat to go with it.
@@xenonram Ever heard of a company called YouTooz? Yeah, it's literally figurines of famous UA-camrs, mostly gamers though.
Someday, a hundred years from now, a smith will be standing in his shop and bragging, "Yep, this is an original Steele 140lb anvil. One of the best ever made!". What a solid, permanent contribution you are making to the future. You should proud of what you've accomplished. You taken a basic simple skill, mastered it and turned it into a success story. BraVO!
Lol you think there will be any life left in 100 years?
Tbf it's a nice avil but it's still a casted 140lb, there better ones :)
@@N1ko0L tbf, it's infinitely better than the anvils YOU make!
There are always better and worse characteristics of ANY product. It's all in how you define what "better" means.
I was just applauding Alec for following his passion and having the courage to give up his life in England, move to the US and become successful through hard work and perseverance.
What have YOU done?
@@bumblebee2989 what i've done is irrelevant, i'm just saying that this anvil is cool and steele should be proud of it, but at the end of the day it's not "the best one ever made" like the op comment suggested, like he basically said himself in the video that Forged Anvils are better, but i respect his anvil because it's goes with his philosophy of "everyone can forge" and a casted steel anvil is a way to make it cheaper in a good way.
"Fun fact: they made it 140 lbs so they could ship it with the "UPS Ground" service that they had at the time!"
Ladies , find you someone who looks at you the same way Alec looks at that anvil.
And pounds 😂...
I hope Mrs Steele doesn't see this video... She's going to be jealous!
Literally laughing out loud. I was thinking that too...
Why he puts his ear protecters but the dog in the background doesn’t have them? He must be in a lot of pain because dogs hear a lot louder
@@stanisawzalewski2058 The dog is free to walk away. I think he is not troubled. However, it might do something to the hearing over time.
Can we take a moment to appreciate Jamie's editing? I'm constantly impressed by the timing of the hammer blows with the beat of the music. It just makes the whole thing so much more satisfying to watch.
Agreed. Guy can really edit
Thanks mate!
Me with $0, not even owning a hammer: "Yeah I'll probably get that anvil".
You need more self-discipline friend.
XD
PMSL
Hurry. He has them on sale today for just $123,456! Surprisingly, it's one of the few things on his site which is not SOLD OUT. ?????
Lol same
Alec is a genius. This is the best possible advertising there is. What a beautiful anvil. Not only that, but for those that can't quite yet afford this quality of a tool, he shows an alternative way to achieve your goals, and in that, a way toward maybe one day affording the anvil of your dreams.
I think it has more to do with the kind of man he is. I like that he is more worried about " doing things right " and will show you the way....in turn it makes me want to support him back by buying his tools. It's how the world should work. You earn your reputation by being the person you know you should be. So yeah, I guess your right , he is a genius 😁✌️😎
@Roderick storey agreed
This channel taught me what true patience is when it took 300 years to make a cavalry saber
It's going to take 400 to finish the Braunschweiger sword....
@@jhbryaniv and at least 500 to learn how to pronounce that
@@tarunkasa9579 wait, I didn't get the name right? Can we all just agree to call it the wavy and wiggly looking sword?
@@tarunkasa9579 my dad gets a kind of meat that has the same name. Its gross af and tastes like cat food but he likes it. I think its pronounced *brunch-wager* i couldn't spell it for the life of me though.
You want instant gratification, you watch the "maker" channels of people making some dumb thing for people who just want to see someone use a welder, mill, lathe, and grinder. Those types of people love watching those channels because they don't care about the process of making things, they just want to watch other people use told to make things, because they don't know how to use those tools, are scared of those tools, and will never build anything in their lives.
The hype he showed when he started using the anvil makes me want to go into blacksmithing.
Everything about blacksmithing should make you want to get into blacksmithing. You get to MAKE WEAPONS AND ARMOR
@@chipman1589 Make some Samurai and then tell me about it.
@@magoolew5131 depends on what kind of samurai armor you're talking about. Regardless, i don't care to make any cause I'm not a weeb, so unless i get a customer asking for some it ain't happening
chipman1589 you can like samurai and not be a weeb lmao. They’re badass.
Same dude
If you sell these, I'd suggest that you offer an "as cast" version. Most of the people who would be interested in an anvil will be able to do the finishing themselves and will appreciate the reduced price.
Definitely a good idea.
Agreed!
I was just thinking the same thing. I clean and face all my hammers regularly, and would like the same finish on any anvil I get.
Yup, I would prefer that optiom
But I it would be offered with less warranty, right?
When you start serial production have the foundry date and number them.
Just adds to the price
Not if they stamp it whilst still soft
@@liamholcroft7212 Makes it easier but time cost money, they have to organize it too.
@@liamholcroft7212 you don't stamp cast iron, you actually have to have the casting number built into the molds. I've worked in a foundry, by the time the casting is cool enough to handle, it's way to hard to stamp without deformation.
@@mikeford963 would it matter if you deformed it a little? Surely a small stamp on a on a large chubk of steel wouldn't do much damage.
"My dream anvil, is one that has a built-in parachute. Just in case. " - Wile E. Coyote
A fellow Roadrunner Looney Toons fan. Noice 👍
"My dream anvil" Is one that has a built-in parachute. Just in case." - Steve from minecraft :D
.Acme...
““You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” -Wayne Gretzky” -Michael Scott
Couldn’t agree more
Me: *dreams about my crush*
Alec: *mmmmMM anvil*
I'll betcha that anvil gets more love-taps than the missus!
Priorities
You know, the device to fix a cow to trim its hooves is called a cattle crush...
O Husky I dream about hammers
Give your crush an anvil. Trust me, it always work
I've been watching you for just a couple of years, Alec, and I appreciate how you've grown as a businessman as well as a craftsman... But I have to say that watching you go to town with your hammers trying to push this anvil to it's limits really reminds me of the younger versions of you learning the earliest steps of the craft and the joy you exhibited while doing it... I'm glad to see that your evolution has not taken the fun out of beating hot metal with tools you're holding in your own hands!
Every other UA-camr “buying my dream car” or “buying my dream house”
Alec - “buying my dream anvil”
So wholesome I love it😂
*MAKING my dream anvil, lol
My vote would be for a "rough" version to make it a bit more affordable. Nothing in the prep I couldn't easily do; heck I'd probably surface grind the top anyway, because why not?
I'd second that. I would prefer to do my own post-cast grinding, to customize it to my preferences.
@@levicalebblack yep
MWMitman and it’s at this moment when the thought of forging AND machining made me bust a nut... LOADS OF YES!
And on a secondary thought, alec’s anvil being finished off by This Old Tony... yea there are not enough pairs of boxers in the world for a nut like that...
Thats a very good point. Practically all people who'd be buying Alec's anvil would likely be capable of dressing it up. Alec would just need a brief video going over things like what size radiuses one may what to grind in.
Why don't you sell them in the "as cast state", and let US do our own finishing? It would put them closer to the price range a LOT of us can afford.
That I like
I agree not only will it let us customize it for ourselves, but less work is cheaper for end user.
Or offer the finishing as an add-on cost. (best of both worlds)
This is a great idea
@@OsmerDevere agreed
A video showing the casting process of the new anvil would be awesome.
hey Alec you should invest in some hearing protection for Yogo. Dog's hearing abilities are way more sensitive than humans and it would suck if Yogo went deaf :(
Would be too sad to have Yogo go deaf :( cant let that happend!
He surely knows that you should check out his Instagram where he says so and I guess yogo is put in the office as I understand is soundproofed, but yogo is certainly the most important :)
That's really not how that works
@@joshyingling LOL. Right. (That's not sarcastic. The LOL was for people that don't understand how it works.)
@@avyayirde8554 You saw Yogo in one of the shots while he was forging.
I saw your livestream and admire that you're testing the anvil thoroughly. Do you have any plans to test it on a roadrunner? I'm asking for a coyote friend.
this comment deserves more likes!
I absolutely LOVE how you started this video! Even though the main focus of the video was to feature a very expensive "luxury" tool, you started off by reinforcing the fact that you don't need much to get started, so if you want to give it a try, don't let the lack of fancy, expensive tools stop you!
I vote for Jamie to upload a bonus video of Alec just hammering the anvil for 8 minutes straight unedited
With Jamie comments!
Hate to admit , I would watch it.
So what your admitting openly, is, you want to watch Alec beat his horn for 8 minutes straight? I mean thats fine dude, maybe just don't be so public about it.
Please in your process think about offering this in an unfinished (as seen received on the pallet) condition to allow the purchaser to put their signature finish on it.
Definitely second this.
As do I
Hell yes. It would help keep the cost down too I'm sure. I am definitely interested in one depending on final price.
Yes unfinished is the way I would prefer it.
Agreed, maybe give the option to choose (dressed or natural). But I will also like to dress my first ever anvil @1960FL @Alec Steele
Haven't done any forging or blacksmithing in 40 years. You relite my interest in expanding my shop. Thank you!
Seriously Alec’s energy in his videos and Jamie’s editing (it’s still him right?), I mean, who wouldn’t love watching this?
When you wail on an anvil so hard that your hair gets shorter!!
Relatable, tbh
I just gotta say...I have been searching for a proper anvil for YEARS. Some don’t have the right look, the right feel, weight, rebound, etc. THIS...is truly a thing of beauty and would LOVE to have one of my own.
In 100 years Alec Steel anvils might still be around, in use, and serve as inspiration for another anvil.
I bet his ghost would be happy.
It’s pretty incredible how far you’ve come Alec in a matter of only a few years. Having your own range of grinders, hammers, and now anvils - pretty amazing really!
A very nice anvil if and when I get in to forging some knife blade's one of these days after this mess is over I'll have to look into one of them it sounds like it's just the right weight as well. Hope your all doing well during this trying time be safe.
Most UA-camrs: "Hey guys buy my t shirt"
Alex: "So we're prototyping a custom designed anvil we'll sell you and ship to your house if you wanna, if not check out this cheaper alternative"
how original comment :) Did you come up with it yourself?
At least know his name when you post a comment 🤦🏼♂️
His name is his channel name and you still manage to mess it up
Yea i guess so
Alec, you definitely need to consider 2 price points for this: one for a raw casting and another for a finished/dressed anvil.
First time buying any youtube merch! Glad to finally support after all the years of entertainment. Got the easy peasy hoody.
The confidence to swing a 26-lb hammer with full strength on such a small target is probably close to if not the most impressive skill being a career blacksmith probably doesn't think much about anymore, but I've never gotten two solid strikes back to back on a splitting wedge about that size, yet I can fairly consistently get 2 in a row where the glancing blow wrenches the hammer sideways and nearly sprains my wrists from twisting. Mind You, that's with an 12-lb maul too
There is that clip of young Alec learning the dangers of sledgehammers...
Andrew Werner look how he holds the handle he’s relatively chocked up on the top of the handle which gives you better control and reduces shock a bit too, learned this from a guy I apprenticed under for about 6 months
@@ractorc91 yeah, handle too long and end of handle finding his "boyhood". Lesson learned as to body positioning.
Absolutely this. In fact, I think the first Alec Steele video I watched was just a simple tutorial on doing a taper on a small piece of square stock. In two heats or so he had an absolutely perfect beautiful taper. Being an absolute novice, that was a real eye-opener as to what you can do with truly great hammer control. When every strike is exactly where and exactly how hard you want it to be, it makes forging look quick and effortless. I'd have taken 10 minutes to do what he did in less than 1. I was so impressed I had to go and watch all his videos :)
Andrew Werner I use an 8 pound maul for all the splitting and an axe for the smaller stuff. If there’s anything I’ve learned from splitting wood is that I hate river birch and practice makes perfect. The more I’ve done it the more I’ve gotten better. Hope this helps
Alec: I’m bringing out an anvil
Me: throws my wallet at him
I damn sure agree on that one
I don't want one unless Will hand sanded it..........
Yes, I will have one.
@@ironwolfgaming9632 Shut up and take my money!
Harmsy's Basement [*alec shouting while being hit by coins]
I've been watching your channel for years and learning so much from you. Now, I'm working on starting a shop out of my family's farm and have been planning on a blue hammer anvil, HOWEVER, seeing that you're making a design of your own, I'm really looking forward to placing a pre-order. Here's hoping the tests go well, give it hell.
I’m a simple man. I see a dude working on his own anvil with a pup in the back. I hit that like button with all of my masculinity. Keep up the amazing content Alec! And the whole team too!
Hahah "With all my masculinity"... thats an awesome sentence
I'm with everyone else. Looks perfectly fine from the foundry as is. Just make an option to sale it that way, save everyone some money.
Your enthusiasm is absolutely contagious!
I started watching you and being very impressed with your work ethics and your drive to offer your knowledge to the public. Well that has not changed. I am proud of how far you have come from that dirty faced kid to the business owner, brand owner , young man you are today.
Thank you, Sir! Sincerely appreciated!
I bet he's really smelly though!! ... 😆
Personally Made in the USA gives me the warm fuzzies, but if I'm being honest, my Favorite Blacksmith was mad in the UK I would have been ok with the anvil made there as well, all that being said, that thing looks beastly and beautiful, keep up the amazing work Alec, CHEERS :D
Alec.. Just watched your video on an anvil design by yourself (excellent design & toughness) nice size for a knifesmith ,well done! Every reason to be extremely proud of this work.
Looks fantastic! Consider offering it "as is" in case folks want to do their own finishing?
Also how much did your arms hurt after that? Wow! Sucker was jumping around like a jack rabbit!
Binge watching your youtube channel for the last week. I hope you have the greatest success here in the states Alex. I think you are and outstanding teacher and mentor; teaching what you can do with less and then showing what can be done with more helpful tools. God Bless, be safe, and good luck. Looking forward to more content.
"this anvil is about 230 pounds"
Me: thats alot of mone- oh wait, weight haha
"i got it online for about 90 pounds"
Me: how does an anvil gain weigh- oh right, money
Even if it was money, that's not really a lot for an anvil. Anvils are EXPENSIVE!
I thought the same thing husky!
A 230 lbs anvil will probably cost you well over £1000
I bought my nice 285lb Peter Wright in 2018 for £325. You just have to look for them and act quickly when you see one for a decent price, they are a lot more expensive in the USA in general though.
sound like the girl who wamted the man to buy her sims
Congrats! I think it's missing the standard wrench hole though...
Bruh
Whats beautiful about this anvil is his great grandkids could very well be forging on this very tool.good job alec
One of the weirdest things about living in the same town is I can tell exactly what day you film by if it snowing, or sunny, or snowing while it's sunny followed by a tornado and a hurricane. Montana weather
You should sell one in "raw" form and do the prep work on the Anvil as an extra. It would keep costs down for us hobby people...
I want #420
Ya was thinking the same.
great idea
Very cool finding a good legitimate black smith anvil is nearly impossible. 35 years ago when I needed a good anvil all I could find was old antique cast iron junk or real anvils that had been worked /abused to death.
I got in touch with a foundry that was willing to cast a anvil for me - if I provided a wooden positive mold, so with their guidance on how to taper the mold I gave them a mold. They cast a anvil for me out of Chrome molly tool steel and aneled it for me it was 178lb. Milling off the top and bottom tapers was quite difficult, only carbide cutters would touch it. After milling and shaping it we put it in a forge heated it and tempered it. Having a good anvil is essential for many tasks. You are doing a very good thing providing these quality anvils, they do need to be sold with the tops and bottoms milled though as that process is not easy to do.
Well, I was gonna get one of the cheap cast steel Anvils off eBay, but now that I know you might be selling them, and of nicer quality, I'm just gonna start saving and get one from you.
I cried when he rounded those edges. So many years working on old anvils with not a clean edge available... it was like he was grinding on my heart.
But he only rounded off a portion of the surface?
@@Pado01 yess but..... the basic idea lied Behind two different philosophies of forging. You can always make it round later or you can always Make it square. Not that either are wrong.... But .... You can always round it later
For more clarification the hammer is also doing work. Round die vs flat die can determine the shape you got through vs the shape you want to end with.
@@leaunoir I'm no expert, so feel free to correct me, but I would also imagine that the more sharp an edge is; the more prone it would be to chipping? But I guess it wouldn't matter as much since you would be forging soft on hard...
But like a few have said, it might be a good idea to sell it as a virgin anvil, and an additional add-on service to have it surfaced.
I'm no expert either but from a logical point of view, the rounded portion of the anvil edge has multiple uses; more consistent pressure on the metal with each hit, less banana bending of the metal because only the hammer is rounded, less straight line hammer markings on the metal because of the sharp edge, and more of a "squeeze" movement of the metal instead of it bending over the sharp edge.
One doesn't see many 'new' anvils. I've seen tons of antique ones, old ones, abused, ruined and revitalised ones, but I have to say this is the all round best of the best. Who better to design and spec an epic tool than Alec Steele. Well done Alec. Makes me wish I were a smith.
I think it would be great to offer it up in an "as cast" (how it was before you ground it) offering as well as with your prep. It really looks great and apparently can take a beating. Look forward to seeing more of it in use and come to market.
Sell them as the rough forging. Let the blacksmiths do the finishing on them. Lower costs and lets the blacksmith put the finish on they want.
Definitely the better system.
I wish you all the bet on your new venture. I think it will be a real winner. An anvil designed by a blacksmith for blacksmiths. Can't beat that. You earned it Bro.
In italy we have a saying: "Picchiare come un fabbro" that roughly translates to "hitting like a blacksmith"... Today I found out WHY
The weird moment when you don‘t know if the british guy is talking about money or weight when he is talking about 230 pounds
He is an American now though ;).
@tututuims ieijebdo Alec stated he moved since blacksmithing events and opportunities were more prevalent in US.
@tututuims ieijebdo for a lady ;-)
He's been brainwashed to use American measurements
josh for weight pounds are good enough for anything non-precise, you can more or less just half it to get the Kg weight (I know that’s not accurate but good enough). For anything precise, metric makes more sense and distances are much easier in metric
Alec! This is cool stuff! Would love a touch of more education on all the blacksmith's tools, etc? Like why is an anvil the shape it is, why do you have the various types of hammers and sizes and weights, etc
You should really get some ppe for the pupper. I was so paranoid of his eyes while forging with all the hot scale flying off. Will the Anvil be available in Europe? And what about the grinders? Would love to get some!
I was thinking the same thing! I was worried about his ears with the hammering - dogs hearing is already much more sensitive then ours...
@@jeffreypeters8446 Well they are sensitive to hearing higher frequencies, not necessarily volume. He doesn't seem spooked by the sound so it should be ok.
Alec: makes a 15 minute advertisement for new product
Me: Yeah, no, that sounds great!
The fact alec hamered on the horn for 8 minutes just shows how dedicated he is to deliver the best product he can
Also... he hammered repeatedly with a 26 lb sledge... and HARD! The strength it takes to do that... then he went at the horn for 7 to 8 minutes with a 12 lb sledge... if i tried that same feat my lungs would give out... right before my arms curled up in a spastic muscle cramp, leaving me crying on the floor with T-rex arms
Alec: *[hammering away full force with a giant hammer]*
Me: Wow this job must be amazing for anger management and stress relief
It's because all of your problems can be solved by smashing something with a hammer
and create something at the same time
Kelly Mouton like baby heads
Actually, it's very good to teach you patience. Some times you are working with some steel and it's not moving as quickly as you want or exactly how you'd like - take a quick water break because you need it anyway and all of a sudden everything's going swell. Happened to me this afternoon drawing out a blade and it's hidden tang. With a hunk of rail and a charcoal forge in a lasagna tin. At least the hammer's not terrible.
Yeah, that's a pretty good description of what it's like. Probably why everyone's confused by my ability to stay stress free about literally everything. I think it scares some people.
Send one to Essential Craftsman and his friend Cy for some of their special black powder anvil testing.
looking forward to seeing where this goes. I have been looking at anvils lately to start learning. pretty lucky to have an up and coming school local to me. I will be taking some beginner classes there when I finally get started.
You remind me of an old roots reggae song called "looks is deceiving" by The Gladiators.
One of the lines is "don't watch the tool - the work it can do: *watch, the man that's behind it* " Wise words!
As a potential buyer, it would be nice to get a rough one to finish ones-self as a way to "get to know" it and save a buck more. Just a thought
Also a potentially smaller version around 75-80lbs
Love the enthusiasm and sheer love and joy you get when you engage in your craft. You are such a genuine person and I admire you. Keep up the hard work.
I was going to post a troll comment, but...
Oh hell, why not?
Can I get my anvil with the ACME logo, with a coyote and road runner beside it's?
I'd like to get in on that...as long as it passes the "drop on a cartoon character's head" test. LOL
Omg yes
GREAT product idea. Run with it. I'll buy one.
Coyote squished under it.
Actually looks like a good anvil to start blacksmithing
Yeah its great but if you're not sure about it it's not because its gonna be really expensive. I bet over $600
I only do a small bit of smithing for custom parts on my farm I literally use a slice of railway track and also this big flat lump of steel I found as an anvil.
Alec looks like he has joined the "I gave myself a quarantine haircut" club.
I did a quarantine haircut yesterday, my wife is going to hate it. I got her while she was sleeping
@@johannesjacobs5252 I know I'm stoned but that made me giggle rather a lot
As we say back home in Britain he looks like he lost a fight with a flymo/lawnmower
He said his wife did it.
@@thebusbums2825 pretty much same thing unless his wife is a stylist
"26 POUNDER! HERE WE GO!"
Misses.
Hammer goes into orbit.
Estimated shipping to the UK? Thousands or just hundreds?
No idea on UK shipping yet sadly!
@@AlecSteele No worries chap. It was a distant future thought for when the worlds recovered.
Also Australia please
Oscar Bruton ☝️ I second that!
South Africa 🇿🇦 please
I have been watching your channel for over two years, I greatly appreciate your "do with what you have....make it cheap, make it work...etc." mentality, by no means am I a black smith, I'm a hobby carpenter, but I love watching your work and your mentality. Watching you learn as you go gives me great inspiration and appreciation for what you do and my own work going forward. Rock on Alec, keep up the good work and lifestyle.
“I’m gona go beat on this horn” - Alec Steele, 2020
I was hoping I wasn't the only one who caught that...
"I like having a pretty clean horn"
Probably lots of people beating on the horn during quarantine 😂
I started out with a piece of railroad track that I found in a scrap yard.
I'm still using one.
Best anvil to be honest .
@@cliffordalexo234 It'll do. I'd still like to have a 200+ pound forged and hardened anvil with all of the features. One day....
My grandma maiden name is Steele! She will love this! Her dad was a railroad worker in WV and I’m gonna make a railroad spike knife for her with this anvil!
Can’t wait for the reviews “I bought the anvil but I wasn’t able to make a cool damascus sword, will return” 1 Star
Alec: puts earmuffs on everytime working in the shop
Yogo: runs around the shop freely without any protection...
Yeah, I'm wondering when Alec is going to sell canine PPE.
The dog is smarter than some you tubers, if it doesn't like the noise it will walk away
You sir have a customer, when I plan my future anvil purchase!
I have looked at quite a few and I cant get over how much I love this design.
So I'm not a blacksmith in any way shape or form, but do you reckon you'll bring out a tiny version as a door stop? lol
Good idea
that's a really cool idea!
this is a cool idea till you bump into it in the dark at three a.m whie carrying a plate of late-night pizza causing the shattering to wake your parents up and leading to them thinking you're sleep deprived forcing you to sleep at 8 every night
@@fortune6858 Go to a railroad yard and get a piece of rail and see how you like stumping your toe into that in the middle of the night. I bet you'll say a a few say a few swear words.
@@magoolew5131 You don’t have to one-up everyone
The more I watch Alec the more I’m fascinated by the idea of what he’ll be making 30 years from now.
Also Alec doesn’t usually come off as buff but my god he man handled that 26lb sledge.
I have had to step away from my shed, as I developed a neurological disorder and can't always control my limbs. So as my lathes gather dust, I live vicariously through your videos, thankyou
11:10 doggo like “what’s going on”
Any idea of a ballpark price for this anvil when it comes out? I would love to get my hands on this amazing anvil!
Just started blacksmithing about a month ago and I'm loving it!
On the live stream he did tonight he estimated it to be around $1,100 - $1,300
@@TinysTastys so, between $9 and $10 per pound, plus shipping? Woah, gotta increase the savings portion of my budget.
@@TinysTastys So somewhere around $1200 with shipping. There are worse things to spend the stimulus check on.
Thanks guys I appreciate it.
this might seem like it is expensive. but here in germany you've gotta pay at least 500 € (roughly 540$ ) to get a used anvil in good condition. 1200 $ seems fair.
Gorgeous anvil! I love the nice sharp horn, the proportions are so nice, not too small but not unmanageably big either. I hope to own one, someday!
hopefully if this all goes well, you'll make these in different sizes. sometimes all a person needs is one of those mini anvils for a bit of tinkering. you could offer a range of say 5 sizes. suits any shop size
I never thought I'd admire the beauty of an anvil before, it's something I've never even thought of,but this is 😍😍😍😍😍😍
I've spent the last four years in seminary and the last three of them watching your show. I graduate in May and as soon as I have a job and a manse, I'm going to buy one of your anvils and one of your hammers, set up a forge in the back yard, and start wailing on some steel. You are an inspiration!
That is a beautiful anvil! If I was still able-bodied, I'd be strongly considering getting back into smithing, but I know my limits. When I was in my 20's, I was in the SCA, and made some lovely armor under the tutelage of a very knowledgeable man. We went together to symposiums on smithing, and I got to try various tools, from handmade hammers and cobbled-together anvils made from lengths of discarded railroad track, to some very nicely maintained vintage anvils. The forges were everything from fire cement lined wheel housings to purpose-built firebrick forges. A few had bellows to blow them up, while others had motorized blowers. I never got a chance to use a power hammer, but would have loved the opportunity.
Unfortunately, along with the impact of the SCA's "heavy" fighting -- heavier armor, rattan weapons, etc -- and the demands of making such armor, I developed a repetitive stress injury and had to stop. I didn't quit altogether, I was in "on the ground floor" with rapier combat in my area and studied that for several years and competed a fair bit, but it didn't require the blacksmithing that heavy fighting did. You could use repurposed fencing gear along with period-designed arming doublets and gambesons. I still have a pair of my favorite rapier-style weapons, fencing epees mounted on saber grips, and my 3-style fencing mask. My other armor succumbed to a basement flood and did not survive.
As the only surviving article from my heavy-fighting and armoring days, I still have the steel helm I helped make by hand. We acquired some roll-end steel, which calipered to about 13 1/2 gauge (it was upset a tad thicker from 14 gauge because it was a roll end). We never did know the specific mix of the steel, as it was scrap from a steel company who let us scavenge from their scrap bins so long as we didn't abuse the privilege. They were very nice about it and even cut long pieces to something we could carry in the back of a little hatchback car. We didn't have a forge, so we cold-forged it on a chunk of tree stump. We cut it using a manual Beverly shear, and cold hand-riveted all the joins. The top of the helm was designed to be re-dished if it got badly dented, but nothing we ever hit it with could so much as mark the thing. It weighs about 12 pounds, is designed so it will NOT spin on your head if struck wrong (a real problem with helms made from old Freon or propane tanks), and actually had decent peripheral vision. It was designed to LOOK "period", but was more closely modeled as the bastard love-child of a modern motorcycle helmet and a European helm. Someday, I'll have to polish it up and take some pictures. I call it "George", and it lives on my mantelpiece.
I've always loved watching your videos for the vicarious thrill of seeing someone do what I no longer can. I hope this new product does very well for you, and for your customers, in the months and years to come!
I was in the SCA myself. Knees went out. Lots of fun though. Just have my helm left is all.
I would like to see some edge deformation tests to see how the most fragile part holds up
That is the nicest anvil I’ve ever seen. Really put a lot of thought into the design. Great work guys!
When the music stopped while you were hammering on it I thought that thing was about to crack, but then you spoke and I could breathe again
The anvil was saying "Stop this! I don't deserve this abuse!" (Tries running away with each hit on the cold steel)
Wow. Fantastic work! Congratulations on bringing a dream to fruition; I hope you sell a million of them!
You should sell “special edition “ ones that you have forged on like this one. You constantly have a new anvil and make more money
wait i’m here too early, ive gotta wait until the good comments start rolling in😳
I Want One Let Me Know When They Will Be Available Just The Anvil I've Been Looking For And I Absolutely Love That It Actually Has Mounting Holes. I Give You An A+ On Designing This One
Alec adds an anvil for sale.
Me: Goodbye stimulus check.
I would probably spend my money on other things since I already have a fair quality anvil, but that doesn't matter because I don't qualify for the stimulus anyways.