NC Big Face with Slot

I purchased this with general blacksmithing in mind not realizing there is a difference between a general blacksmithing anvil and a farrier's anvil, this is a farriers anvil so it has some added features that plain anvils do not. That being said, it's been a pretty awesome anvil so far, the face is hard and doesn't dent, the turning "fork" or "cam" on the heel is pretty handy, the little "nubs" on the sides of the horn are basically miniature anvil faces which can be useful when a large flat face is too big. Now for the cons, it's a relatively small anvil with addons and features that are great for farriers but for general blacksmithing all the extra appendages could be potential failure points, for instance, a hardy hole where the horn attaches to the main body instead of in the heel, which isn't a big deal for light farrier work but may be an issue for somewhat heavier blacksmithing. The only other con i can think of is the "big face" itself, it actually protrudes over the edge of the main body itself so if a person needs to bend something over the edge of the face and use the side of the anvil as a second flat striking surface to make a square 90 degree bend you really can't, it's not something i thought of prior to purchas but it's kind of a big deal. In summary, as long as you recognize that this is a small anvil for light work and don't abuse it (the main striking area is still very tough and will take a beating) it will be a great tool for you.

This anvil is a monster with a incredibly huge face! Great for General blacksmithing or knife making. Only heads up to anyone thinking about N.C. anvils is the horn is not hardened. Not a problem as long as your only working with hot metal while using the horn. Overall the anvil gets a 9 out of 10 from me.

Great little anvil for the money. The only thing I questioned was why the face was painted. Made it harder to work hot metal as it would try to slide off. They may have done it to prevent rusting in storage. The company said it was paint and not power coating. I will probably just burn It off with a torch.

Great little anvil, with prices for used anvils going through the roof it's good to br able to purchase a quality product like this at a somewhat reasonable price.

Been using it for a few months now. the face was easy enough to properly dress and is very durable. Don't waste any money on those cast iron anvils like you get from HF, they wont last a single day of real use. the NC Big Face, however, has a real hardened steel face that holds up to some real punishment. The horn holds up pretty well too. I was concerned hitting it too much at first, but its still going strong after using it to draw out some large stock. The tail end of the face can be used to do some scrolling work too, which is a nice thing to have. The large hole also comes in very handy for drifting things too big for the pritchel hole. The only thing to look out for is the positioning of the hardy hole. It's located on the base of the horn, which isn't really a problem, but it way prevent you from using some hardy tools, so just be aware of that. All in all, I recommend this anvil if you're looking for a REAL anvil to do some real work on but don't feel like paying the ridiculous prices the antiques go for these days.

The 1” hobby hole has rounded corners preventing it from accepting any 1” tool. It’s essentially non-functional.

In the item description, it lists the item weight as 90 pounds. Completely and totally false. Had I inspected further I would have noticed the 68 pound shipping weight.. That being said, it feels a bit like I've been scammed. Don't get me wrong, its a solid little anvil but.. quite a bit smaller than advertised. Had the price point been what is posted from the manufacturer or as heavy as claimed, 5 stars.

Damn nice anvil. Excellent for knife making and farrier stuff.