Skipping anvil warm-ups for light work improved my output

Phoenix Kim · 2026-02-26T14:20:54.76335+00:00

Lots of smiths swear you must heat your anvil to avoid damage. I stopped doing that for small jobs like hooks and brackets. My anvil stays cool, but my bends are cleaner and I save on propane. After six months, I have not seen any cracks or issues.

ryanm457mo ago

Funny, my grandad always said warming the anvil was just for show. @simonm67 saving propane on hooks proves him right, I guess.

4

nancy307mo ago

Did 30 hooks without heating the anvil. Ryanm45's grandad was onto something.

4

simonm677mo ago

The 100-year-old anvil at our club shop never gets warmed up for small jobs. We make dozens of hooks and brackets cold, and they come out straight every time. All that talk about cracks starting from a cool anvil sounds like scare stories now. I saved a whole tank of propane last month just by skipping the heat ritual. Maybe the only thing warming up should be the smith with a cup of coffee.

1