These guys are simply the best in this country for ironwork that is "wrot"!
Re rebound of the hammer-- you want a lively anvil- just let the hammer drop (light grip) and you should hear a nice ring and the hammer should bounce in your hand -like a ball- little less each time. Hammering is guiding a hammer with a light grip- letting it do the work for you. Tight fisted hammering is clumsy. The weight of the anvil affects rebound too. The bigger the better. If I remember correctly- Fisher anvils (good anvils) don't ring. Ring doesn't tell the whole story! Age doesn't matter for much. The anvils of today are cast steel. Prior to 1900 they were wrought iron with a plate of tool steel forge welded on top. The horn was also forge welded on.
Look up Richardson on google for pre 1900 blacksmith info on google- can download the entire book for free!
