Should I trust the old guy who said 'just oil your anvil more'?

I'm split on this one. An old timer at the guild meetup in Portland told me most new smiths don't oil their anvil face enough. He said hit it with boiled linseed oil after every session, even if it looks fine. I did that for six months and my anvil started feeling slick, like the metal was skating. But then a guy at the shop said you're just attracting rust and gunk, and he swears by a dry face with a wire brush only. I tried his way for three months and got surface rust spots I had to grind off. Now I'm stuck wondering who actually knows what they're talking about. Has anyone else gotten totally opposite advice from two experienced smiths and had one wreck their setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

theaw6511d ago

Try boiled linseed but wipe it bone dry after (like you're polishing glass).

rowanjenkins11d ago

Paul at the guild in Denver told me the same thing as @theaw65, wipe it bone dry after oiling. I've done that for years with no rust or slickness issues. The trick is the oil soaks into the pores of the metal instead of sitting on top where it catches dust and scale.