Heard a farrier at the Pendleton show say to hit the anvil horn, not the face, for curves

Fiona Clark · 2026-10-18T17:25:04.116099+00:00

I was standing near the demo tent at the Pendleton fairgrounds last month when a farrier told a young guy to start his bend over the horn instead of beating it flat on the face. He said the horn does the shaping for you and you save your steel from stretching thin. I tried it on a set of 3/8 inch hooks and the curves came out even on the first pass, which never happens for me. Now I keep the horn clear and stop fighting the metal. How do you all handle tight bends, horn or something else?

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Heard a farrier at the Pendleton show say to hit the anvil horn, not the face, for curves | Blacksmiths - Opinions Matter