Old timer at a hammer-in told me my anvil setup was killing my wrist

I was getting killer wrist pain after a few hours at the forge, and this guy said my anvil stand was way too low for my height. He showed me how to adjust it so I'm not bending over, and the difference is night and day after 2 weeks. Has anyone else had to rework their anvil height after getting feedback like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

thomasb4127d agoMost Upvoted

Jumped right in here with my setup too. I'm 6'3" and had my anvil on a low stump for years until a guy at a demo just walked over and said "you must be hurting." He was right, my wrist and shoulder were wrecked after every session. Now I've got it set so the face hits right around where my knuckles hang, total game changer.

david_walker9727d agoTop Commenter

Yeah I kept hitting my knuckles on the floor before I fixed mine.

brian_hart27d agoMost Upvoted

Huh, well actually that's not quite the same thing though. Hitting your knuckles on the floor usually means your stand is way too low (like, "I can't swing a hammer without scraping my hand" low), while the original post was about wrist pain from bending over too much at the waist. Two different problems, you know? One is a clearance issue, the other is more about your body's geometry (the angle of your elbow and shoulder when striking). I had mine set too low for years until someone pointed out my anvil face should be about at the same height as my knuckles when my arm hangs down relaxed, not just "off the floor enough to swing.