Another guy I really respected, who had a huge influence on an entire manufacturing sector, was Blacksmith Russell Jacqua.
Russell had always admired the form and beauty of european anvils, and in 1993, began producing an entirely american made anvil, the Nimba.
Most of the major US anvil manufacturers had fizzeled out after WW2, and it the 80s, the only real US production was small farriers anvils, usually right around 100lbs. Great for horseshoeing, but for serious work, you had to buy either antiques, or imported european anvils.
Russell designed, and then had patterns made, and then had cast, in 8640, a nickel chrome steel, 3 sizes of Nimbas. I have owned one for 20 years, and its a pleasure to use every time.
This was a labor of love- he spent a lot of time finishing, and then selling and shipping these anvils, and at the time, there was a lot of price resistance to a new high quality tool, as opposed to buying 100 year old anvils from barns.
Unfortunately, Russell died of ALS in 2006, but the anvils are still made by his (and my) friend Jim Garrett, in Port Townsend Wa, with US castings.
Since 93, there have sprung up a host of other US anvil makers- some cast in the US, some using Chinese or imported castings which they finish here. I am aware of at least 5 brands, scattered across the USA.
This market would not exist if Russell had not proved that it could be done, that people would pay for quality and US origin.
Russell was also a helluva blacksmith, and taught a lot of people large hammer work, on his 750lb Chambersburg, and his smaller Nazel 3b. Industrial forging techniques, adapted for ornamental work.
While Russell was not alone in keeping this scale of open hammer forging alive, for 30 years he was one of the acknowledged US masters, and his work was shown widely around the US and even abroad.
Here's a video of a group of his friends helping him make a massive forged sculpture, right before he died. Make it big, get it hot, hit it hard. If you think "art" blacksmithing is making a little leaf for a keychain, watch this video. That hammer shakes the ground for about a city block around.
Nimba Anvils
http://www.nimbaanvils.com/index.php
