How to test an Anvil for rebound

When you get an anvil, first you want to know is it a good anvil, or what's calle an ASO (Anvil Shaped Object)

Some places (Harborfreight in particular) sell cheap cast as anvils that just don't' work right, it's like using a piece of scrap mild steel... the hammer absorb your energy making every hammer blow do less, and the face dents and dings all the time..

How we check which it is i called a rebound test. if a hammer or a ball bearing bounces, thats' the energy of  your hammer blow getting sent into your work instead of absorbed by the anvil.

More rebound = less hammer blow to do the same work..

simply put you drop the ball bearing or the head of the hammer from a specific height, then look at what % of that height it bounces on the first bounce.... 80% is a good number.

Here is a video of it being done.