I've worked on a few Nimbas and they are truly among the nicest anvils you can find. Everyone I know who owns one loves it. Cast steel, in my opinion, is the best construction method for an anvil, and the Nimba's design is also great for all types of forge work. The Gladiator, at 450 pounds, is probably more anvil than you need for general bladesmithing work but I'm sure you would be very pleased with it, and you would never worry about not having enough anvil for whatever you were working on.

According to Nimba's website the gladiator costs $2,575, which works out to just over $5.70 per pound. I mention this because, while Nimbas are great, you can sometimes still find other excellent cast steel anvils for lower prices on the used market. Swedish cast steel anvils like the Soderfors, or some of the old German anvils like Peddinghaus might also be a good consideration. The 260# Nimba centurion at $1,805 comes out to $6.94 / pound, while I have routinely seen really nice used Soderfors, Peddinghaus, and others sell for $3-4 per pound. So if you have your heart set on a Nimba, I'd say go for it, but if you're a bit more budget constrained, then check eBay, craigslist, and other listings to see what else might be available.