Anvils are powerful tools used as a surface for shaping heated metal. They range in size from miniature watch-making anvils weighing about a pound to massive blacksmith anvils weighing hundreds of pounds. The familiar horseshoeing anvils have one or two horns for bending metal.

Because you are working with extremes of both temperature and weight, safety for anvils is a key concern. Using your large anvil safely is also a matter of protecting your investment. Anvils, much like blacksmiths, can damage easily when hit directly with a hammer. A steel anvil is better at absorbing accidental hammer blows than old-style cast-iron anvils, so many consider them safer. Here are a few ways you can learn to use your anvil safely:

1. Get to know your blacksmith anvil safety tools.

2. Learn anvil tool safety from an experienced blacksmith.

3. Find more safety information online.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn about blacksmith tools that help keep you safe

Safety gear is key to protecting yourself from serious injury. Traditionally, leather gloves and aprons were the most important safety gear. Today, tinted welding goggles, Kevlar gloves and other specialized tools are available.

I recommend: Thingmaker's Things has a great list of safety items you need, such as the importance of hearing protection, presented with a touch of humor. Be sure to check out the short online video "What Safety Gear You Need to Forge Metal," available at eHow.

Study blacksmith tools the old-fashioned way

For hundreds of years, the way to learn how to safely work with anvils was to become a blacksmith's apprentice. Studying age-old techniques with an experienced teacher is still the best way for many to learn.

I recommend: White Heart Forge in Portland, Oregon shares its passion for blacksmithing through classes. Artist-Blacksmith's Association of North America, known as ABANA, maintains an extensive list of colleges and private shops teaching classes. Any level of training from a workshop to a master's degree is available.

Get the best metal anvil safety information online

There is a wealth of information available to help you safely enjoy the art of using a forge and anvil. Always ask questions, if you are unsure how to perform a specific task safely.

I recommend: Appalachian Blacksmiths Association maintains a page devoted to safety information, including personal stories. I Forge Iron is a forum devoted to the art of blacksmithing with a special area devoted to safety questions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Poisoning is a very real risk to those using blacksmith tools. Never work with any metal with any sort of coating or paint as heating it can create toxic fumes. Check your equipment on a regular basis to ensure that there are no carbon monoxide emissions in your workspace.

Anvils conjure many images for the public, and most of those images involve blacksmith anvils from old movies or television shows. Yet anvils are a mainstay in your business, whether you use a two-horn classic, a stake anvil or an Austrian style workhorse.

To be the first owner of a new anvil is rare, whether a person is a blacksmith, farrier, knife maker or hobbyist. Before purchasing an anvil, you need to supply specifics to anvil manufacturers. Follow the steps in this guide make the most of contacts with anvil suppliers:

1. Outline your requirements to anvil manufacturers to obtain the proper product.
2. Look for a durable product.
   
3. Seek guidance on a metal anvil from suppliers
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Shape your choice for an anvil manufacturer by working out your specifications

Do you need a single horn or a double horn? Is the round horn 9 inches or 13.25 inches? Is your blacksmith anvil going to weigh 100 pounds or 400 pounds? Will you use your anvil for farrier work or as a blacksmith anvil to make tools? If you're buying your first new anvil, ask the anvil supplier's opinion. It may be that a different model will serve you better.

I recommend: Blacksmiths Depot and ToolsDirect have anvil sales information and specifications you can examine to see if they're right for your business.

Determine the durability level for your metal anvil

When it comes to selling a metal anvil, suppliers tend to lean toward a particular brand. The Peddinghaus anvils boast of durability because they are drop-forged; they also are a high-grade steel anvil. Other anvils consist of cast iron.

I recommend: A lot of variation exists among anvil prices; Anvil Brand Shoe Company and a few of the companies mentioned above sell more expensive products, while suppliers such as Northern Tool + Equipment sell much cheaper ones.

Forge an alliance with anvil suppliers for information and service

A blacksmith anvil isn't just a big piece of metal you hit with a hammer; you know this, so you know it's important to find the right kind of anvil for the work you'll be doing. A steel anvil, for example, is good for a certain kind of work, whereas other types have their own applications. Look at the work you need your anvil tool for and base your shopping on your needs.

I recommend: Check out a few anvil companies for the voice of experience and to sample their wares. Old World Anvils has been in business in the same location since 1856. Centaur Forge is a full-service blacksmith and farrier supply company.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your budget doesn't allow for a new anvil, a possibility for cost-cutting is to purchase used anvils. Some of the companies mentioned above also stock used items.

The first image that comes to mind when thinking of anvils is Longfellow's blacksmith who stands beneath the spreading chestnut tree. While the blacksmith anvil is still very much in use, there are other anvils for sale including those used by jewelers, metalworkers, and more.

When buying an anvil, one must consider anvils pricing and costs. Below you will find information that will help you buy the best anvil for your use as well as the anvil pricing and costs associated with this purchase.

1. Use anvils for jewelry making.

2. Take advantage of anvils when metal working.

3. Reshape and form horseshoes and more with an anvil.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Employ the steel anvil when making jewelry

The steel anvil is a useful tool in jewelry making. The anvil manufacturers have created more than on style of metal anvil for working with jewelry. The various forms of anvils are two-sided anvils that steel and nylon on their faces, horn anvils, anvils with two horns, two-horned anvils with bases or anvils with slots. These anvils can also be used by watchmakers as well.

I recommend: The Contenti Company has metal anvils for sale that are made for making jewelry. Their pricing and cost are quite reasonable and run from $10.00 to $30.00. Wire Sculpture is one of the anvil suppliers that also has a selection of metal anvils for jewelry makers.

Use anvils when metal working

Anvils are well suited for metal working. They are hand-held tools called planishing anvils that have round, flat surfaces. The planishing anvils work well for body work, and for silver smithing.

I recommend: FDJ Tool has planishing anvils $200.00. FindingKing has the anvil tool that is well suited for metal work as well as a planishing hammer, dapping punches and blocks as a set. The cost is $100.00.

Use the blacksmith anvil

The forge and anvil together are powerful tools. However, the anvil by itself is a powerful tool by itself. It's very heft and size, make is a good platform for shaping metal. It is no wonder that it is one of the blacksmith tools that have been used for centuries and continues to be used today.

I recommend: Anvil Brand Shoe Company has a blacksmith anvil for sale that is under $200.00. Blacksmith Depot has blacksmith anvils in a range of sizes and prices, ranging from $500.00 to $2000.00.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Anvils are useful tools that can be used by jewelers and blacksmiths alike. For an investment, you will have a tool that can last a long time. Should you have any questions about the various anvils, talk with the manufacturers.

Modern technology has come a long way from medieval times, but manual metalworking really hasn't. Modern blacksmiths work with anvils and tools that would be immediately recognizable to their brethren from 700 years ago. The modern anvil, used for shaping metal, is a simple device but it has some unique terminology that everyone should know.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Anvil

An anvil is essentially a hard surface upon which hot metals are shaped by hammering. Today's modern anvils are made of tool, cast or forged steel or wrought iron. Quality anvils are also heat treated for maximum hardness and durability.

I recommend: Visit The Guild of Metalsmiths for an in-depth look at the history of the anvil.

Face

The anvil face is the broad flat surface upon which objects are hammered. Faces are typically smooth and have rounded edges to make them suitable for forming all types of objects.

I recommend: Check out Beautiful Iron for anvil information, including pictures and a discussion of desirable face traits.

Horn

The anvil horn is an cone-shaped protuberance used to form curved or round shapes. It may also be used for bending. The classic anvil has only one horn; two-horned anvils are more common in Europe than in the US.

I recommend: Go to Centaur Forge to see a variety of anvil and horn configurations.

Hardy hole

The hardy hole is a square hole in the face of the anvil, usually toward the heel and away from the horn. Blacksmiths place smithing tools into this hole to perform forming and cutting operations.

I recommend: Visit Anvilfire.com for a thorough discussion of hardy holes.

Pritchel hole

A pritchel hole is simply a round hole in the face of an anvil. Pritchel holes are most commonly used to provide clearance for punching tools. 'Pritchel' is also a term for a punch used to make horseshoes.

I recommend: "The Blacksmith" by Aldren A. Watson, provides a description and illustration of the pritchel hole.

Base

Anvils are designed to be placed upon a base. Because of the great stresses to which anvils are subjected, it's critical that the anvil be well attached to its base and that the base be absolutely solid and unmoving.

I recommend: Shady Grove Blacksmith Shop provides an illustrated discussion about using stumps as anvil bases.