It is generally made of hardened steel and should be flat and smooth with rounded edges for most work. The primary work surface of the anvil is known as the face. This anvil is not heat treated or made from tool steel. There are larger anvils that are made out of multiple pieces such as “The mile long anvil” made by Napier which weights 6500 pounds. This anvil was made in 2023 by Oak Lawn Blacksmith. The largest single piece tool steel anvil that is heat treated is 1600 pounds. Inexpensive anvils have been made of cast iron and low-quality steel, but are considered unsuitable for serious use, as they deform and lack rebound when struck. The great majority of modern anvils are made of cast steel that has been heat treated by either flame or electric induction. Before the advent of modern welding technology, it was the primary tool of metal workers. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool. JSTOR ( January 2010) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ĥ5 Pound Bavarian Style Anvil Single-horn anvil A blacksmith working iron with a hammer and anvil A blacksmith working with a sledgehammer, assistant (striker) and Lokomo anvil in FinlandĪn anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or 'worked').Īnvils are as massive as practical, because the higher their inertia, the more efficiently they cause the energy of striking tools to be transferred to the work piece.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.

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Hammer and anvil emboss