Such designs have originated in diverse geographic locations. Bladesmith anvils tend to be rectangular with a hardy and pritchel, but no horn. Saw maker anvils, for instance, are generally a large rectangular block of steel. Most of these anvil types look similar, but some are radically different. For example, there were anvils specifically made for farriers, general smiths, cutlers, chain makers, armorers, saw tuners, coach makers, coopers, and many other types of metal workers. There are many designs for anvils, which are often tailored for a specific purpose or to meet the needs of a particular smith. In recent times tripod bases of fabricated steel have become popular with some smiths.
Trenton anvil history full#
In addition, bases have been made from dimensional lumber bolted together to form a large block or steel drums full of oil-saturated sand to provide a damping effect. In more modern times many anvils have been placed upon bases fabricated from steel, often a short thick section of a large I-Beam.
When concrete became widely available, there was a trend to make steel reinforced anvil bases by some smiths, though this practice has largely been abandoned. These bases are highly sought after by collectors today. They had the advantage of adding additional weight to the anvil, making it more stable while making the anvil movable. In the industrial era cast iron bases became available. This was done to make the anvil immobile when heavy forging and bending were done upon the anvil. The most common base traditionally was a hard wood log or large timber buried several feet into the floor of the forge shop. The anvil is placed as near to the forge as is convenient, generally no more than one step from the forge to prevent heat loss in the work piece. A smith would use whatever was at hand, as long as it held the anvil firmly in place. Common methods of attaching an anvil are spikes, chains, steel or iron straps, clips, bolts where there are holes provided, and cables. A loose anvil is extremely unsafe, as it can fall off the base and is an ineffective forging tool. It requires being fastened firmly to the base, so it will not move when struck with a hammer. At times, smiths will fit a second tool to this hole to allow the smith more flexibility when using more than one anvil tool.Īn anvil needs to be placed upon a sturdy base made from an impact and fire resistant material. The pritchel hole is a small round hole that is present on most modern anvils. It is also used in punching and bending operations. The hardy hole is a square hole into which specialized forming and cutting tools, called hardy tools, are placed. Upsetting is a technique often used by blacksmiths for making the steel workpiece short and thick, having probably been originally long and thin. There have also been other additions to the anvil such as an upsetting block this is used to upset steel, generally in long strips/bars as it is placed between the feet of the anvil. It is soft and is used for cutting its purpose is to prevent damaging the steel face of the anvil by conducting such operations there and so as not to damage the cutting edge of the chisel, though many smiths shun this practice as it will damage the anvil over time. The step is the area of the anvil between the "horn" and the "face". Also, some anvils are made with side horns or clips for specialized work. Some anvils, mainly European, are made with two horns, one square and one round. It also is used by some smiths as an aid in "drawing down" stock (making it longer and thinner). The horn is used mostly in bending operations. The horn of the anvil is a conical projection used to form various round shapes and is generally unhardened steel or iron. Hammers, tools, and work pieces of hardened steel should never directly strike the anvil face with full force, as they may damage it this can result in chipping or deforming of the anvil face. A hard anvil face also reduces the amount of force lost in each hammer blow. The face is hardened and tempered to resist the blows of the smith's hammer, so the anvil face does not deform under repeated use. Also, sharp edges tend to cut into the metal being worked and may cause cracks to form in the workpiece. Any marks on the face will be transferred to the work. 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. A top view of a well-used London pattern anvil
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