Editing Anvil (section)

== Structure ==
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[[File:Anvil, labelled en.svg|thumb|left|upright=1.35|Parts of a single-horn anvil]]

The primary work surface of the anvil is known as the face.  It is generally made of hardened steel and should be flat and smooth with rounded edges for most work.  Any marks on the face will be transferred to the work.  Also, sharp edges tend to cut into the metal being worked and may cause cracks to form in the workpiece.  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.  A hard anvil face also reduces the amount of force lost in each hammer blow.  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.

The horn of the anvil is a conical projection used to form various round shapes and is generally unhardened steel or iron.  The horn is used mostly in bending operations.  It also is used by some smiths as an aid in "drawing down" stock (making it longer and thinner).  Some anvils, mainly European, are made with two horns, one square and one round.  Also, some anvils are made with side horns or clips for specialized work. 

The ''step'' is the area of the anvil between the "horn" and the "face". 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.

[[File:Ambos-ps hg.jpg|thumb|Anvil with upsetting block]]
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. Upsetting is a technique often used by blacksmiths for making the steel workpiece short and thick, having probably been originally long and thin.

The ''hardy hole'' is a square hole into which specialized forming and cutting tools, called [[hardy tool]]s, are placed.  It is also used in punching and bending operations. These are not to be confused with [[swage block]]s, although their purpose is similar.

The ''[[pritchel]] hole'' is a small round hole that is present on most modern anvils.  Some anvils have more than one.  It is used mostly for punching.  At times, smiths will fit a second tool to this hole to allow the smith more flexibility when using more than one anvil tool.