Editing Anvil (section)

==History==
[[File:Enclume.jpg|thumb|An anvil at the medieval construction site of [[Guédelon Castle|Guédelon]] in [[Treigny]], France.]]

[[Image:Fciron-anvil face.jpg|thumb|A top view of a well-used London pattern anvil]]

Anvils were first [[stone tool|made of stone]], then [[bronze]], and later [[wrought iron]]. As [[steel]] became more readily available, anvils were faced with it. This was done to give the anvil a hard face and to stop the anvil from deforming from impact. Many regional styles of anvils evolved through time from the simple block that was first used by [[Metalsmith|smiths]].  The majority of anvils found today in the US are based on the London pattern anvil of the mid-19th century.

The wrought iron steel faced anvil was produced up until the early 20th century.  Through the 19th and very early 20th centuries, this method of construction evolved to produce extremely high quality anvils. The basic process involved forge-welding billets of wrought iron together to produce the desired shape. The sequence and location of the forge-welds varied between different anvil makers and the kind of anvil being made. At the same time cast iron anvils with steel faces were being made in the United States.  At the dawn of the 20th century solid [[Steel casting|cast steel]] anvils began to be produced, as well as two piece forged anvils made from closed die [[forging]]s.  Modern anvils are generally made entirely from steel.

There are many references to anvils in ancient Greek and Egyptian writings, including [[Homer]]'s works. They have been found at the [[Calico Early Man Site]] in [[North America]].

Anvils have since lost their former commonness, along with the smiths who used them.  Mechanized production has made cheap and abundant manufactured goods readily available. The one-off handmade products of the blacksmith are less economically viable in the modern world, while in the past they were an absolute necessity.  However, anvils are still used by blacksmiths and metal workers of all kinds in producing custom work. They are also essential to the work done by [[farrier]]s.