A blacksmith's shop is recognizable by its sound: the ring of a hammer on steel. The anvil is the block that produces that ring. It is a heavy iron or steel block, often weighing 100 to 300 pounds, mounted on a wooden stump or a metal stand. The smith places hot metal on its face and strikes it with a hammer. The anvil's mass absorbs the blow and returns it, shaping the metal instead of bouncing the hammer.

An anvil has several parts. The face is the flat top, hardened and polished. The horn is the tapered cone at one end, used for bending curves and rings. The step, or shelf, is a lower flat area near the horn for cutting. The hardy hole holds a chisel or a hot cut. The pritchel hole holds a punch. Each feature has a purpose, and a smith uses all of them in a single day's work.

Good anvils are not cheap. A new one can cost over $1,000. Antique anvils, like those made by Peter Wright or Hay-Budden, are prized for their hardened faces and clear ring. A dull thud instead of a ring often means a cracked or delaminated face. The anvil is the center of the forge. Everything else is arranged around it.