The 6 Best Blacksmith Anvils
Updated by · How we research
Sellers supply the hardness figures for cast imports, and they sometimes conflict. The U.S.-made JHM Certifier tops six anvils from bench size to 110 pounds. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Hot forging takes at least 50 pounds of anvil, since a heavier one shifts less and puts more of each blow into the work. An anvil is the heavy block a smith hammers metal on. Its flat face is for flattening and straightening, the horn bends curves, and the square hardy and round pritchel holes hold tools and take punches.
Editor's Notes
October 18, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The JHM Certifier stays on top as the one professional anvil that's still easy to buy, from a maker that publishes real dimensions. Little else from the 2020 lineup is left. The three Ridgid anvils, made by Peddinghaus in Germany, are no longer offered, and neither are the HappyBuy Single Horn or the CO-Z Round Horn. We also dropped the Mophorn 88-Pound, now sold under the VEVOR name, because its listing gives two different weights and the VEVOR 116 lb Single Horn costs only a little more for a lot more iron.
Everything else here is an imported cast anvil, and we want to be plain about that. Their hardness and rebound figures come from the sellers, they sometimes contradict each other, and we couldn't find anyone who has tested them. They're still the realistic way in for most beginners. The VEVOR 55 lb Single Horn is the one we'd start with, and the Easmvetaln EA-Anvil-DT65 suits knife makers.
If you want a forged anvil or a heavier American casting, the special honors point to the dealers that carry them.
October 26, 2020:
We removed the Old World Forged, the NC Big Face, and the NC Cavalry all because of availability concerns. We've added a selection of smaller and cheaper anvils in their place, including the Mophorn 88-Pound, the HappyBuy Single Horn, and the CO-Z Round Horn, all of which are perfectly good choices for beginners and amateurs. Career blacksmiths and those planning to use an anvil for serious heavy-duty work should consider the larger models on this list, like the Ridgid Model 12 or the Ridgid Model 9.
November 26, 2018:
Blacksmithing projects that use stock any larger than 1/4" will need a serious unit upon which to hammer... whatever you do, avoid the imported ones that experts derisively refer to as "anvil-shaped objects." They claim to be steel, but they almost never are, and when a real craftsman works with them for a while, it's an easy lie to debunk. The Ridgid models are all super-high-end, crafted in one of the oldest German anvil factories. Alternately, the NC Tools options are great for hobbyists, whether they're making swords, daggers, hunting knives, or santokus (chef's knives). The Old World is a great value for its size, but only if you're okay with its lack of a real horn.
Special Honors
Anvil Brand JHM Anvils Anvil Brand makes and sells the full JHM line directly, from the 70-pound Basic to the 260-pound Competitor, with several 125-pound Journeyman patterns in between. It publishes face, horn and hole dimensions for each, which makes it the place to compare farrier and blacksmith patterns heavier than the Certifier. anvilbrand.com
Kanca Forged Anvils Kanca makes drop-forged steel anvils, a step up from cast anvils for smiths who want a forged face without paying for a heavy German or American anvil. US dealer Blacksmiths Depot carries them in 44-, 77- and 110-pound sizes, along with Kanca leg vises. blacksmithsdepot.com
Centaur Forge Centaur Forge is a farrier and blacksmith supplier that stocks several anvil brands rarely found elsewhere online, including Atlas, Cliff Carroll, Emerson, NC Tool and Scott. It's a good place to compare heavier forged and cast-steel patterns side by side. centaurforge.com
Weight, Material And Rebound
A good anvil sends it back at least 7 inches, or about 70 percent.
Weight comes first. A heavier anvil moves less when you hit it, so more of the blow goes into the hot metal instead of into bouncing the anvil around. Specialist sellers such as Anvil Brand stock anvils from about 35 to 260 pounds, and 100 to 200 pounds is the usual range for general blacksmithing. A 50- to 70-pound anvil can work for a beginner forging light stock if it's fixed to a solid stand. Anything under about 30 pounds is a bench anvil for cold work like rivets and jewelry.
Material comes next. Forged steel anvils, such as the Kanca line, have a hardened face and the best rebound, and they cost the most. Cast steel is what most modern anvils are, according to Wikipedia's anvil article, which also notes that some smiths accept cheap cast anvils for beginners. Ductile iron, used by JHM, is machined and heat-treated, and Anvil Brand says its JHM anvils are used in farrier schools. Plain cast iron, common on cheap hobby anvils, dents and has little bounce, so it isn't suited to serious forging.
A common shop test for any anvil is to drop a steel ball bearing from 10 inches onto the face. A good anvil sends it back at least 7 inches, or about 70 percent. Several imported anvils claim more than 70 percent, but those figures come from the sellers, not from independent tests.
Holes, Horns And Face
The hardy hole is the square hole that holds cutters, fullers and bending forks, and its size decides which tools fit. Most hardy tools come with a three-quarter-inch or 1-inch shank. The JHM Certifier has a 1-inch hardy hole, while imported anvils often use in-between sizes, such as 0.8, 0.91 or 1.25 inches, that leave standard tools loose or too tight. Check the hole size before buying a tool set. The round pritchel hole, usually about half an inch, is for punching through hot stock.
The horn is for bending curves and rings. A single-horn London pattern is the most common shape. Double-horn and Italian-style anvils add a second horn or a squared step, which helps with tight bends, scrolls and crisp shoulders on knife tangs. A cutting step, a soft ledge between the horn and the face, gives a chisel somewhere to land without marring the main surface.
Face width matters most for knife making and drawing out stock. About 3 to 4 inches is common on anvils from 55 to 100 pounds, and a flat, true face with clean edges lets you straighten a blade without leaving dents. Dealers such as Centaur Forge list face sizes for each anvil, which makes comparing easier.
Mounting, Care And Safety
An anvil only works as well as its base. Set it on an end-grain log or a steel stand and fix it down with chains, straps, spikes or bolts, as Wikipedia describes, and place it about a step from the forge so the steel stays hot. A common rule of thumb puts the face at about the height of your knuckles with your arms hanging at your sides. Lighter anvils need bolting most, since they walk under heavy blows.
Care is simple. Wipe a little oil on the face to keep rust off, since many imported anvils arrive with surface rust. Don't do heavy cutting on the face; use the cutting step or a hardy cutter instead. Keep the face edges slightly rounded, because sharp edges mark and can crack the work.
Forging calls for eye and hearing protection. Never strike a hardened anvil face with a hardened tool or hardened work at full force, because chips can fly. A 100-pound anvil is a two-person lift or a job for a hand truck. We found no recalls for any anvil from the brands on this page in the Consumer Product Safety Commission database.
How we researched this
We compared 16 anvils, including the seven from our previous list, and screened 11 current models in depth. We read the maker's published dimensions for the JHM Certifier, the sellers' spec sheets for the imported anvils, blacksmith suppliers' catalogs and a general reference on anvil construction and care, and we looked for patterns in owner feedback. We checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and found none involving anvils. We found no independent lab or magazine tests of these anvils.
Frequently asked questions
How heavy should a blacksmith anvil be?
For general blacksmithing, 100 to 200 pounds is the usual range. A 50- to 70-pound anvil works for a beginner forging light stock if it's fixed to a solid stand. Under about 30 pounds, an anvil is best for cold bench work like rivets and jewelry.
Is a cheap cast anvil good enough to start?
For learning, often yes. Some smiths accept inexpensive cast anvils for beginners, but expect a softer face, rough or odd-sized holes, and hardness claims nobody has verified. Avoid plain cast iron for hot forging, because it dents and has little rebound.
Why aren't Ridgid or Peddinghaus anvils on the list?
Ridgid sold forged anvils made by Peddinghaus in Germany, but those models are no longer offered through the listings we track. For a forged anvil today, look at specialist dealers that carry brands like Kanca, or at a good used anvil.
What anvil is best for knife making?
Look for a flat, true face about 3 to 4 inches wide, clean edges and a squared step for setting shoulders. The Easmvetaln EA-Anvil-DT65 has that step, and any solid anvil of 55 pounds or more will handle most blades.
How do I check an anvil's rebound?
Drop a steel ball bearing from 10 inches onto the face. A good anvil returns it at least 7 inches, or about 70 percent. A dull thud and little bounce point to a soft face.
How should I mount an anvil?
Set it on an end-grain log or a steel stand, fix it with chains, straps or bolts, and put it about a step from the forge. A common rule puts the face near knuckle height with your arms at your sides.
