An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").
62-400: A hammer is a type of tool. Hammer or HAMMER may also refer to: Hammer A hammer is a tool , most often a hand tool , consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood , to shape metal (as with a forge ), or to crush rock . Hammers are used for
124-491: A magnetized face, to pick up tacks. In the hatchet, the flat hammer head may be secondary to the cutting edge of the tool. The impact between steel hammer heads and the objects being hit can create sparks , which may ignite flammable or explosive gases . These are a hazard in some industries such as underground coal mining (due to the presence of methane gas), or in other hazardous environments such as petroleum refineries and chemical plants . In these environments,
186-426: A resilient material such as rubber for improved grip and to reduce user fatigue. The hammer head may be surfaced with a variety of materials including brass , bronze , wood, plastic, rubber, or leather. Some hammers have interchangeable striking surfaces, which can be selected as needed or replaced when worn out. A large hammer-like tool is a maul (sometimes called a "beetle"), a wood- or rubber-headed hammer
248-582: A compliment to Pythagoras . In pre-modern or modern times anvils occasionally appear in operatic works by Berlioz, Bizet, Gounod, Verdi, and Wagner for example. Commonly pairs of anvils tuned a third apart are used. In practice modern orchestras commonly substitute a brake drum or other suitable steel structure that is easier to tune than an actual anvil, although a visibly convincing anvil-shaped prop may be shown as desired. In Das Rheingold Wagner scored for nine little, six mid-sized, and three large anvils, but orchestras seldom can afford instrumentation on such
310-463: A duller sound; this is actually valued in industry, as pure steel anvils are troublesomely noisy, though energetically more efficient. The hammer and anvil have enjoyed varying popularity in orchestral roles. Robert Donington pointed out that Sebastian Virdung notes them in his book of 1510, and Martin Agricola includes it in his list of instruments (Musica instrumentalis deudsch, 1529) largely as
372-449: A handle gave the user better control and less accidents. The hammer became the primary tool used for building, food, and protection. The hammer's archaeological record shows that it may be the oldest tool for which definite evidence exists. A traditional hand-held hammer consists of a separate head and a handle, which can be fastened together by means of a special wedge made for the purpose, or by glue , or both. This two-piece design
434-693: A large I-beam . 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 recent times, tripod bases of fabricated steel have become popular. There are many designs for anvils, which are often tailored for a specific purpose or to meet the needs of a particular smith. 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. Most of these anvil types look similar, but some are radically different. Saw maker anvils, for instance, are generally
496-407: A large rectangular block of steel that have a harder surface than most other anvils due to hammering on a harder steel for saws. Bladesmith anvils tend to be rectangular with a hardy and pritchel, but no horn. Such designs have originated in diverse geographic locations. Several styles of anvils include, Bavarian, French Pig anvil, Austrian, and Chinese turtle anvil. The Bavarian style is known for
558-485: A sign of their faith. In American folklore , the hammer of John Henry represents the strength and endurance of a man. A political party in Singapore, Workers' Party of Singapore , based their logo on a hammer to symbolize the party's civic nationalism and social democracy ideology. A variant, well-known symbol with a hammer in it is the hammer and sickle , which was the symbol of the former Soviet Union and
620-506: A site near Kenya 's Lake Turkana discovered a very large deposit of various shaped stones including those used to strike wood , bone , or other stones to break them apart and shape them. The first hammers were made without handles. Stones attached to sticks with strips of leather or animal sinew were being used as hammers with handles by about 30,000 BCE during the middle of the Paleolithic Stone Age . The addition of
682-428: A small anvil integrated into its design. Anvils were first 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 smiths . The majority of anvils found today in
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#1732801509666744-492: A small wooden mallet, is used to symbolize a mandate to preside over a meeting or judicial proceeding, and a graphic image of one is used as a symbol of legislative or judicial decision-making authority. Judah Maccabee was nicknamed "The Hammer", possibly in recognition of his ferocity in battle. The name "Maccabee" may derive from the Aramaic maqqaba . (see Judah Maccabee § Origin of Name "The Hammer" .) The hammer in
806-479: A softer pad for chisel work. An anvil for a power hammer is usually supported on a massive anvil block, sometimes weighing over 800 tons for a 12-ton hammer; this again rests on a strong foundation of timber and masonry or concrete. An anvil may have a marking indicating its weight, manufacturer, or place of origin. American-made anvils were often marked in pounds. European anvils are sometimes marked in kilograms. English anvils were often marked in hundredweight,
868-407: A stationary stance against a stationary target as gripped and propelled with one arm , in a lengthy downward planar arc—downward to add kinetic energy to the impact—pivoting mainly around the shoulder and elbow, with a small but brisk wrist rotation shortly before impact; for extreme impact, concurrent motions of the torso and knee can lower the shoulder joint during the swing to further increase
930-408: A steel head with up to 30% recoil. Dead blow hammers use special rubber or steel shot to absorb recoil energy, rather than bouncing the hammer head after impact. The handle of the hammer helps in several ways. It keeps the user's hands away from the point of impact. It provides a broad area that is better-suited for gripping by the hand. Most importantly, it allows the user to maximize the speed of
992-419: A symbol of mining. In mythology, the gods Thor ( Norse ) and Sucellus ( Celtic and Gallo-Roman ), and the hero Hercules ( Greek ), all had hammers that appear in their lore and carried different meanings. Thor, the god of thunder and lightning, wields a hammer named Mjölnir . Many artifacts of decorative hammers have been found, leading modern practitioners of this religion to often wear reproductions as
1054-475: A tapping movement to the same target area. It has been suggested that the cognitive demands for pre-planning, sequencing and accurate timing associated with the related ballistic movements of throwing , clubbing, and hammering precipitated aspects of brain evolution in early hominids . The use of simple hammers dates to around 3.3 million years ago according to the 2012 find made by Sonia Harmand and Jason Lewis of Stony Brook University , who while excavating
1116-430: A variety of non-sparking metal tools are used, primarily made of aluminium or beryllium copper . In recent years, the handles have been made of durable plastic or rubber, though wood is still widely used because of its shock-absorbing qualities and repairability. Mechanically powered hammers often look quite different from the hand tools, but nevertheless, most of them work on the same principle. They include: A hammer
1178-411: A wide range of driving, shaping, breaking and non-destructive striking applications. Traditional disciplines include carpentry , blacksmithing , warfare , and percussive musicianship (as with a gong ). Hammering is use of a hammer in its strike capacity, as opposed to prying with a secondary claw or grappling with a secondary hook. Carpentry and blacksmithing hammers are generally wielded from
1240-435: Is 1600 pounds. This anvil was made in 2023 by Oak Lawn Blacksmith. There are larger anvils that are made out of multiple pieces such as “The mile long anvil” made by Napier which weighs 6500 pounds. This anvil is not heat treated or made from tool steel. 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
1302-432: Is a mallet , and a hammer-like tool with a cutting blade is usually called a hatchet . The essential part of a hammer is the head, a compact solid mass that is able to deliver a blow to the intended target without itself deforming. The impacting surface of the tool is usually flat or slightly rounded; the opposite end of the impacting mass may have a ball shape, as in the ball-peen hammer . Some upholstery hammers have
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#17328015096661364-428: Is a simple force amplifier that works by converting mechanical work into kinetic energy and back. In the swing that precedes each blow, the hammer head stores a certain amount of kinetic energy—equal to the length D of the swing times the force f produced by the muscles of the arm and by gravity . When the hammer strikes, the head is stopped by an opposite force coming from the target, equal and opposite to
1426-527: Is also a good conductor of heat, making it unsuitable for contact with bare skin in frigid conditions. Modern hammers with steel shafts are almost invariably clad with a synthetic polymer to improve grip, dampen vibration , and to provide thermal insulation . A suitably contoured handle is also an important aid in providing a secure grip during heavy use. Traditional wooden handles were reasonably good in all regards, but lack strength and durability compared to steel, and there are safety issues with wooden handles if
1488-466: Is commonly found in an inventory of household tools in North America . Other types of hammers vary in shape, size, and structure, depending on their purposes. Hammers used in many trades include sledgehammers , mallets , and ball-peen hammers . Although most hammers are hand tools, powered hammers , such as steam hammers and trip hammers , are used to deliver forces beyond the capacity of
1550-491: Is considered hazardous due to the risk of the head becoming detached from the handle while being swung becoming a dangerous uncontrolled projectile. Wooden handles can often be replaced when worn or damaged; specialized kits are available covering a range of handle sizes and designs, plus special wedges and spacers for secure attachment. Some hammers are one-piece designs made mostly of a single material. A one-piece metallic hammer may optionally have its handle coated or wrapped in
1612-412: Is not needed to produce a force strong enough to bend steel, or crack the hardest stone. The amount of energy delivered to the target by the hammer-blow is equivalent to one half the mass of the head times the square of the head's speed at the time of impact ( E = m v 2 2 ) {\displaystyle (E={mv^{2} \over 2})} . While the energy delivered to
1674-423: Is notable in using the anvil as pitched percussion . The vast majority of extant works use the anvil as unpitched . However tuned anvils are available as musical instruments, albeit unusual. These are not to be confused with the "sawyers' anvils" used to "tune" big circular saw blades. Steel anvils are used for tuning for use as musical instruments, because those based partly on cast iron and similar materials give
1736-488: Is often used to combine a dense metallic striking head with a non-metallic mechanical-shock-absorbing handle (to reduce user fatigue from repeated strikes). If wood is used for the handle, it is often hickory or ash , which are tough and long-lasting materials that can dissipate shock waves from the hammer head. Rigid fiberglass resin may be used for the handle; this material does not absorb water or decay but does not dissipate shock as well as wood. A loose hammer head
1798-421: 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. 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
1860-466: Is strongly linked to communism and early socialism . The hammer in this symbol represents the industrial working class (and the sickle represents the agricultural working class). The hammer is used in some coats of arms in former socialist countries like East Germany . Similarly, the Hammer and Sword symbolizes Strasserism , a strand of Nazism seeking to appeal to the working class. Another variant of
1922-412: 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. There have also been other additions to the anvil such as an upsetting block; this
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1984-449: Is typically called the heel. Occasionally, the other end is also provided with a bick, partly rectangular in section. Most anvils made since the late 18th century also have a hardy hole and a pritchel hole where various tools, such as the anvil-cutter or hot chisel, can be inserted and held by the anvil. Some anvils have several hardy and pritchel holes, to accommodate a wider variety of hardy tools and pritchels . An anvil may also have
2046-492: 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 tools , are placed. It is also used in punching and bending operations. These are not to be confused with swage blocks , although their purpose
2108-575: 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
2170-422: The acceleration during the hammer stroke and increases the energy delivered with each blow. If hammering upwards, gravity reduces the acceleration during the hammer stroke and therefore reduces the energy delivered with each blow. Some hammering methods, such as traditional mechanical pile drivers , rely entirely on gravity for acceleration on the down stroke. A hammer may cause significant injury if it strikes
2232-513: 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
2294-408: The advantage of adding additional weight to the anvil, making it more stable. These bases are highly sought after by collectors today. 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. In more modern times, anvils have been placed upon bases fabricated from steel, often a short thick section of
2356-555: 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
2418-415: The body. Both manual and powered hammers can cause peripheral neuropathy or a variety of other ailments when used improperly. Awkward handles can cause repetitive stress injury (RSI) to hand and arm joints, and uncontrolled shock waves from repeated impacts can injure nerves and the skeleton. Additionally, striking metal objects with a hammer may produce small metallic projectiles which can become lodged in
2480-410: The effect of the hammer on the user. Handles made of shock-absorbing materials or varying angles attempt to make it easier for the user to continue to wield this age-old device, even as nail guns and other powered drivers encroach on its traditional field of use. As hammers must be used in many circumstances, where the position of the person using them cannot be taken for granted, trade-offs are made for
2542-470: The eye. It is therefore recommended to wear safety glasses . A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat action. The hammer, being one of the most used tools by man , has been used very much in symbols such as flags and heraldry . In the Middle Ages, it was used often in blacksmith guild logos, as well as in many family symbols. The hammer and pick are used as
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2604-437: 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
2666-422: The force applied by the head to the target. If the target is a hard and heavy object, or if it is resting on some sort of anvil , the head can travel only a very short distance d before stopping. Since the stopping force F times that distance must be equal to the head's kinetic energy, it follows that F is much greater than the original driving force f —roughly, by a factor D / d . In this way, great strength
2728-572: 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 cast steel anvils began to be produced, as well as two piece forged anvils made from closed die forgings . 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
2790-421: The hammer stroke to the location and orientation of the target, which can necessitate a clubbing or golfing motion with a two-handed grip. The modern hammer head is typically made of steel which has been heat treated for hardness, and the handle (also known as a haft or helve ) is typically made of wood or plastic . Ubiquitous in framing , the claw hammer has a "claw" to pull nails out of wood, and
2852-415: The hammer to its target at full speed. Most designs are a compromise between practicality and energy efficiency . With too long a handle, the hammer is inefficient because it delivers force to the wrong place, off-target. With too short a handle, the hammer is inefficient because it does not deliver enough force, requiring more blows to complete a given task. Modifications have also been made with respect to
2914-505: The head becomes loose on the shaft. The high elasticity of the steel head is important in energy transfer, especially when used in conjunction with an equally elastic anvil . In terms of human physiology , many uses of the hammer involve coordinated ballistic movements under intense muscular forces which must be planned in advance at the neuromuscular level , as they occur too rapidly for conscious adjustment in flight. For this reason, accurate striking at speed requires more practice than
2976-408: The head on each blow. The primary constraint on additional handle length is the lack of space to swing the hammer. This is why sledgehammers, largely used in open spaces, can have handles that are much longer than a standard carpenter's hammer. The second most important constraint is more subtle. Even without considering the effects of fatigue, the longer the handle, the harder it is to guide the head of
3038-421: The human arm. There are over 40 different types of hammers that have many different types of uses. For hand hammers, the grip of the shaft is an important consideration. Many forms of hammering by hand are heavy work, and perspiration can lead to slippage from the hand, turning a hammer into a dangerous or destructive uncontrolled projectile. Steel is highly elastic and transmits shock and vibration ; steel
3100-490: The impact and will crack and dent. Also, cast iron anvils without a hard steel face do not have the rebound that a harder anvil would and will tire out the smith. Historically, some anvils have been made with a smooth top working face of hardened steel welded to a cast iron or wrought iron body, though this manufacturing method is no longer in use. At one end, the common smith's anvil has a projecting conical bick ( beak , horn ) used for hammering curved work pieces. The other end
3162-441: The length of the swing arc (but this is tiring). War hammers are often wielded in non-vertical planes of motion, with a far greater share of energy input provided from the legs and hips, which can also include a lunging motion, especially against moving targets. Small mallets can be swung from the wrists in a smaller motion permitting a much higher cadence of repeated strikes. Use of hammers and heavy mallets for demolition must adapt
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#17328015096663224-662: The main characters tries to have a conversation about "Where did all the anvils go?", a reference to their falling out of use on a general scale. Animaniacs made frequent gags on the topic throughout its run, even having a kingdom named Anvilania, whose sole national product is anvils. Dwarves were blacksmiths who used anvils for metalworking in C. S. Lewis 's The Chronicles of Narnia , most iconically on The Magician's Nephew and Prince Caspian ; as well as in J. R. R. Tolkien 's The Hobbit . Anvils have been used as percussion instruments in several famous musical compositions , including: Wagner's Ring des Nibelungen
3286-599: The marking consisting of three numbers, indicating hundredweight , quarter hundredweight and pounds. For example, a 3-1-5, if such an anvil existed, would be 3×112 lb + 1×28 lb + 5 lb = 369 lb ≈ 168 kg. Cheap anvils made from inferior steel or cast iron and often sold at retail hardware stores, are considered unsuitable for serious use, and are often derisively referred to as "ASOs", or "anvil shaped objects". Amateur smiths have used lengths of railroad rail, forklift tines, or even simple blocks of steel as makeshift anvils. A metalworking vise may have
3348-529: The other, is a standard prop for cartoon gags , as the epitome of a heavy and clumsy object that is perfect for dropping onto an antagonist. This visual metaphor is common, for example, in Warner Brothers ' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts, such as those with Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner . Anvils in cartoons were also referenced in an episode of Gilmore Girls , where one of
3410-455: The sake of practicality. In areas where one has plenty of room, a long handle with a heavy head (like a sledgehammer) can deliver the maximum amount of energy to the target. It is not practical to use such a large hammer for all tasks, however, and thus the overall design has been modified repeatedly to achieve the optimum utility in a wide variety of situations. Gravity exerts a force on the hammer head. If hammering downwards, gravity increases
3472-498: The sloped brow. The brow was first used in medieval times to make armor on the church windows below the brow. Common manufactures include, Söding Halbach and Holthaus. This style of anvil is known not to sway in the face due to the extra mass with the brow. The common blacksmith 's anvil is made of either forged or cast steel, forged wrought iron with a hard steel face or cast iron with a hard steel face. Cast iron anvils are not used for forging as they are incapable of standing up to
3534-440: The song " If I Had a Hammer " represents a relentless message of justice broadcast across the land. The song became a symbol of the civil rights movement . Anvil Anvils are massive because the higher their inertia , the more efficiently they cause the energy of striking tools to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool. Before the advent of modern welding technology, it
3596-522: The symbol was used for the North Korean party, Workers' Party of Korea , incorporated with an ink brush on the middle, which symbolizes both Juche and Songun ideologies. In Pink Floyd – The Wall , two hammers crossed are used as a symbol for the fascist takeover of the concert during " In the Flesh ". This also has the meaning of the hammer beating down any "nails" that stick out. The gavel ,
3658-429: The target increases linearly with mass, it increases quadratically with the speed (see the effect of the handle, below). High tech titanium heads are lighter and allow for longer handles, thus increasing velocity and delivering the same energy with less arm fatigue than that of a heavier steel head hammer. A titanium head has about 3% recoil energy and can result in greater efficiency and less fatigue when compared to
3720-495: The work done by farriers . Anvil firing is the practice of firing an anvil into the air using gunpowder . It has been popular in California , the eastern United States and the southern United States , much like how fireworks are used today. There is a growing interest in re-enacting this "ancient tradition" in the US, which has now spread to England. A typical metalworker's anvil, with horn at one end and flat face at
3782-443: The work piece. An anvil needs to be placed upon a sturdy base made from an impact and fire resistant material. Common methods of attaching an anvil are spikes, chains, steel or iron straps, clips, bolts where there are holes provided, and cables. The most common base traditionally was a hard wood log or large timber buried several feet into the floor of the forge shop. In the industrial era, cast iron bases became available. They had
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#17328015096663844-401: Was the primary tool of metal workers. The great majority of modern anvils are made of cast steel that has been heat treated by either flame or electric induction . Inexpensive anvils have been made of cast iron and low-quality steel, but are considered unsuitable for serious use, as they deform and lack rebound when struck. The largest single piece tool steel anvil that is heat treated
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