By Jan Buffington
TERRE HAUTE — Anvils have been around since ancient times. Basically, anvils are used to forge and shape metal. The first anvils were made of stone, then bronze, then wrought iron, then steel-faced wrought iron, and now all steel.
Their shape has evolved through the years. At first, anvils were simple flat blocks, and then shapes were developed to help with specific jobs. Today’s basic anvil has a horn (sometimes called a beak) that is used to do detail work and to mold metal into curves. Anvils have a heel (sometimes called the face) which is the primary work surface. On some anvils, the heel also has a rectangle beak with a square hole in it. That hole is called the hardy hole. It is the place into which specialized forming and cutting tools are put. Some anvils have a step (sometimes called a table) which is used for cutting and helps prevent damage to the face.
An anvil needs a base that is very sturdy and made of impact resistant material. It must also have a way that the anvil can be firmly fastened to it so that the anvil does not move when struck with a hammer. A loose anvil can be very dangerous.
The new blacksmith shop at Fowler Park has anvils and tools from several different time periods. You can check them out from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 during the annual Christmas Walk.
This week’s Historical Treasure is a small traveling anvil. It was an early gift to the Museum. The only information I can find on it is that it was brought to America in the early 1800s by a Wilkin family emigrant. It weighs 8 pounds, is 10 inches long, is less than 2 inches wide, and is just over 6 inches tall. It has a horn, step, heal, rectangular beak and hardy hole. Anvils this small are used for finer work. You can find this anvil in the lower level in the tool room in the pioneer artifacts case.
