50 kg110 lb
A typical blacksmith’s anvil weighs about 50 kg (110 lb). Anvils of 100 to 150 lb (45 to 70 kg) are the most common, because that is the largest easily portable size. Forging anvils run from about 35 to 230 kg (75 to 500 lb), and heavy work calls for 90 kg (200 lb) or more.
| Heavy forging anvilAbout 500 lb, the top of the usual range | 230 kg507 lb |
|---|---|
| Mouse Hole Forge anvil marked 2 2 24304 lb, Sheffield, now in a Canadian museum | 138 kg304 lb |
| Peddinghaus Model 12275.5 lb, the largest of its line | 125 kg276 lb |
| Typical anvilThe common old anvils weigh 45 to 70 kg | 50 kg110 lb |
| Peddinghaus Model 577.2 lb, a small forging anvil | 35 kg77.2 lb |
| Jeweller’s anvil, smallAbout 5 oz | 150 g5.29 oz |
It depends on the job. In a guide written for the Centaur Forge catalogue, Jock Dempsey of anvilfire.com sorts anvils into five types: forging anvils of 75 to 500 lb (35 to 230 kg), farrier’s anvils of 50 to 150 lb (23 to 70 kg), stake anvils of 5 to 100 lb, bench anvils of 5 to 50 lb, and jeweller’s anvils of 0.3 to 5 lb (0.14 to 2.3 kg).
Most anvils you come across sit in the middle. Old anvils of 100 to 150 lb (45 to 70 kg) are the most common, Dempsey writes, because that is the largest convenient portable size. Farriers, who travel to the horse, mostly use anvils in the same range.
Modern factory anvils show the spread. RIDGID’s product sheet lists its drop-forged Peddinghaus anvils in three sizes: Model 5 at 35 kg (77.2 lb), Model 9 at 75 kg (165.4 lb) and Model 12 at 125 kg (275.5 lb), with a face 300 mm long.
An anvil works by not moving. The heavier it is, the less it gives under each blow, so more of the hammer’s energy goes into shaping the hot metal. Dempsey’s rule of thumb is a hammer-to-anvil ratio of about 50 to 1: a heavy 4 lb (1.8 kg) hammer goes with a 200 lb (90 kg) anvil.
For light forging of stock up to ½ in (13 mm) thick, an anvil of 75 to 125 lb (34 to 57 kg) is a good choice. For professional architectural work or sculpture, 200 lb (90 kg) is normally considered the minimum, and smiths who work on heavy anvils say they can feel the difference between 200 and 300 lb (90 and 135 kg).
Where the weight sits matters too. Forging anvils keep most of their mass under the face, while farrier’s anvils put a lot of it in the horn and have a narrow waist, which makes them too springy for general forging.
English anvils were often stamped with their weight in three numbers: hundredweight (112 lb), quarter hundredweight (28 lb) and pounds. So an anvil marked 1 1 14 weighs 112 + 28 + 14 = 154 lb (70 kg).
One example is in the Ingenium collection in Canada: an anvil from the Mouse Hole Forge of M. & H. Armitage in Sheffield, marked 2 2 24. That reads as 2 × 112 + 2 × 28 + 24 = 304 lb (138 kg), about 2.8 times a typical 50 kg anvil.
A typical anvil weighs about 50 kg, and the most common old anvils weigh 45 to 70 kg (100 to 150 lb). Forging anvils range from about 35 to 230 kg.
For light forging of stock up to ½ in (13 mm), an anvil of 75 to 125 lb (34 to 57 kg) is a good choice. A common guideline is an anvil about 50 times heavier than your hammer.
Old English anvils use three numbers: hundredweight (112 lb), quarters (28 lb) and pounds. Multiply and add them up, so 1 2 0 means 112 + 56 = 168 lb (76 kg).
Hand forging anvils rarely go beyond about 500 lb (230 kg). Industrial power hammers sit on far bigger anvil blocks: a 12-ton hammer may need one weighing over 800 tons.
Last checked October 4, 2026.
