Anvil:

The anvil was a very important tool to the blacksmith. It is one of the main tools that the blacksmith would have spent most of his time on. It was used to bend and shape the hot metal. The anvil gains its shape for reasons of practicality. The rounded end was used to create gentle curves and bends on the metal being worked. The step was used to bend metal to a certain angle. The holes were used to create indents or holes through the metal.

The metal was worked on at 1100 degrees Celsius, and could be worked until it cooled to about 600 degrees Celsius. There were no thermometers for the blacksmith to use therefore a blacksmith would have gauged the temperature by way of colour. The metal goes from a very white hot, to different degrees of red depending on the temperature.