If you have limited needs for an anvil, a foot-long piece of railroad rail might be enough. For those who are intrigued by the idea of having their own working anvil, there are multiple other options …
Anvil use can be as simple as a base for straightening bent metal or as complex as making metal bowls or other decorative work.
Anvils are multi-purpose tools developed by and for blacksmiths, but you don't have to have a forge to put an anvil to use in your shop. In my home farm shop, the anvil was simply used as a base for straightening bent or twisted metal.
I've got a wish list a mile long for shop tools and fixtures, but one thing stands out among them all … an anvil.
