The tool list for a working blacksmith is not especially long, but each item carries significant weight — literally and in its effect on what you can produce. Poorly chosen tools produce inconsistent work and require constant correction. Well-chosen tools become extensions of hand and eye. This guide covers the core equipment a smith needs in a Canadian shop, with attention to the criteria that distinguish useful pieces from decorative ones.
The Anvil
The anvil is the primary work surface. Its face must be hard enough to resist deformation when struck with a hammer, flat enough to true a workpiece, and massive enough to absorb impact without bouncing energy back up the arm. For most general blacksmithing, a weight between 150 and 250 lbs represents the practical range — enough mass to feel solid, light enough to move with two people.
The material distinction matters considerably. Cast-steel anvils with a hardie hole, pritchel hole, and a tool-steel face plate welded or forged onto the body are the standard for serious work. Cast-iron anvils, identifiable by their dull ring when struck with a hammer, dent under use and are unsuitable for anything beyond the most occasional light work. The test for a good anvil is simple: drop a ball bearing from six inches onto the face. On a good anvil, the bearing rebounds to 75% or higher of the drop height. On a soft or damaged face, the rebound is noticeably lower.
In Canada, quality used anvils surface regularly at farm auctions in Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta. European-made anvils in the 175–200 lb range can still be found at prices below new imports if you are patient. New cast-steel anvils from North American suppliers generally start around $600–$800 CAD for a 150 lb piece.
Hammers
A 2 lb cross-peen hammer handles the majority of general forging tasks. The cross-peen face — oriented perpendicular to the handle — draws steel out efficiently by spreading the metal in one direction. The flat face finishes and straightens. Beginners often reach for a heavier hammer, assuming more mass means more effect. In practice, a lighter hammer swung with correct body mechanics produces more work per hour with less fatigue.
Rounding hammers have become popular in North American shops for their ability to move metal quickly while leaving a relatively smooth surface. A 1.5 lb rounding hammer pairs well with a heavier cross-peen for a two-hammer setup that covers most operations.
Handles should be straight-grained hickory, oriented so the grain runs parallel to the face to reduce vibration transfer. Replace cracked or loose handles before they fail mid-strike.
Tongs
Tongs hold hot stock securely so the smith can work without pinning the material to the anvil. Ill-fitting tongs are among the most common sources of wasted time and inconsistent work. Stock that shifts in the tong during a hammer blow moves the piece off the intended line.
The key measurement is the size of the V-bit or box-jaw opening. Flat jaw tongs for flat bar, V-bit tongs for square and round stock, bolt tongs for stock with shoulders — each type grips a specific cross-section. A beginning smith working with 1/2" square and 1/2" round stock primarily needs two pairs of tongs: one set of flat jaw tongs and one V-bit or bolt pair. Adding a longer-reach pair for deeper forge work comes later.
Wolf jaw tongs, which can accommodate a range of stock sizes, are a practical compromise but never quite as secure as tongs matched to a specific dimension.
Hardies and Chisels
The hardie is a cutting tool that sits in the square hardie hole on the anvil face. The smith places hot stock over the hardie edge and drives it down with a hammer. For clean cuts on hot iron, a hardie requires a sharp edge maintained at around 60 degrees, and a body that seats firmly without rocking in the hole.
Hot chisels are hand-held cutting tools driven with a hammer. The distinction between hot and cold chisels is the edge angle — hot chisels are ground thinner because hot steel cuts more easily and the thin edge does not need to withstand the impact resistance required for cold cutting. Using a cold chisel on hot stock will work, but dulls the edge faster than a properly made hot chisel.
Punches
Punches displace rather than cut material, producing holes in hot stock without removing metal. A solid punch tapers to a point or small flat and is driven through the piece while it rests over the pritchel hole. Drifts are used after punching to bring the hole to a consistent shape and size. Together, a punch and matching drift can produce clean, round bolt holes in stock up to about 3/4" in thickness without specialized tooling.
The Forge
The forge itself is not a single piece of equipment but a combination: the fire pot or burner, the air supply, and the fuel. Coal forges using a solid-fuel fire pot with a hand or electric blower are the traditional arrangement and remain in wide use in Canadian rural shops where coal is accessible. Propane forges are more common in urban and suburban setups where coal sourcing is impractical and local bylaw compliance is simpler.
See Coal vs. Propane Forge for a full comparison of these two approaches in a Canadian context.
Anvil Tools: The Hardy Set
Beyond the basic hardie and pritchel, the anvil hole accepts a family of tooling. Swage blocks, bick irons (conical extensions for rounding curves), bottom fullers for pre-spreading before drawing, and spring swages for producing consistent radius work on scrolls and tenons all mount in the hardie hole. Building a set of these tools is a secondary project for most smiths — many are made in the shop itself from tool-steel drops once the basic hammer-and-tongs skills are established.
Where to Source Tools in Canada
New tooling from North American suppliers — Peddinghaus, NC Tool, and Centurion Steel among the more common — is available through several Canadian distributors. Used tooling appears at estate and farm auctions, particularly in regions with farming and agricultural heritage: Prince Edward Island, the Ottawa Valley, rural Manitoba, and the interior of British Columbia. The Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America maintains chapters in several Canadian provinces and is a reliable network for used tools and local knowledge.
Provincial agricultural exhibitions — including the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto — sometimes feature working smith demonstrations and are a practical way to see equipment in use before purchasing.
