An anvil is a massive hard block of steel, wrought iron, or (in early times) stone used as a block for hammering and shaping metal objects, especially in forging iron or steel items. The most familiar kind is the blacksmith's anvil. However, anvils come in various sizes based on weight and can be put to many uses, including automotive repair, machining, wood working, general straightening and bending, and, on the smallest scale, jewelry.