Blacksmith Hardy Tools Explained
Quick answer
Hardy tools are bottom tools that seat by a square shank in your anvil's hardy hole, turning the anvil into a base for cutting, fullering, bending, and forming. Match the shank to your hole (commonly 5/8 to 1 in). Start with a hot cut and a fuller; add a swage block and bending forks as projects demand.
What the Hardy Hole Is (and the Pritchel Next to It)
The hardy hole is the square opening near the heel (the flat far end) of your anvil. It holds a class of tools called bottom tools by their square shank, so the anvil body becomes a solid base for cutting, spreading, bending, and shaping hot steel. The name comes from the *hardy* — the bottom cutting chisel that lives in that hole.
Right beside it many anvils have a smaller round hole called the pritchel hole. That one is for punching and drifting holes (the hot metal gets pushed down into the round clearance), not for holding shank tools. Do not try to force a square hardy shank into the round pritchel hole.
Think of hardy tools as the bottom half of a matched pair: your hammer or a top tool works the metal from above while the hardy tool shapes it from below. If you are still learning what each hammer face does, our blacksmith hammer types reference pairs naturally with this page.
Why Shank Size Is the Spec That Matters Most
Before you buy or make a single hardy tool, measure your hole with calipers. Shank size is the number that decides whether a tool is useful or dangerous. Most beginner anvils run a hardy hole between 5/8 in and 1 in square. A 66 lb cast steel anvil is commonly 5/8 in or 3/4 in; heavier 100-150 lb anvils often take 1 in tooling.
- Too big: the shank will not seat at all. No fix except grinding it down.
- Too small: the tool rocks under the hammer, robs your blows of energy, and can flip out of the hole. That is unsafe and useless for accurate work.
Aim for a shank that drops in with light hand pressure and sits flush with almost no wobble. A slight taper on the shank helps it self-seat and knock back out. If you are still choosing the anvil itself, our guide to the best beginner anvil lists hole sizes by weight class, and the anvil weight calculator helps you size the whole setup before you spend. Because a bottom tool transfers force straight into the anvil face, a heavier, well-mounted anvil makes every hardy tool work better — see blacksmith shop setup for mounting height and stability.
| Tool | What it does | Get first? |
|---|---|---|
| Hot cut hardy | Upward chisel to cut hot bar to length over the anvil | Yes |
| Fuller (bottom) | Rounded ridge to spread, neck down, or start shoulders | Yes |
| Bick / bottom horn | Small cone for tight curves, rings, and scrolls | Soon |
| Bending fork | Two posts to bend bar and set angles cold or hot | Soon |
| Hold-down / hold-fast | Clamps stock to the face so both hands are free | Handy |
| Bottom swage | Half-round or V groove to round or draw stock | Later |
| Cut-off / guillotine | Spring tool for notching and shouldering | Optional |
Two Forming Tools Worth Featuring
You can make many hardy tools, but two forming tools are common first buys because grinding a good radius or carving matched cavities by hand is slow work. A bottom fuller gives you a clean, repeatable radius for necking down and starting shoulders. A swage block is a heavy standalone cast block with graduated half-round grooves, cups, and slots for rounding stock and forming bowls, spoons, and hardware. Confirm the fuller's shank matches your hardy hole before ordering; a swage block sits on the bench or a stump and does not use the hole at all.
Hardy-hole fuller tool
1 in shank
- Material
- Forged Steel
- Hardy hole
- 1 in
Drops into the hardy hole to isolate and draw out stock fast. Match the shank to your anvil's hardy hole size before buying.
Hot-cut hardy tool
1 in shank
- Material
- Forged Steel
- Hardy hole
- 1 in
An anvil-mounted chisel for cutting hot stock to length. Keep hot steel off the edge when not cutting so it stays sharp.
Cast swage block
~14 x 14 in
- Weight
- 60 lb
- Material
- Cast Steel
Heavy cast block with graduated holes and grooves for spoons, bowls and forming. A shop luxury, not a day-one need.
Bench swage block (small)
~7 x 7 in
- Weight
- 18 lb
- Material
- Cast Steel
A compact block for small shops. Fewer profiles than a full block but far easier to store and move.
How a Swage Block Forms Bowls, Spoons, and Hardware
A swage block is one of the most versatile tools in a shop, and it is not a hardy tool at all — it is a standalone block, usually cast iron or steel, worked flat on a stand or stump. Its faces carry:
- Half-round grooves in graduated sizes for rounding square stock and drawing out even shanks.
- Cupped hollows for sinking bowls, ladle heads, and spoon bowls by hammering hot sheet or plate into the dish.
- Slots and stars for spikes, tapers, and decorative hardware.
To sink a spoon, you heat the bowl area, place it over a cup that fits, and drive it down with a ball or rounding hammer until it takes the dish shape. Because a swage block gives you cavities you cannot easily forge by hand, it opens up projects that go beyond flat bar work. If you want to build toward those, our beginner blacksmith projects list scales up from hooks to hollow work.
Which to Get First, and DIY vs Buy
You do not need a wall of hardy tools to start. A beginner can forge a lot with just a hammer, tongs, and one or two bottom tools.
Get (or make) first:
- Hot cut hardy — cutting bar to length over the anvil is faster and safer than a hacksaw for hot work. This is the easiest tool to forge yourself from a chunk of medium-carbon steel or leaf-spring, and a great early project.
- A bottom fuller — starting shoulders and necking down cleanly is hard freehand.
DIY makes sense for the hot cut, simple fullers, and bending forks. They are forgeable from scrap once you can draw and shape a shank, and making your own tooling is one of the best skill-builders in the craft. Buy the swage block (casting a multi-cavity block is out of reach for a home shop) and any bick or bottom horn where a precise cone matters.
Whichever route you take, keep tongs handy for the hot stock the tool is shaping — see our blacksmith tongs types breakdown so the jaws actually grip your bar. And if you are torn between a top hammer and a hardy tool for a given job, the best hammer for beginners guide covers where a top tool beats a bottom one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the hardy hole and the pritchel hole?
The hardy hole is the larger square hole that holds bottom tools by a square shank for cutting, fullering, and forming. The pritchel hole is the smaller round hole used for punching and drifting holes in hot stock, giving the punched slug somewhere to go. Square shank tools go in the hardy hole only; do not force them into the round pritchel hole.
What size hardy hole do beginner anvils have?
Most beginner anvils run a 5/8 in to 1 in square hardy hole. A 66 lb cast steel anvil is usually 5/8 in or 3/4 in, while 100-150 lb anvils often take 1 in tooling. Always measure your specific anvil with calipers before buying tools, since even same-weight anvils from different makers vary.
Do I need a swage block as a beginner?
No. A swage block is a versatile tool for rounding stock and sinking bowls, spoons, and hardware, but it is a later purchase. Start with a hot cut hardy and a bottom fuller, learn to draw and shape bar, then add a swage block once your projects call for hollow work or many repeatable rounded shanks.
Should I buy hardy tools or make my own?
Both. A hot cut, simple fullers, and bending forks are forgeable from medium-carbon or spring steel and make excellent early projects. Buy the swage block, since casting a multi-cavity block is beyond a home shop, and buy any bick or bottom horn where a precise cone shape matters more than the practice.
Why does my hardy tool bounce or fly out under the hammer?
The shank is too small for the hole, so it rocks and loses energy instead of transferring it to the anvil. Forge or grind a shank that seats snugly with light hand pressure and sits flush against the anvil face. A shank with a slight taper self-seats better and is safer than one that fits loosely.
Last verified 2026-06. Specs, sizes and market prices change - confirm details on the retailer page before buying.