An anvil weighs 100-150 kg. Sits on an oak stump (not metal — wood absorbs vibration). A good anvil has a horn (for bending), face (for forging), hardy hole for tooling.
The Amish Blacksmith
The blacksmith is among the most respected craftsmen in the community. He makes: horseshoes, hinges, knives, hooks, tools, wheel rims, buggy parts. Everything metal — from the blacksmith.
Coal forge (not gas). Bellows — hand or foot-powered. Temperature — 1,100°C. At that heat, steel turns orange and soft as butter.
Why Not the Store
Chinese hinges cost $2 and break in 3 years. Amish hinges cost $15 and last 50 years. Math is obvious — if you count in generations, not days.