铁砧是一种常用工具，其最简单的形式是有一个用以放置锻打物体坚硬平面的金属块。铁砧的惯性能够使锻打工具的能量转移到工件上。在大多数情况下，砧用于金属锻造方面。在现代焊接技术的出现之前，它是金属工人主要的工具。现代砧板大多用钢材制成，亦有其它材料。铁砧具有古老的历史，因而也具有超出其实用工具以外的含义，例如交通大学的校徽即绘有铁砧。

An anvil is a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The block is as massive as is practical, because the higher the inertia of the anvil, the more efficiently it causes the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. On a quality anvil the smith's hammer should rebound with almost as much energy as the smith put into the downward stroke, making the smith's job easier. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool. Before the advent of modern welding technology, it was a primary tool of metal workers.