I decided to try my hand at a little copper jewelry making and leather crafting and needed a hard surface for pounding rivets and bending metal. If price is no option, you might consider the 11 lb. anvil because I think it has maybe another half inch of width. Since it's just a hobby, I went cheap and wasn't disappointed. This 8.8 lb. anvil had just enough room on the surface to do what I need and has a conveniently small footprint.