A pritchel is a type of punch used in forging

Forging

Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it is performed: '"cold," "warm," or "hot" forging. Forged parts can range in weight from less than a kilogram to 580 metric tons...

, particularly in making nail holes in horseshoe

Horseshoe

A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...

s. The horseshoe is heated and a hole is punched through 90 percent of the steel with a forepunch or drift punch. Then the punched hole is lined up over the pritchel hole and the pritchel is driven into the hole, knocking out the remaining metal at the bottom of the punched hole.

Pritchel hole

A pritchel hole is a round hole in an anvil

Anvil

An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool...

. Its primary purpose is to provide clearance for punching tools, but it can also be used to hold tool

Tool

A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...

s that have round shanks. Pritchel tools are tools such as punches whose functions do not require them to be held at a particular orientation. A square hole in an anvil is called a Hardy hole, not to be confused with
tapered square holes seen in tinsmith's equipment.