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A pritchel is a type of punch used in forging, particularly in making nail holes in horseshoes. 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.
[edit] Pritchel hole
A pritchel hole is a round hole in an anvil. Its primary purpose is to provide clearance for punching tools, but it can also be used to hold tools 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.
