The invention relates to a forging apparatus, comprising forging rams (4) that are guided in the direction of stroke and accommodate forging tools (3), and lifting drives (7) which can be driven by a shaft (10) and which are supported in a non-positive manner on an abutment (12) of the forging rams (4) held under pretension in contact on the lifting drives (7). In order to provide simple constructional conditions it is proposed that the shafts (10) of the lifting drives (7) comprise two drive cams (11) which are angularly offset by 180° in relation to each other, are centrally symmetric with respect to the shaft axis, and cooperate with the abutments (12) of the forging rams (4).