It followed me home

[ladysmith]

Pictures of the blower and tongs...

Any idea what the tongs are specifically used for?

Pam

[Nolano]

Oh oh oh! I know what the ones that look like scissors with round jaws are for! They are clinker tongs! They are extremely useful for moving around coke and coal, as well as grabbing clinkers. This is the second pair I've seen, they are not very common at all. An overall very handy tool. I cant say about the others.

[ladysmith]

Thanks Nolano. That was one that constantly confused me...was about half convinced it wasn't even a set of tongs.

Pam

[Nolano]

They are certainly rare, most people have never seen such a thing. So very very useful for those times when just a few pieces need rearranging, or when you just cant seem to move things the way you want them with the poker.

[Chris Pook]

Originally Posted by ladysmith

Pictures of the blower and tongs...

Any idea what the tongs are specifically used for?

Pam

The second set from the left look like there for holding rivets or something else with a ball on the end.

[irnsrgn]

Nolano is almost right about the far right ones, but did you notice the scissors style handles, these were probably used to grab charcoal to light a pipe or cigar. In some old catalogues they were called Coal Tongs for adding coal to a fireplace, and came in different sizes.

The second pair from the right are brazing tongs (BP0097 BrazingTongs), if the jaw is flat on the insides.
http://www.iforgeiron.com/Blueprints...zing_Tongs.htm

As to the second from the left, years ago there were socket tools made for spinning nuts and bolts with a brace, I have seen tongs like this used to hold the piece by the socket so the tapered square that fits in a brace could be formed.

The far left ones I don't believe have a designated purpose but they could easily be straightened out and the end reformed for rivet tongs.

[irnsrgn]

Lady Smith, what you have is a Coopers Beak Horn, sometimes called a Bick Iron Stake for Tin Work.

[Nolano]

Well, I have heard if the kind of tongs you speak of, Irn, and I seem to remember hearing that they had bent, narrow jaws, so that they could actually fit in a pipe to light it. Also, as such devices were normally only owned by the rich, I believe they were also rather decorated. neither of this type that I have seen has been decorated at all.

[anglesmith]

The left hand tongs remind me of the stretching pliers that cobblers (shoemakers) used? only they are larger and don't have the hammer head.
The second from left I've seen, handled and puzzled over. But their use is
still not clear to me! Can you clarifie any more please Irnsrgn.

[anglesmith]

Sorry didnt see your post Chris. possible, but they are made of malleable castiron so they wouldn't stand alot of hard work. Irnsrgn's explanion is more intriguing.