I've always wondered this same thing. I'm on a super tight budget, I only work 9 month out of the year and I go back in 2 weeks, so savings is dwindling. I bought a cheep Kobalt hammer (I know it's not for smiting, and it has a plastic handle) but it was only 16$ and it seems to do the job. I have a good, inherited, high quality vice, it's almost 150 years old, but I refurbished it and it works like the day it was bought. I've been using a pair of large vice grips insted of tongs, my forge is basically made of dirt. It all works, but I would love to see some homemade tongs and other tools. I don't have too much money to spend, and while tongs can be as low as $30, it all adds up. I need an anvil and I assume some other tools that I'm not yet aware of! Sorry I don't have pits you asked for, but I have the same interest. I have an angle grinder, which is a godsend of making some tools, and I can do some simple forging, but with that, I wonder what I can make!