My wife became a lot more accepting of the investment to buy tongs up front after I showed her some of the project examples from Etsy and what people charged for the finished products.  I told her I could either work on making/modifying/garage sale scrounging for my own tools for the first few weeks, or buy a few up front and get right to the list of starter projects she'd bookmarked including shelf brackets, hooks, drink holders, candelabras, bottle/wine openers and various garden stakes she was eyeballing.  

My full set of 6 v-bolt tongs, a 1/4" flat jaw and a set of scrolling tongs from Quick & Dirty arrived last week with her full blessing.  

Their beginner set would probably have been plenty at $165 plus shipping (6 tongs: 1/4" flat nose, 3/8 + 1/2 + 5/8" vbits, scrolling and pick-up tongs.. basically the pick-up tongs end up free with the bundle discount).

Edited August 10, 201510 yr by Yuppiejr

You will enjoy working with the Q&D tongs.  They are top quality work.  I have some and use them all the time.

Good tongs make work easier and more njoyable, trust me friend..Been there,done that .Got the scars to prove it..

With or without good tongs, never forget the Blacksmith's number one rule.

Hold the black end and hammer on the red end.

 

Good tongs make work easier and more njoyable, trust me friend..Been there,done that .Got the scars to prove it..

Good tongs make work easier and more njoyable, trust me friend..Been there,done that .Got the scars to prove it..

With or without tongs you should never forge the number one rule of blacksmithing,

I just got these from an antique store in Maryland. They were somewhat more than I would have liked to spend (~$34), but with the 2" opening, I figured that they'll be useful for forging anvil tools. Good, solid bits of iron.

(There were a couple more pairs at the store that probably would have beenbeen more useful day-to-day, but at practically the same price.)

Don't forget that it's pretty easy to resize a pair of tongs, within reason, and you can always adjust the reins for a better grip.  Just don't forget to clamp the bits around the intended stock in a vise when you're doing it or they might come out all wonky.

I intend to get a nice cheap pair of tongs to get me going then (like Charlotte said) make them for the experience.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e3Wox3pxK4 < This seemed like a relatively easy video to follow (he uses railroad spikes for his)

I'll tell you a secret, he makes it look much easier than it really is. I've watched it several times and made several attempts and they still aren't right.

I've bought a number of tongs from lawn sales, antique malls, flea markets and paid $15-$20 over that I figure they are too much.  At $34 you are getting too close to new costs and should consider that.  Antique value is of little importance to us, using value is our consideration priority.     

I've bought a number of tongs from lawn sales, antique malls, flea markets and paid $15-$20 over that I figure they are too much.  At $34 you are getting too close to new costs and should consider that.  Antique value is of little importance to us, using value is our consideration priority.     

Add 1/2 of that again and your getting to what we pay for new tongs.. think Vaughns want £37($55 usd) upwards for new tongs

I noticed Q & D this morning with a lot in the $35-40 range new and I know it isn't Scotland's taxes and shipping.  Will try  a couple of their's soon look really good.

Edited August 21, 201510 yr by notownkid
spelling as usual

I've bought a number of tongs from lawn sales, antique malls, flea markets and paid $15-$20 over that I figure they are too much.  At $34 you are getting too close to new costs and should consider that.  Antique value is of little importance to us, using value is our consideration priority.     

Which is why I passed on these two pairs ($26 & $29), useful and lovely though they were:

 

Edited August 21, 201510 yr by JHCC

one problem, not really a major problem but some of my relatives will see these and buy them for me thinking their are cheap and I get them for Christmas or something.  I dutifully take to the shop and add them into the rack for show and some use mostly show.  I collect historic items esp. blacksmithing and farming and it tends to overlap at times.  "Bless their little pea picking hearts" as my mother use to say.

I looked at the vid.   Gosh,  how good it is to have YouTube. I had to drive 150 miles to see that done the first time.   He makes it look easy because he has a plan in mind and knows how to hammer.   The opening showing examples of inferior tongs also tells us what can go wrong and common errors in construction.

One of the reasons that I recommend learning to make tongs is that it embodies the basic skills of the smith. One of the most frequent criticisms of novice smiths by professionals is: "They Don't know How To Hammer"   There is an instruction on this site of Hofi showing how to hammer.       Look it up and enjoy. .   

Would 5/16 V Bit tongs be too small for general use? http://www.stromsholm.co.uk/toms-hollow-bit-tongs-14-516-38-or-58-1477-p.asp < Currently on clearance @ 14GBP

Would 5/16 V Bit tongs be too small for general use? http://www.stromsholm.co.uk/toms-hollow-bit-tongs-14-516-38-or-58-1477-p.asp < Currently on clearance @ 14GBP

They are fine if your "general use" is with 5/16" material. 

They are not so fine if your "general use" is with 3/4"…or indeed any other size that is not 5/16"

Too open a question, first define general use…and that is likely to be different for every smith….

Are they worth 14GBP? Yes, if you have a use for them as they are, or are able to modify them to suit your use...

Ideally you will acquire tongs to suit every size of metal you use… you make, or buy new, or modify them to suit the size of the material you need to handle. sometimes this is mid-heat.

Alan

Thanks for your input! Since im only starting out I suppose general use would be whatever stock I can get my hands on; Is there a specific design of tongs that can accomodate a fairly wide variety of tasks from the off or do you basically have to have a pair for each task?

Thanks for your input! Since im only starting out I suppose general use would be whatever stock I can get my hands on; Is there a specific design of tongs that can accomodate a fairly wide variety of tasks from the off or do you basically have to have a pair for each task?

Vise grips.

I mostly use v bit tongs fitting about 1/2 in comfortably. They are able to hold square and round from 3/8" up to about 5/8" comfortably and I can use 3/4" stock with them a little less comfortably. I also have some that hold about 1/4" that I use occasionally that's also a v bit. I don't do much with flat stock so I don't have much use for flat jaws. I've seen pictures online of different types I'd like to try but so far v bit seems to work best for what I do.

I would think two v-bits would get you going pretty well. One 3/8" and one 1/2". Those will hold most stock a bit smaller and larger than the particular tong size.

Thanks for your input! Since im only starting out I suppose general use would be whatever stock I can get my hands on; Is there a specific design of tongs that can accomodate a fairly wide variety of tasks from the off or do you basically have to have a pair for each task?

Unless you can afford the time or money to make a few hundred pairs of tongs before you start most people have a few pairs which get heated up and reset for different sizes as required by the project. You gradually build your collection until that happens less frequently. You can always forge down one end of the workpiece, or weld on a piece of the right size, to suit the size of the tongs you have. 

Figure out what work you want to do and get the tongs to suit, or pick them up as investments when you see them cheap. Be aware that new ones on special offer are likely to be those that other people did not buy...

On another tack I would be inclined to always try and make the workpiece long enough so you can use the cold end as a handle. It is much more positive than any type of tong. 

Especially when you are starting.

Not having to handle tongs is one less thing to have to think about…you have enough to think about dealing with where and at what angle the hammer is striking and how to hold the workpiece steady in one place on the anvil while you are swinging the other half of your body around.

Alan

Edited August 24, 201510 yr by Alan Evans

Right'O! Off to the 'flee'ce market today and see what I can find. I wont be too disappointed if I don't find anything now! Thanks for the advice & for going to the trouble of adding a comphrehensive answer

Thanks guys!

I treat tongs like every other tool. I take the opportunity to handle, use, fondle any new ones I come across and take picts and keep notes on those I like/dislike and why. I have a list of tongs and companies that I'd like to pick up at some point when funds allow. Just recently I had a chance to look at tongs from a different manufacturer that I hadn't seen before when the kid who was helping me at the Fair brought his personal tongs in to use. Some things I preferred over the tongs I use, and other things I didn't. I'll probably buy a set of 1/4" tongs Vbit tongs from them and see how I like them as I need another small pair.

 

Yeah! 6 attempts at different times, all "forbidden", and one finally posts!

Edited August 24, 201510 yr by DSW

Right'O! Off to the 'flee'ce market today and see what I can find. I wont be too disappointed if I don't find anything now! Thanks for the advice & for going to the trouble of adding a comphrehensive answer

Unless you happen to just like browsing flea markets…your time would be best spent forging a few sets of tongs to just the style you wish, rather than hoping to find "something that will do" on the off chance at the market.

Tong making is good practice, with a good end result.

Alan