My first tongs, the short ones are made from 15mm rebar and the long ones from 10mm round and square stock steel.

 

 

Made your own tools!  Feels great, doesn't it!  Just even out those reins and you're golden.

 

I'm going to try dragon/pickup tongs next.  The bolt tongs seem  tricky by comparison.  

Looks good I'm on the lucky side I haven't had to make many tongs as I find them all the time in the flea market as I'm on the east coast but they look good as a start 

Me too; I can't light my forge and forge a set for nearly as cheap as I find them. Of course it helps that I have a bunch and so can pass the expensive ones without a twitch.  My favorite knifemaking tongs was a set of small snub nosed shoeing tongs I bought for US$1.50 at a fleamarket in Columbus Ohio.