Tong ID

[beef56]

 

My friend gave me these tools. I am not sure what the 4th and 5th tongs from the right are or their purpose, can you give me some assistance? Thanks 

 

 

[Les L]

The fifth one is knee tongs to reach inside something like pip, tomahawk or or axe eyes. I can’t see the fourth real clear, but it looks like river tongs or to hold a round rod sideways 

[beef56]

That makes sense. I was thinking what you call the rivet tongs might be for hold a drift or chisel. A lot of flat tongs but they can be revamped for other tongs I believe. Not all are extremely useful but the price was right. I did get the forge and blower pictured in the background so I now have a coal forge too. 

[Les L]

You’ve got a good haul, that set of tongs looks like they are wide for rivets, but you’ll find use for them. 

[Frosty]

4 might be shallow box tongs. Tongs tend to get reshaped over the decades, I know one of my go to pair don't look much like they did when I got them. They used to be old style combo tongs, generally flat jaws with groves one longitudinal and one lateral for holding small round or square stock. They still have a usable lateral groove and it holds 1/4" square okay but will hold 5/15" round well.

I see a couple more flat tongs with a longitudinal groove, putting a lateral grove is EZ PZ if you wish.

Nice haul, you might not have a use for all of them now but give it a little time. 

Frosty The Lucky.

[beef56]

Thanks for the information. It helps and gives me some ideas!

[ThomasPowers]

I have seen tongs with the right angle bend in them used in pairs to move hot wagon tyres to the wood for shrinking on.  Also smaller ones used to hold stock for dishing.

[Hefty]

Not to hijack the thread, but would knee tongs like this work well for gripping pots/pans for campfire cooking? I've been thinking about making some as a replacement handle, kinda like a camp oven/dutch oven lifter but for a skillet, so I can nest pots and pans when travelling. 

[BillyBones]

Hefty, i would say make a set and try them out. See what works that you like and what does not. Then modify from there till you have a tool that you want. 

[arkie]

That's quite a haul of tongs your friend gave you!  At today's prices, for new tongs ranging from $40 to $60 each, you have from about $560 to $840 worth of tongs!

[Les L]

Hefty, I believe knee tongs would work at times, like raising a lid or moving an empty pan, but would be a disaster trying to lift a heavy object without modifying the tongs for the specific purpose. I would do testing with cold pans and pots filled with water 

[Arthur210]

Fourth from the right look like something you could use to hold round stock sideways. Like a ring or a link of chain, maybe.