What kind of tongs?

Gliden07

Gliden07

Well-Known Member
Slowly gearing up to start forging some blades. Have Dads Anvil, my tiny little Forge (building a new one this Winter), a 2 LB Cross Peen hammer, long nose vice grips (using these as tongs). Which brings me to my question what should I look to get for beginners tongs? There are so many and I realize that they all have there uses but if you could only have 2-4 pair and were primarily Blade-smithing what would you have/buy??
 
if you could only have 2-4 pair and were primarily Blade-smithing what would you have/buy??
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1- Flat jaw tongs, 1-pickup tongs, 2- Box jaw tongs (for holding barstock by the edges)... a pair of 1", and a pair of 1 1/4" or 1 1/2".

I think the box jaw tong are the most important ones.... a lot of Bladesmithing is working on the edges of barstock, and without box jaws there is a good probability that the stock will slip/flip out of tong that don't have the "box" feature. I say that from experience...I still carry a scar on my forehead from a hot piece of stock flipping out of flat jaw tongs and the corner cutting/burning into my forehead.

I believe Centaur Forge sells what I use under the name "Off Set Box Jaw" tongs. The ones I have came from The Ozark School of Blacksmithing.... I purchased them at the same time I purchase my air hammer, back before Tom Clark's passing.

Something I often recommend to folks is https://kensironstore.com/collections/quick-tongs These are tong "kits". I like them because I can forge them into just about any configuration I want, and the are very affordable...... they are also a good learning tool for those just starting out.
 
Hey Ed - thanks for the link to the tong kits - those are NEAT!!! and a darn good price.
 
One of my Blacksmithing friends turned me onto them. He visited one day and handed me one of the "flat jaw" kits. It took me about 20-30 mins to turn the kit into one of the best sets of flat jaws I have in the shop. I've since made several of the kits.... like you said....can't beat the price.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
One of my Blacksmithing friends turned me onto them. He visited one day and handed me one of the "flat jaw" kits. It took me about 20-30 mins to turn the kit into one of the best sets of flat jaws I have in the shop. I've since made several of the kits.... like you said....can't beat the price.
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Ed I have 0 experience forging anything would these tongs be anything for a total beginner project??
 
If you go to the website, they have "How To" videos on pretty much all the tong kits they offer. I'm not sure I would say they're a "beginner project", but between watching the videos, and attempting to forge/assemble a couple of them, a beginner could learn a lot.
 
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