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Why Your First Pair of Tongs Matters More Than You Think

Ask any smith what they reach for first at the forge and the answer is rarely the hammer. It is the tongs. A hammer shapes the metal, but the tongs decide whether you can shape it at all. Get the grip wrong on a bar of yellow-hot steel and you will spend more time chasing it across the floor than working it.

New smiths often start with a pair of long-handled pliers or a cheap set of farrier's tongs borrowed from a friend. That works for a while, but eventually you will want tongs that fit the stock you actually use. The good news is that tongs are one of the simplest tools to make yourself, and understanding how they are built is half the battle.

The Anatomy of a Pair of Tongs

Tongs are essentially a pair of levers joined at a pivot. Each half has a jaw at the front, a boss where the two halves meet, and a reign at the back. The reigns are the handles — the long arms you squeeze to close the jaws. The longer the reigns, the gentler the force needed to hold the work, but the less control you have for fine adjustment.

The boss is the thick, rounded section around the rivet. It carries the load, so it needs enough material to resist bending when you are holding something heavy. The jaw is where the shape matters most, because the jaw must match the profile of the metal you are holding.

• Reigns: usually 30–40 cm for general forging, shorter for precise work
• Boss: should be stout and free of sharp corners that could pinch your hand
• Jaws: shaped to match flat, round, square, or specialised stock
• Rivet: a loose fit lets the tongs open and close without binding

Jaw Shapes and What They Grip

The jaw profile is the single most useful thing to understand when choosing tongs. A pair that fits flat bar will roll a round bar, and vice versa. Here are the shapes you will meet most often.

• Flat jaws: two flat faces that come together like a vice. Ideal for flat stock, square bar, and general holding. A good first pair.
• Round or bolt jaws: a half-round groove in each jaw. These cradle round bar and bolt heads without letting them spin. Very common in farrier and general work.
• V-bit jaws: a V-shaped notch cut into the jaw. Superb for square and hex bar, and they hold a range of sizes because the V self-centres the stock.
• Pick-up or box jaws: jaws that close almost fully, used for thin sheet, small offcuts, and picking up short pieces from the fire.
• Scroll or flat-nose jaws: long, flat jaws for holding hot scrollwork without marking it.

If you only ever make one pair, make a set of flat-jawed tongs with a slight groove. They will hold flat, square, and round stock well enough to get you started.

Reigns, Length, and the Fit in Your Hand

The reigns should sit comfortably in your palm with the jaws closed. When you open your hand, the tongs should fall open under their own weight. If you have to fight them open, the rivet is too tight. If they flop about loosely when closed, the rivet is too slack.

Reign length is a compromise. Long reigns give you leverage and keep your knuckles further from the heat, but they also make the tongs heavy and awkward for detailed work. Most smiths settle on reigns around the length of their forearm. If you are forging with a striker or working large stock, go longer.

A small detail that makes a big difference: round the ends of the reigns. Sharp cut ends will dig into your palm and you will feel it after twenty minutes at the anvil. Many smiths also forge a slight curve into the reigns so they sit naturally in the hand.

Matching Tongs to the Job

A practical forge rarely needs a huge collection. Three or four well-chosen pairs will cover most of what you do.

• Flat stock: flat jaws, roughly 25 mm wide, with a shallow groove down the centre
• Round bar: round or bolt jaws sized to the diameter you use most
• Bolt heads and rivets: a pair of bolt tongs with a deep half-round groove
• Short offcuts: pick-up tongs with narrow jaws that close to almost nothing
• Scrollwork: long, flat jaws that hold without leaving marks

A common mistake is buying or making tongs that are too large. Tongs sized for 25 mm bar will not hold 8 mm bar, and a loose grip on hot metal is dangerous. Match the jaw to the stock, and keep a couple of sizes on hand.

Making and Maintaining Your Tongs

The classic way to make tongs is to forge them from a single bar: draw out the jaws, form the boss, punch or drill the rivet hole, then draw out the reigns. It is a satisfying project and teaches you drawing out, punching, and riveting in one go. Many smiths now start from a length of mild steel flat bar or a recycled leaf spring.

Whichever route you take, keep the jaws cool in use. Dunk the business end in the slack tub if it starts to lose its temper, but never quench the rivet while it is hot, as this can harden and crack it. Check the rivet regularly — a loose rivet is easy to tighten with a few taps, and a seized one is easy to free with a drop of oil.

Look after your tongs and they will outlast most of your other tools. They are the quiet workhorses of the forge, and once you have a pair that fits your hand and your stock, you will wonder how you ever managed without them.