Simple pipe smokers ember tongs

[tombear]

From the 17th century well into the late 19th a common piece of domestic or personal equipment ( the only difference really is size) was the ember tong or smokers companion. It was just a device for lifting a ember from the fire to your pipe. There were many designs, some really elaborate, and ranged from a few inches to a couple of feet long.

This is I think the easiest to make, just some 1/16" piano wire from the model shop and a couple of minutes bending. No heat treatment required.

It's about half the size they usually are as I wanted it small enough for a pocket. Please excuse the roughness of construction but it was made with just my left hand ( and a vice ) as I've caused a flare up of a old condition in my right hand due to excessive hammering of nails mending a neighbours fence and a awful lot of using a big reciprocating saw cutting up logs for turning blanks.

I wish I was up to doing what this guy has made as I love the design.

http://jimsfortheloveofhistory.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/my-journey-to-recreate-17th-century.html

ATB

Tom

 

[zornt]

Great idea I think I will try one myself. Nice idea about using left hand too, even though it was due to a problem.

I believe that we should practice using out non dominate hand any way, because we might need the skill in the event of an accident.

I just read a thread on BCUSA about using non dominate hand to carve a try stick, good idea.

Thanks.
Jon

 

[Samon]

Very neat!

I was smoking my cheap pipe yesterday while thr sun came out to play, and the other day when doing a bbq. Could really do with a decent ember as I don't smoke tobacco anymore, just my own recipe of loose leaf tea with fruit oil, doesn't burn like baccy though so needs relighting alot more often.

 

[tombear]

Cheers! I'm normally very right hand dominate so trying to do everything with just my left is probably a good thing to do occasionally.

ive seen much the same design, but in proportion a lot shorter and wider used as clamps for modelling and scaled up for wood work. For the later the gauge was much heavier and I assume it was heat treated in one way before and after .

atb

tom

 

[British Red]

Reminds me of the boiling tube tongs I use...