Fire tongs
Fire tongs are tongs used at a hearth or fireplace. Their long arms and gripping ends allow fuel or embers to be handled at a distance. This gripping action distinguishes them from a poker, which is primarily used to push or rake material.
Materials and construction
Fire tongs may combine different metals. The Metropolitan Museum of Art documents an example in brass and steel dated between 1770 and 1830. This is a specific museum example, not a date or material identification applicable to all fire tongs. A brass-coloured handle does not establish that the entire tool is brass.
Examining older tools
Record length, jaw shape, pivot and the transition between handle and arms. Look for looseness, breaks, repairs and bent or missing gripping ends. If tongs are sold with a poker or shovel, compare design and provenance before describing them as an original set. Soot, rust or a rough surface alone does not prove great age or Norwegian origin.
