The weird thing I see people doing with their forge tongs

Okay, I have to ask about this. For the last year or so, I keep seeing folks at our local guild meetings and in online videos holding their tongs way too far back on the reins. I mean, they're gripping them almost at the very end, like they're scared of the heat. I did it myself once when I was starting out, about three years ago, and dropped a red hot leaf right onto my boot. The problem is you lose all control and feel. The tongs are a lever, and if you choke up on the handle, you get a weak, wobbly grip. You need to hold them closer to the hinge, maybe an inch or two from the pivot, to really clamp down on the work. It feels counter-intuitive, but it makes a huge difference. Has anyone else had to break this habit, or am I just seeing a weird local trend?

4 comments

4 Comments

miles_hall3mo ago

Yeah @karenh56, we all fight the tool until it bites us back.

jason_lewis33mo ago

My buddy tried to force a stripped screw last week, the driver slipped and he put a hole in the drywall.

wren6381mo ago

Last week I counted three separate times I fought a tool instead of letting it work. The zipper on my jacket, the lid on a pickle jar, and a stubborn Allen key. It's like we're wired to believe more force fixes everything. But nine times out of ten the tool is trying to tell us something. We just don't want to listen until it bites us.

karenh563mo ago

Remember dropping a piece because my grip was too far back. You're right about losing all control, it feels so shaky. Why do we fight the tool's design like that?