What are your favorite tongs?

[Ian Fifelski]

Hey all I have been getting by with my couple of flat tongs but I am constantly dropping stuff or having the blade moving around while forging, especially flat bar. What are your favorite style of tongs to securely hold flat bar? I've seen tongs called "blade tongs" around recently but I haven't seen anyone using them

Of course I'd like to have several but if you had to pick one?

 

[A.McPherson]

1/4 inch slotted tongs. Holds any 1/4 inch ( or under ) x 2 inch stock very securely!

 

[Ian Fifelski]

1/4 inch slotted tongs. Holds any 1/4 inch ( or under ) x 2 inch stock very securely!

Those would be made very similarly to v bit tongs I assume?

 

[Lieblad]

For little stuff like knives, I like Diamond FT15. They do alot as-is, but its easy to just reshape their jaws as needed.
They used to be around 12 dollars, but I think thats triple in recent years.

 

[A.McPherson]

Those would be made very similarly to v bit tongs I assume?

Kinda...
Here's a video about it...

 

[Ken H>]

I didn't vote because it depends on what is being held in tongs. For 1/4" flat bar you mention I like blade tongs, and you'll need to reshape tongs depending on size of flat bar being held. Something like these:
https://kensironstore.com/collections/quick-tongs/products/rapid-knife-tongs

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Most of the time I use Z-box offset Tom-tongs. 1/4" X 1.25" seems to hold most all blades well. Blacksmith Depot is the place to get tongs.
https://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/pr...ge-tongs.html/economy-import-z-jaw-tongs.html

 

[Ian Fifelski]

Most of the time I use Z-box offset Tom-tongs. 1/4" X 1.25" seems to hold most all blades well. Blacksmith Depot is the place to get tongs.
https://www.blacksmithsdepot.com/pr...ge-tongs.html/economy-import-z-jaw-tongs.html

It sure is! Much better prices than elsewhere.