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Tongs

technology Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Tongs are very useful tools. They help you grip and lift objects. You do not use your hands directly. This keeps your skin safe and clean.

kitchen-tongs
kitchen-tongs

Many different types exist for specific jobs. Some tongs even have resting points. These points keep the working ends off a bench. They are made to solve many hard jobs.

Grilling-tongs
Grilling-tongs

How tongs work depends on their design. Some have a pivot or a joint. This joint is near the handle. These tongs help you move delicate items. You can use them for salad or spaghetti. Fire tongs move hot coal without burning fingers.

Grilling-tongs
Grilling-tongs

Other tongs have a joint near the ends. These are for heavy or hard objects. Blacksmiths use these to forge metal. They are also called crucible tongs.

Eddystone, Pennsylvania - Railroad parts. Baldwin Locomotive Works. Blacksmith forging and hammering tools. - NARA - 518729
Eddystone, Pennsylvania - Railroad parts. Baldwin Locomotive Works. Blacksmith forging and hammering tools. - NARA - 518729

Tongs have a very long history. The first pair belonged to the Egyptians. They likely started as simple wooden tools. By 3000 BC, they were made of bronze.

18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426
18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426

An Egyptian wall painting is from 1450 BCE. It shows metal bars holding a crucible. A crucible is a container for melting. This shows people used tongs long ago. There is even an old Jewish myth. It says God made the first tongs.

18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426
18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426

Some tongs are just one piece of metal. These are called single bands of bent metal. Sugar tongs are often made of silver. They have claw-shaped or spoon-shaped ends. They serve lumps of sugar.

18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426
18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426

Asparagus tongs are also made of one band. They have a band near the head. This limits how far they can open. These were used in 18th-century England. Smaller versions appeared in the 19th century.

18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426
18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426

You can find tongs in many places. You see them in the kitchen for grilling. You see them in workshops for metal. Even some coats of arms use them. The Konnevesi coat of arms shows logging tongs.

Konnevesi.vaakuna
Konnevesi.vaakuna

Tongs help us handle things we cannot touch. They bridge the gap between us and heat. They bridge the gap between us and weight. They make many difficult tasks much easier.

Grilling-tongs
Grilling-tongs
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🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:kitchen-tongs.png
kitchen-tongs.png
File:Grilling-tongs.png
Grilling-tongs.png
File:18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426.jpg
18-03-25-Küchenutensil-DSCF1426.jpg
Eddystone,_Pennsylvania_-_Railroad_parts._...
File:Konnevesi.vaakuna.svg
Konnevesi.vaakuna.svg
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