Name/Title
Ember tongs (sometimes called pipe tongs or hearth tongs)Entry/Object ID
100165Scope and Content
(AI) This unique tool is an antique wrought iron ember tongs (sometimes called pipe tongs or hearth tongs), dating back to the 18th or early 19th century.
Here is how this clever colonial-era tool worked:
Purpose: Before the widespread invention of matches, someone wanting to light a tobacco pipe, a candle, or a small bit of kindling would use these tongs to reach into the fireplace, pinch a single glowing hot coal (ember), and carefully bring it out.
The Design: The long, slender parallel rods allowed the user to keep their hands safely away from the heat of the hearth.
The "Knob" End: The small knob at the hinge end often served a double purpose—as a grip or plunger mechanism to open/close the pincers, and sometimes the flat top itself was used as a pipe tamper to pack tobacco down into the bowl of a pipe. value ?
Inventory Fire tongs value $50.00