Wierd pliers ?

[A. G. Maisey]

Please accept my apologies people.

I was only kidding about "removal of body parts" I didn't think for a moment anybody would take me seriously. I do tend to get a bit facetious at times --- especially after watching all three seasons of the"The Borgias" at a single sitting.

As Mr. Senefelder has mentioned, I believe these are smith's tongs, what sort of smith, I don't know, but I have tongs exactly the same that I made for use in the forge.

I was taught fire & iron by one of Australia's last traditional blacksmiths, a gentleman named Gordon Blackwell, he taught me basics, and I needed to teach myself the more specialised things involved in making pamor and doing blade-smith work.

However, one of the things Gordon taught me was how to make tongs, and I made a number of tongs, all for different purposes, some have jaws exactly the same as the ones shown by Royston, but construction is much more simple and there is no ornamentation.

So, serious guess this time:- smith's tongs.

Incidentally, I've burnt myself a lot of times when working, and something that has always amazed me is that these burns never, ever hurt at the time. They might smart a bit the following day, especially when bathing, but at the time, never. I do not have especially high tolerance of pain.

[Shakethetrees]

[/QUOTE]
Incidentally, I've burnt myself a lot of times when working, and something that has always amazed me is that these burns never, ever hurt at the time. They might smart a bit the following day, especially when bathing, but at the time, never. I do not have especially high tolerance of pain.[/QUOTE]


You're right!

The degree of concentration and rush to get iron to anvil causes everything else to temporarily go away!

When I was in school many years ago, I was in a frenzied state, rushing to make a deadline. Right next to me in the next soldering station a friend, Tom, was annealling a small, roughly one inch, by half inch ingot of gold. Each of us lost in our own worlds and without words expressing our intentions, I pivoted left, dropping a red hot bit of work into a quenching bath while Tom turned to the right, gold in tongs, intending for it to join my work in the tank. Instead, the ingot caught my upper forearm squarely, impressing a one inch by a half inch burn!

Toms immediate reaction- "That's OK, it's gold."

Without either of us missing a beat, we went right back to work.

The next day it was not as funny! I still carry a slight mark reminding me of the incident.

[drac2k]

Well, then, I stand alone, and I wasn't kidding ; I believe them to be constructed for torture . It is amazing to me how, in this forum, where we have encompassed every strange form of weapon,multiple oddities, or numerous bizarre treasures from the past some completely close themseves to this possibility.

[spiral]

Originally Posted by drac2k

Well, then, I stand alone, and I wasn't kidding ; I believe them to be constructed for torture . It is amazing to me how, in this forum, where we have encompassed every strange form of weapon,multiple oddities, or numerous bizarre treasures from the past some completely close themseves to this possibility.

I didn't discount ,that they were a torture device.... All though I suspect there for metal working. Holding square bar...

I discounted your source, that led you to you conclusion, {A rubbishy low budget tv program.}

I also disagree with your assumption that the longer finial was only suitable for eye gouging... I see finial like that on many items.... Ive never imagined they were only suitable for eye gouging.. Each to there own though.


But I agree you could torture someone with them, crocodile pincers & shears are well known & when 35 years ago I unexpectedly saw the collection of gestapo torture equipment from there Paris cellars there were certainly blacksmith type tools amongst them.

But flat grippy pincers or toothed would be better for torture I think?

If one has that perverted & sick mind set you can happily torture some one with nearly anything... a bowl of water... a screwdriver, matches, pliers or anything really..

spiral

[drac2k]

Obviously that wasn't my only source.........I used "Pawn Stars," as well. Now seriously, I am open to all sources of information(even lowly ones) , however I cross check them for the probability for validity. I am curious, do you know the show to be a "rubbishy low budget tv program ," because you watch it , or you don't watch it because intuitively you know it to be trash ?
I am no expert in torture(if you discount my posts), however, if I were going to heat the tongs to a red hot glow, I would rather have a hollowed out set that would encompass the whole digit(finger,etc.), than a flat surface that would only effect the top and the bottom. I did not definitively mean to assert that this tool was used for torture (either end);it was just my opinion, and up to now, based on what I've read , no more or less valid than anyone else.

[spiral]

Originally Posted by drac2k

. I am curious, do you know the show to be a "rubbishy low budget tv program ," because you watch it , or you don't watch it because intuitively you know it to be trash ?
.

After reading your citing of "Deals from the Darkside" as your original source, I thought I better check it out.

Although given the title I did think it might be trash. So I had a look on youtube...

But if you enjoy it, fair enough!

spiral

[fernando]

Point made, Jonathan.