My first project - tongs | Blacksmith Show and Tell | Forum

Hey all, I completed my first smithing project yesterday and made the tongs I'll need to hold the bar stock I'm using for knives. They came out pretty well I think, seem to do the job anyway.

Made from mild steel flat bar 1" x 1/4" x 3' and mild steel 1/4" round bar for the pivot pin.
They're 25 inches long and meant to hold 2" x 1/4" x 12" flat bars.

Rounded the handles

Pivot pin started falling to one side when I hammered it down.

...and my bolster plate wasn't thick enough for my liking, but at least it left enough sticking out to make it work

Holding intended stock

I had a lot of fun doing it and learned a ton. Can't wait to get back out to the forge now!