Smith’s tongs (Period)

Tongs are a tool for handling hot objects, having two long arms pivoted or hinged together.  They are sometimes explicitly blazoned as “smith’s tongs”; in mundane heraldry, they are also called “pincers”.  One Society example blazons them as “a pair of pliers”, but the charge is drawn the same.

Tongs are found in the canting arms (German Zange, “tongs”) of Tsenger or Zenger, c.1360 [Gelre 34].  They have their handles to base by default.

Gene the Black bears:  Bendy of eight Or and sable, a pair of tongs gules.

Gerbert Faber de Rouen bears:  Argent, in saltire a smith’s hammer and a pair of tongs, in base a square anvil sable.

John Trevor of Chinon bears:  Per chevron vert and argent, two pincers argent and a sea lion sable.

Janusch Vladescu bears:  Per bend sinister argent and gules, a pair of pliers bendwise sinister sable and an annulet argent.