I prefer smaller tweezers. I tried long ones, spade ends, pointed ends, and all sorts. I ended with 4½ inch Prinz round ends
I have a 6-in Showgard with pointed tip and a shorter 4 1/2-inch with a spade tip. I use the spade one most of the time but I have no reason other than preference.
I have small hands and use Showguard 6 inch pointed tip.
I still have the 15cm "professional" tongs I bought when I was a kid back in the '70s! Nicely weighted at 21 grams. A new pair I bought a while ago is only 16.9 grams, but I definitely feel the difference. I like the heavier one much more and rarely use the lighter one.
"Professional" are the pointed tips. I never liked any of the others that most stamp dealers handed me to pick & choose way back when.
Peter
I got my tongs about sixty years ago. I don't know the brand, but they were made in Germany and are 120mm long with rounded tips. They've gotten a lot of use over that time and are fairly beat up, but I wouldn't trade them.
I use rounded tips as well.
I use 4.5" bent tip showgard's when working with Vario pages;
all other times I use my old trusty 4.5" Whitman's that I've had forever.
They are heavier than most - and that suits me fine.
I use the standard "Dealer Tongs" (as I manage a stamp shop). 15 cm "professional flat tip". I also have another pair that have the "suicide tip". I use those tongs to carefully remove layers of stamp hinges on mint stamps.
David
Ottawa, Canada
The 6 inch standard pointed tip Showguard is my pick. Over time the alignment does tend to be a bit off, and no amount of twisting and bending manages to put it back in perfect alignment, so I am now on my second set. It does make a difference!
rrr...
I suppose this explains why I can't find 8 in. stamp tongs, most people prefer 6 in. or shorter. Thanks everyone for the information.
" ... most people prefer 6 in. or shorter..."
Six inches or bigger, great. Four inches may
work for some folks, but are simply too short
for me. And the rounded tip just seem to push
the stamp around. I like my
lethal pointed tip.
Ever since you recommended these tongs, Charlie, I can’t imagine using anything else! Thanks!
You should always be polite if you come upon Chinese tongs.
I have never used the angled type tongs (tweezers).
I could not find my Brazilian collection (better known as dental floss), so I have been experimenting with the much larger tongs.
rrr....
The angled ones with a spade tip make it very easy to pick stamps up.
I need tongs with an internet connection so I can use an app on my phone to find them! Just follow the beeping to find the tongs.
I have several sets that get lost regularly. Nothing like picking up an album and tongs fall out!
I've had the same pair of German manufactured five inch, round nosed tongs for the past 60 =/- years. Wouldn't part with them for love nor money.
Finding your lost tongs in a stamp album, or a Scott catalog you recently used is a classic. One knows with experience to start the search there!
Let's hear it for stranger hiding tongs spots.
Found one set in my sneakers, which I routinely take out and tuck under my desk when working. You would think that was an easy one, as it is hard to miss them when putting your shoes back on, except that in the early days of Covid, I sometimes did not go out for several days in a row, so that search drove me crazy! The tongs must have made a perillous rebound double summersault to end up there!
rrr...
Stranger tong hiding spots - bet you fellas have never had THIS happen:
I often hook the tongs on the top of the neckline of whatever pocketless shirt I’m wearing. Once, I missed and the tongs slid into my bra - took me a minute to find them.
I try to keep tongs in my pencil cup on my desk. I hook them on the edge so one side is outside, so I see them quick and can grab them. Since I'm mainly a cover guy, I don't use tongs daily and they can go astray!
Do you know how to find your tongs? Buy another pair! The old pair will spring out of hiding!
Anyone use silicone tipped tongs?
What is the advantage to silicon tips? I have at least 4 pair. I need that many to have one handy to use.
I would think they would tend to "grab"the stamp (not good). Is there such a thing made for handling stamps We know that the ones sold for stamps do not damage them when used properly (not even the sharp pointed ones).
If you try a pair out I would use them on cheap, expendable stamps for awhile... and let us know.
I like the broad spaded ones with a slight bend at the tip. Using tongs is really easier than using your fingers. I would think that silicon covers would slow me down.
I’ve been trying to purchase some Showgard 902 tongs, but EVERYONE is out of stock. Well I finally found out WHY no one has any. I called Brooklyn Gallery to ask about my order status and a very helpful fellow told me that the factory that did the metal plating for the stamp tongs was located in the Ukraine and - you guessed it - the factory was bombed and destroyed.
Showgard is currently hunting for a new company here in the states that can do the plating and hope to have some manufactured soon. In the meantime, I’d better quit dropping my tongs on the tile floor and bending the tips!
Amazon shows they have 14 of them in stock;
https://www.amazon.com/Showgard-901-Stam ...
I could find oodles of 901 tongs, but I use 902. But thanks, Randy.
presume you have tried Subway.
https://www.subwaystamp.com/SHOWGARD-STA ...
Thanks fellas, I tried Brooklyn, Subway, Potomac, Amos, IHobb, Ebay, Coin Supply express, Hobby lobby, and Amazon. No joy.
I still have a few with ok tips, but I have to be careful not to drop them on the unforgiving tile floor. I can usually straighten the tip and file off any burrs, but I don’t want to work with thinned tips and risk damaging something. What a klutz!
Just wondering, what stamp tongs do you use? Showgard, modified, different lengths, different materials? When I first started back, I used showgard 6 in. Pretty soon I realized they were too short for me and ended up stabbing me in the center of my palm. Found some 8-9 in stainless tweezers with teeth, ground the teeth away, boom 8 in tongs. Then one night I discovered 9 1/2 copper pickling tongs. With a little modification they are now my tongs of choice.
re: Tongs
I prefer smaller tweezers. I tried long ones, spade ends, pointed ends, and all sorts. I ended with 4½ inch Prinz round ends
re: Tongs
I have a 6-in Showgard with pointed tip and a shorter 4 1/2-inch with a spade tip. I use the spade one most of the time but I have no reason other than preference.
re: Tongs
I have small hands and use Showguard 6 inch pointed tip.
re: Tongs
I still have the 15cm "professional" tongs I bought when I was a kid back in the '70s! Nicely weighted at 21 grams. A new pair I bought a while ago is only 16.9 grams, but I definitely feel the difference. I like the heavier one much more and rarely use the lighter one.
"Professional" are the pointed tips. I never liked any of the others that most stamp dealers handed me to pick & choose way back when.
Peter
re: Tongs
I got my tongs about sixty years ago. I don't know the brand, but they were made in Germany and are 120mm long with rounded tips. They've gotten a lot of use over that time and are fairly beat up, but I wouldn't trade them.
re: Tongs
I use rounded tips as well.
I use 4.5" bent tip showgard's when working with Vario pages;
all other times I use my old trusty 4.5" Whitman's that I've had forever.
They are heavier than most - and that suits me fine.
re: Tongs
I use the standard "Dealer Tongs" (as I manage a stamp shop). 15 cm "professional flat tip". I also have another pair that have the "suicide tip". I use those tongs to carefully remove layers of stamp hinges on mint stamps.
David
Ottawa, Canada
re: Tongs
The 6 inch standard pointed tip Showguard is my pick. Over time the alignment does tend to be a bit off, and no amount of twisting and bending manages to put it back in perfect alignment, so I am now on my second set. It does make a difference!
rrr...
re: Tongs
I suppose this explains why I can't find 8 in. stamp tongs, most people prefer 6 in. or shorter. Thanks everyone for the information.
re: Tongs
" ... most people prefer 6 in. or shorter..."
Six inches or bigger, great. Four inches may
work for some folks, but are simply too short
for me. And the rounded tip just seem to push
the stamp around. I like my
lethal pointed tip.
re: Tongs
Ever since you recommended these tongs, Charlie, I can’t imagine using anything else! Thanks!
re: Tongs
You should always be polite if you come upon Chinese tongs.
re: Tongs
I have never used the angled type tongs (tweezers).
re: Tongs
I could not find my Brazilian collection (better known as dental floss), so I have been experimenting with the much larger tongs.
rrr....
re: Tongs
The angled ones with a spade tip make it very easy to pick stamps up.
re: Tongs
I need tongs with an internet connection so I can use an app on my phone to find them! Just follow the beeping to find the tongs.
I have several sets that get lost regularly. Nothing like picking up an album and tongs fall out!
re: Tongs
I've had the same pair of German manufactured five inch, round nosed tongs for the past 60 =/- years. Wouldn't part with them for love nor money.
re: Tongs
Finding your lost tongs in a stamp album, or a Scott catalog you recently used is a classic. One knows with experience to start the search there!
Let's hear it for stranger hiding tongs spots.
Found one set in my sneakers, which I routinely take out and tuck under my desk when working. You would think that was an easy one, as it is hard to miss them when putting your shoes back on, except that in the early days of Covid, I sometimes did not go out for several days in a row, so that search drove me crazy! The tongs must have made a perillous rebound double summersault to end up there!
rrr...
re: Tongs
Stranger tong hiding spots - bet you fellas have never had THIS happen:
I often hook the tongs on the top of the neckline of whatever pocketless shirt I’m wearing. Once, I missed and the tongs slid into my bra - took me a minute to find them.
re: Tongs
I try to keep tongs in my pencil cup on my desk. I hook them on the edge so one side is outside, so I see them quick and can grab them. Since I'm mainly a cover guy, I don't use tongs daily and they can go astray!
Do you know how to find your tongs? Buy another pair! The old pair will spring out of hiding!
re: Tongs
What is the advantage to silicon tips? I have at least 4 pair. I need that many to have one handy to use.
re: Tongs
I would think they would tend to "grab"the stamp (not good). Is there such a thing made for handling stamps We know that the ones sold for stamps do not damage them when used properly (not even the sharp pointed ones).
If you try a pair out I would use them on cheap, expendable stamps for awhile... and let us know.
re: Tongs
I like the broad spaded ones with a slight bend at the tip. Using tongs is really easier than using your fingers. I would think that silicon covers would slow me down.
re: Tongs
I’ve been trying to purchase some Showgard 902 tongs, but EVERYONE is out of stock. Well I finally found out WHY no one has any. I called Brooklyn Gallery to ask about my order status and a very helpful fellow told me that the factory that did the metal plating for the stamp tongs was located in the Ukraine and - you guessed it - the factory was bombed and destroyed.
Showgard is currently hunting for a new company here in the states that can do the plating and hope to have some manufactured soon. In the meantime, I’d better quit dropping my tongs on the tile floor and bending the tips!
re: Tongs
Amazon shows they have 14 of them in stock;
https://www.amazon.com/Showgard-901-Stam ...
re: Tongs
I could find oodles of 901 tongs, but I use 902. But thanks, Randy.
re: Tongs
presume you have tried Subway.
https://www.subwaystamp.com/SHOWGARD-STA ...
re: Tongs
Thanks fellas, I tried Brooklyn, Subway, Potomac, Amos, IHobb, Ebay, Coin Supply express, Hobby lobby, and Amazon. No joy.
I still have a few with ok tips, but I have to be careful not to drop them on the unforgiving tile floor. I can usually straighten the tip and file off any burrs, but I don’t want to work with thinned tips and risk damaging something. What a klutz!