On Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:59:38 -0400, Keith Nuttle wrote:

My grandfather was a blacksmith, and I have one of his tongs that he
made to fit his hand. (Missing finger) It is bent so the one arm neatly
fits into the hole caused by the missing finger. With the bend he could
use the tongs with one hand while he used the hammer with the other.

About the closest anybody comes to being a blacksmith nowadays is those
that shoe horses. In the past this was done the the blacksmith. Most all
iron work nowadays is done with machines. When I was in high school (many
years ago) we was required to do some items using a forge as a blacksmith
would. It was a something you did not forget.

Paul T.