This is a fascinating pair of tongs. They are considerably shorter than normal, measuring just 4.¼ inches, or 11cm. There is much discussion over whether such tongs were originally made this way, or later shortened. With this pair, we can clearly see that the two bowls have been carefully soldered on to the arms, i.e. added after the arms were made. The tongs bear a clear hallmark and maker's mark suggesting they are genuine. Because of the way the bowls have been added the join appears right at the joint of the bowl on the outside, sloping back by about 4mm on the inside. The bowls also look small for the overall size of the rest of the tongs. The bright cut engraving pattern on the bowls is a pattern often seen with Stephen Adams tongs and therefore in keeping. The question is were they made like this originally, or were the bowls added later, perhaps as a repair? They are dated 1791/92.

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