Light Metal Technology: Titanium forged tongs for blacksmithing

The potential for hand tools to be made from titanium is still under utilized. Titanium is a light weight metal between steel and aluminum on the periodic table. This balance of strength, light weight, and thermal properties makes this material ideal for manual blacksmithing tongs.

Others have forged tongs for blacksmithing and other processes, but there is limited good information for an individual to utilize in making items from Titanium. Much of the current information on such blacksmithing pursuits is in the form of You-tube challenges, and people who are not taking the project very seriously. I am planning on creating tongs for use in blacksmithing using a coal forge and my little giant 25lb trip hammer. The tongs made will be utilized at the Western Cast Iron Art Alliance to be held at Vermillion, South Dakota hosted by the University of South Dakota Sculpture department. I am planning on presenting my journey in making the tongs and utilize the tongs at the conference. I have utilized a set of Titanium tongs when I worked under the long time blacksmith Steve White (worked with him 2011-2019). I am making these tongs in part to have less fatigue after partially tearing my left bicep in August of 2020.