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Another tong war survivor

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Author	Topic: Another tong war survivor
wev Moderator Posts: 4121 Registered: Apr 99	posted 03-30-2012 05:55 PM [01-3018] Pinched into action by Polly's excellent tong posts, I rooted around my box of odds and ends and came across these. The marker's mark is somewhat battered due to some damage, but appears to be for William Pinder, entered in 1771. Both arms have extensive repairs -- four major onlays and straight solder repairs on both arm/bowl connection. Interestingly, a similar pair by this maker is show on the Silver Sugar Tongs site with nearly as many repairs as mine. What the heck were people using these things for? Or was Mr. Pinder was just a bad caster and his goods did not stand up to normal use? IP: Logged
Polly Posts: 1970 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 03-31-2012 12:14 AM Didn't sugar come in much bigger crystals back then? Did they use the tongs to smash it, not just pick it up? It's fun to see all these tongs basking in the sun. Mr. Husband is muttering things about the Tong Dynasty. I've decided that that B in the monogram stands for Belt Buckle. IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 03-31-2012 08:35 AM Above is a sugar cone that my wife brought at Williamsburg in the mid 1960’s. They still sell sugar cones, but now they only sell small ones. My wife did find a mold for the large one and through the years has made quite a few. The sugar sticks together if you mix just a little ice water in the sugar and then press it into the mold. As I recall she took the formed sugar out of the mold to dry. Traditionally they were sold wrapped in blue paper. I think she still has some packed away some place, but I don’t know where they are right now. Sugar nippers were used for breaking some of the sugar off the cone and the ones I have seen were pretty much like the ones pictured above. I suppose the sugar would come off in large pieces or chunks and these, for formal occasions, would be placed in a sugar bowl. Your sugar tongs would be used to individually serve the pieces. IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 03-31-2012 08:37 AM This is an implement that looks a little like sugar nippers, but I have a feeling that it was used for something else. Does anyone recognize these? IP: Logged
Kimo Posts: 1627 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 03-31-2012 09:28 AM Oh my. Those look like something the Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición would have valued as a favorite tool for putting the question to their special guests. They could be for sugar for those who found the prettier ones less functional than they liked. Or maybe they were for something harder like salt which used to come in large rocks? Or maybe for tea that was sometimes sold in bricks? You can still buy those tea bricks but I think they are mostly for ornamentation these days as I do not think I would be eager to give up my dragonwell estate green tea for a clipping off one of those black tea bricks that look like hardened asphalt and likely taste like it as well. IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 03-31-2012 10:26 AM Kimo I think you have a good solution. The cutting edge may be just right for attacking a tea block. We have some of those blocks and I can not imagine drinking anything made from them. IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 03-31-2012 10:29 AM Earthenware sugar loaf/cone mold c1670 After the sugar cane was crushed, the sucrose solution was poured into molds and allowed to set. A small hole in the bottom of the cone allowed the escape of a sticky, sweet solution which was used for molasses. IP: Logged

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