Tongs & Grips

Tongs and spoons are pole-line handling tools, and they exist because a crew regularly has to move something heavy, long and awkward that offers nothing convenient to hold. Ringed tongs bite into timber or a pole from either side and give two people a shared purchase on it, the ring taking the load so the grip tightens as it is lifted rather than slipping; the length of the tong sets how much of the load each person carries and how far apart they stand. Western pattern spoons are long handled tools used to guide and steady a pole as it is set into a hole, letting a crew position the butt without hands anywhere near a load that could shift. Both are simple forged tools with no mechanism to fail, which is exactly what is wanted for work done on uneven ground in poor conditions. Sizes here run from a couple of feet to ten, and the right length is the one that keeps the operator clear of the load while still giving control of it. Check the handle for splits before every use.