Curved Copper Pickle Tongs

If you're soldering silver or gold, pickle is part of the process, and the tongs you use to put pieces in and take them out matter more than you might think. These are copper pickle tongs, and copper is the only metal you should use around pickle. Steel or iron tools contaminate the pickle solution, which causes it to plate copper onto your silver pieces. It's a fixable problem but an annoying one, and it's easy to avoid by using the right tongs from the start.

These tongs are rigid and well made, with a curved end that gives you a secure grip when lifting pieces out. The curve helps you get underneath a piece cleanly without it slipping off, which matters when you're working with hot or warm pickle. At 210mm they give you enough reach to keep your hands well clear.

We use these in the studio and they're one of those tools you don't think about until you don't have them, and then you notice immediately.

Worth knowing:

• Pure copper, won't contaminate the pickle solution
• Rigid and well made, curved end for a secure grip on pieces
• 210mm length keeps hands clear of the pickle
• Do not use steel or iron tools in pickle
• Also included in the Essential Soldering Kit