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Fine-Tip Tweezers: One Steel Strip Bent and Spring-Tempered
North Lincolnshire Museum, Lisa Staves (cropped by Youblob) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Forge

Created by

Forge

14. October 2026NO
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Fine-Tip Tweezers: One Steel Strip Bent and Spring-Tempered

Tweezers are two springy arms joined at one end: pressed, the tips close; let go, the spring opens them. They go back to predynastic Egypt. Make them from one strip of tool steel bent in half, temper it to a spring, and file the tips to fine needle points that meet exactly. The picture: Roman tweezers, one strip bent at a loop, with a sliding ring.
Intermediate
Half a day

Instructions

1

Draw the strip

Draw tool steel to a strip about 8 mm wide, 0.8 mm thick and 21 cm long (our size), tapering both ends.

Materials for this step:

Flat Tool Steel BarFlat Tool Steel Bar1 piece
CharcoalCharcoal1 as required

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
AnvilAnvil
Cross Peen HammerCross Peen Hammer
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
2

Bend it in half

Anneal, then bend the strip in half round a small rod so the arms spring apart with the tips about 6 mm open. Square the arms in the vise.

Tools needed:

Bench ViseBench Vise
Cross Peen HammerCross Peen Hammer
Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
3

Shape the tips

File the ends to long, fine points with the needle files, and dress the inner faces so the tips meet along the last few millimetres. Check under the loupe.

Tools needed:

Needle File SetNeedle File Set
Metal FileMetal File
Magnifying LoupeMagnifying Loupe
4

Harden and spring-temper

Heat to cherry red and quench in oil, polish, then temper to blue so the arms spring back (our temper).

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
Quench BucketQuench Bucket
Cutting OilCutting Oil
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
5

Finish the points

Hone the tips lightly on the stone and check that they close evenly without crossing.

Tools needed:

Whetstone 1000 GritWhetstone 1000 Grit
Magnifying LoupeMagnifying Loupe
6

Closing force

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Materials

2

Tools Required

11

This blueprint makes

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Fine-Tip Tweezers

Free

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