Please tell me what these are.

[Ann Kelly]

Please tell me what these are and what they are used for. And if possible approximate date of manufacture. http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg25 ... 0_1160.jpg
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg25 ... 0_1162.jpg
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[2209patrick]

The outside ones I call "olive tongs".
Others will argue for sugsr tongs.

Pat.
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[byron mac donald]

Hello Ann-

Perhaps these should have been posted on the "what the heck is it" thread, to me they look like some kind of cork bottle opener; I do not know, I am just an amatuer. the interesting thing is; is this Albert Scharning shown here?

http://www.925-1000.com/Fnorway_marks.html


Regards- Byron
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[Matulda]

The outside ones I call "olive tongs".
Others will argue for sugsr tongs.

Pat.

These are sugar tongs. Nowadays, not many people use sugar cubes in their coffee even in Scandinavia, so perhaps they are more used for olives now, but originally they were intended for sugar cubes. I don’t know if it is a Scandinavian invention, but they are very common here. If they have been used in other parts of the world where they eat more olives than drink coffee (Finland is the largest coffee consumer in the world, followed by Sweden, Norway and Denmark), they might be called olive tongs, but since at least one of your tongs is Norwegian, that is definitely intended for sugar.

As to date of manufacturing, I would say some time in the first half on the 20th century.
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[dragonflywink]

I've always known these as Swedish sugar tongs and have found them in boxed sets with demitasse spoons, but feel sure that they have most likely been marketed for other purposes.

Also found a couple of U.S. patents for similar tongs - #1,777,248 (Sept. 30, 1930) for "handling ice cubes and other material" and #2,176,333 (Oct. 17, 1939) for "miniature tongs adapted for use in picking up and transporting various bodies of small size, such as ice cubes, sugar lumps or other articles". Interestingly, both were patented by men with Swedish surnames.

~Cheryl
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[Hose_dk]

I have never before heard that they where used for olives.
They are for sugar - we dont (did not) eat olives in the north before in the 1970ties.
I sopposed that danes etc. meet olives on holydays in the 60ties/70ties but in stores not realy before 1970ties.

So suger is the name perhaps some use for olives but I do not think so.
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[2209patrick]

Yes, I anticipated a few responses to my "olive tongs" answer.
Of course I defer to those more knowledgeable in Scandinavian culture and silver.

My point here was that many times an item, when sold in a different country, often takes on a different name and use.

( Just for the record, Dorothy Rainwater called them olive tongs also. :).

Pat.
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[MLF]

Hello, I use mine for ice cubes...

Best wishes

Mikael
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[Tosten]

Hello
It is a sugar tong. Used very much here in Norway. This tong is imported by Albert Scharning, Oslo 1900- ca 1980. We sold them in the 1950-60. They were mostly german made.
Regards Tosten
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[Ann Kelly]

So much information is greatly appreciated. Yes, the one largest piece is stamped A. Scharning. I received these in a collection of numerous items that includes mostly Norwegian hallmarks. Interesting to here all the different views from the different parts of our world! Thank you, again.
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