Fire tools are the implements used to tend an open fire, typically a poker for breaking up and stirring coals, tongs for lifting coal or logs, a shovel for removing ash and a brush for sweeping the hearth. Sets of these tools are often called companion sets, and they may be stood on a stand, hung from a frame or rested on tool rests or andirons.
In Britain, fire tools have been made for centuries in wrought iron, steel, brass and copper, and the form of the handles changed with fashion. Georgian fire tools were often of polished steel with elegant knop or urn finials, sometimes combined with brass, while Regency and Victorian sets used cast brass handles in classical, Gothic or naturalistic designs. Arts and Crafts makers produced hand-forged iron and copper sets with simple, functional shapes. Many antique fire tools were sold individually or in threes rather than as matched sets with stands, so assembled sets are common. Collectors look for crisp casting, well-made joints on tongs, good balance and matching finials. Antique fire tools add practical character to a working hearth and suit both formal and country interiors.
