Stamp tongs are

tweezers Tweezers are small hand tools used for grasping objects too small to be easily handled with the human fingers. Tweezers are thumb-driven forceps most likely derived from tongs used to grab or hold hot objects since the dawn of recorded history. ...

used to handle

postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the fa ...

s. They are used by stamp collectors and

philatelists Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...

, because they are a reliable way to hold and move stamps without damaging or getting skin oils on them. The jaws of stamp tongs are smooth in contrast to the striated jaws of the type of tweezers one might use to grasp and pull a thorn; such tweezers will damage stamps. They can also be an efficient way to handle a small stack of stamps. Stamp tongs are nearly always made of metal, with lengths ranging from . The tip is usually thin, so it can slide under a stamp easily, and may come in several different forms. The "shovel" tip is a broad spatula shape, often bent at an angle. The "pointed" tip tapers to a sharp point; while useful for precise positioning, as when mounting the stamp on a page or picking a particular stamp from a pile, the sharper tip can also tear a delicate stamp. There are also "rounded" tips available that beginning stamp collectors like to use to avoid damaging their collection.

References

Tongs Tongs are a type of tool used to grip and lift objects instead of holding them directly with hands. There are many forms of tongs adapted to their specific use. The first pair of tongs belongs to the Egyptians. Tongs likely started off as b ...

Philatelic terminology {{Philately-stub