Unlike the mote skimmer, which has no use today but which is of interest because of its curiosity value, sugar tongs not only reflect contemporary decorative styles but can be of use at the tea table today. While prices of certain tongs have increased a good deal over recent years, nineteenth century examples may still be bought for reasonable sums. The shape of early sugar nippers was derived from contemporary fire tongs, and they commonly have baluster stems, and circular or shell-shaped grips. Some grips had rat-tail terminals at the back for strengthening, the stems sometimes being decorated with an acorn or some other decorative shape at their centre point. Early eighteenth century sugar nippers were generally based on the design of scissors, however, with generous, circular handles and scrolled stems, their grips sometimes in the form of claws or shells. An unusual scissor-shaped nipper is formed like a stork, hinged through the eye, the body chased to appear like feathers and the ends of the legs looped for handles. This eighteenth century design was copied during the following century.

Antique Collector MagazineAfter about the late 1760s the bow-shaped form commonly used today was introduced, although examples of this shape were known far earlier. Bow-shaped tongs were made in three main parts with cast arms and a plain bow, and the sections were then joined by solder, the bow having previously been hammered to impart a springy quality. Later examples were made in a single strip of metal. They were variously decorated, those which were made during the neo-classical period possessing great charm, particularly when produced during the last ten years or so of the century, when they might be delicately engraved or decorated with bright-cutting. Arms might also be pierced and the grips might be shaped as shells, claws or acorns.

Tongs made after the turn of the nineteenth century were often given fiddle-shaped spoon grips, complementing the fiddle-shaped flatware of that time. These tended to be far larger than the more fragile eighteenth century examples, and were mostly left undecorated. The plain, heavier bow-shaped tongs were made for several decades, but running concurrently with these were smaller ones sold en suite with the silver sugar bowl. Scissor-shaped tongs enriched with cast foliate motifs were also produced, sometimes in silver-gilt, with their grips formed as a decorative leaf or other shape. Earlier nippers are seldom found to be fully hallmarked. Bow-shaped tongs, too, may not always bear a full contingent of marks since the more delicate ones often snapped and, in their repair, certain marks may have been obliterated.

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