Antique Iron Sugar Nips - 18th C Kitchen Tools

Wonderful early pair of antique Sugar Nips in fabulous condition with beautiful original surface. A fine example and a fantastic sculptural form, I love the way the jaws describe a nearly perfect heart when closed... must be all the sweet stuff that's passed through them. A perfect example of beauty following form and function.

Imagine a time when sugar only came in large conical shaped sugar loaves. You might buy a whole loaf or a piece of one sold by the pound, although many thrifty consumers felt it was foolish to purchase it by the pound since the paper used to wrap it was included in the weight. Once you got your sugar-loaf or portion home and used a hammer and chisel to break it into smaller chunks, you still needed to break it into pieces small enough for kitchen and table use. Enter sugar nips like this fine pair which like many better examples, has an added 'leg' used to steady the nippers against a table and increase the leverage. In those days before ergonomic design I would bet you could really aggravate the old carpal tunnel... or maybe folks were just tougher back then.

Condition is everything a collector of early iron could wish for. These nippers are complete with all their original parts present and in working condition. Often when you find them, they have chipped blades which are sometimes ground down (the blades should be mirror images of each other), or missing (or replaced) legs, locking levers, or spring steel bands. No marks save for a simple line inscribed under the jaws and a simple finial on the end of the shapely 'leg', but I suspect these beauties are American. Measures 81/2" long when closed, and 3" across the business end.

Wonderful for a collector of early iron or kitchen tools, and sure to be a starting point for a discussion of the 'old days' and how different our modern lives have become. A beautiful and beautifully crafted piece. Enjoy!