oh dang!

[darkoshi]

I already broke the tongs!

They are the metal kind with a spring in the end, but they were closed up with no obvious way to open them*. So I pulled on the ends, applying force, and got them to open a small amount (which would have been good enough). But then I decided that having them open further would be better, so I pulled harder, and the rivet holding it together broke!

I don't know if the label had instructions, but I don't think so. When I got to the checkout counter yesterday (right before the store closing time), the tongs were missing the label with the bar code and price. It was just a small square of cardboard clipped on with a plastic thread, so it might have fallen off somewhere, or maybe it was missing to begin with. I walked back very quickly to get another tong for the cashier to scan, and told her she could give me the one without the label.

I specifically chose those tongs as they were the only ones without plastic or rubber on them. I don't want plastic as it could get scratched up, and wouldn't be good in case I wanted to use the tongs for pulling something out of flames. I don't want rubber as rubber things tend to get sticky as they age around here, due to the humidity.

(That's another thing I wanted to gripe about. Aloe gel-based hand sanitizers leave my hands sticky even after rubbing them a long time. Even after they start feeling dry, they become sticky again when I touch something like my car's steering wheel. And god forbid it rains and I touch something wet - the residue on my hands turns to slime.)

.

It looks like it's about to rain too, and I haven't even showered yet. Not conducive for baggie-buying.
What to do, what to do?!


*Based on one of the online reviews, the tongs have a locking device on the end: "pull up for closing and push down for open"
Damn, so that is how it works. Would have been good to know. I should be able to fix them if I can find something to replace the rivet with, and if I can get the spring to stay in place while trying to re-assemble it.

Comments

[marahmarie]

Where is the locking device (I see you mention a spring)? I don't see it in the pic.

We have a pair like that but the locking device is pretty obvious - a thin metal clasp that slides from bottom to top to unlock (they pop open once the clasp rides up high enough). In any event they shouldn't have broken like that, so hopefully Target issues you a refund?

[darkoshi]

The locking device has the metal loop on the end which can be seen in the pic - I had thought it was just a loop for being able to hang it up on a hook. The loop connects to a flat mostly rectangular tab of metal on the inside end next to the spring. When the loop is pulled all the way up, that metal tab blocks the tongs from being able to open.

In other words, for the tongs to open on the bottom end, the very top ends need to rotate more together/closed, and the metal tab blocks that.

I'm pretty sure I'll be able to fix it. And I feel like it's my fault it broke (even though I'd say better labeling of the mechanism is called for), so I don't want to ask for a refund. No telling when I'll be back at Target again, anyway. That was the first time since January!

[marahmarie]

Huh. There's a Target close enough for me to walk to but it's one of those dinky micro or mini Targets and was always out of stock on the most basic things even before the severe staffing cuts so I never go. Haven't been since late winter or early spring and if the place closed I wouldn't miss it at all.

And, well...good luck with fixing the tongs!