Lid lifters

[Oregon Bill]

Hola Del! Got a picture of the lid lifter you like? I'm thinking of firing up the old hand-cranked charcoal forge ...

[Delmonico]

My good blacksmith made ones are at my pards house right now, will try to get them, I'll see if I can get them and also post a picture of the ones I sell in the store, plus one I made.  No forge, just a campfire in the evening and a hunk of hedge for an anvil.

[Wishbone]

I'm not Del, but the Lid lifters I like Best & only use now are "Mair"lid lifters made in Utah. I got one at a DO cooking contest I entered once just for Showing up. I liked it so much I bought a Second one. I got my second one at Cabelas but Seen them at the New Sportsmans Warehouse in Wichita,Ks. I've had several types even an old Claw hammer. I love the control the Mair Lid Lifter gives. You can dump the coals & turn the lid completely Upside Down & still have Full control of Lid. I seen several like a Mair made by Blacksmiths & they wook great too. Just my 2 cents. Wishbone-Ks

[Silver Creek Slim]

Below is the lid lifter I have. It is sold by Lodge. It does the job fer me.

Slim

[Delmonico]

I sell one from GSI, the company we get our Enemal Ware from.  They are about 1/2 the price of the Lodge ones.  The close up is a little blurry, but it shows how the bar behind the hook is made, the second one is the full size one. 

Anyone who makes one will be far ahead to make it long enough so you don't have to bend over to open the lids, this is how the blacksmith ones I have are made.  It is a back saver.

[Delmonico]

This next one is a bit more period, I've never seen any with the extra bar to control the lid in a period photo, most are just a hook.  This one is sort of famous, it opened the lid on a dutch oven on the local PBS show Outdoor Nebraska in 2000 and has got me in no end of "tongue in cheek" trouble with the Sherriff from Ogalla Newbrassky.  Seems he thinks it could be put to other uses.

This one was  forged in the flames of an Osage Orange fire.

[Silver Creek Slim]

It's the infamous runnin' iron. 

Slim

[Ozark Tracker]

with all these pictures,  I can see a welding project taking shape.

[Delmonico]

Along with Lid Lifters a broom to brush the coals off the lid is also handy, when you have them really heaped it helps keep ash out if you brush some away first.  

The first one is a hand tied one, a gift from a well fed broom maker.

The second one is from a dollar store.  You notice the scorch marks on both, some water handy will save your wisk broom from time to time.