Paula Johnson, in her book “Working The Water,” says that “shaft” or “hand” tongs are the most popular way to catch oysters in the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River.

They are tools that truly represent a legacy of watermen and a Chesapeake tradition, we meet with two men that are still hand-crafting oyster tongs.

These tongs are also easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher, and small enough to store in a drawer or next to the stove for when you need to flip food in a hurry. $17 at Amazon Buy.