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# Articles and advice

Vocabulary, finishes, composition, care — what to know before and after getting a fireplace tool set.
         [Care How to care for a blackened, oiled and waxed steel fireplace tool set Blackened, oiled and waxed steel protects without a paint film to blister — but that protection wears and needs regular upkeep. What it takes to maintain it.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/caring-for-a-blackened-steel-fireplace-tool-set/) [Vocabulary Serviteur de cheminée or garniture de cheminée: which name is right? French dictionaries reserve 'garniture de cheminée' for mantel decor; retailers call it 'serviteur de cheminée'. Why this site still uses the other name.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/fireplace-tool-set-vs-garniture-de-cheminee/) [Finishes Why a '200°C high-temperature paint' can still blister near a fireplace 200°C and 600°C don't protect against the same contact: the real gap between ordinary high-temperature paint and flue-rated paint for a fireplace tool.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/high-temperature-paint-vs-flue-paint/) [Composition 3, 4 or 5 pieces: what to choose for a fireplace tool set There's no official rule on how many pieces a fireplace tool set should have. Here's what 3-, 4- and 5-piece configurations actually mean in the retail market.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/how-many-pieces-fireplace-tool-set/) [Accessories Fireplace tool set or log holder: which accessory for which job A fireplace tool set and a log holder serve different purposes and don't substitute for one another. How to tell them apart, and which one you actually need.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/fireplace-tool-set-vs-log-holder/) [Usage What each tool on a fireplace tool set is actually for The poker, tongs, shovel and brush don't come into play at the same point in a wood fire's life. Here is the order, and why, tool by tool.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/role-of-each-fireplace-tool/) [Materials Wrought iron, cast iron, stainless steel: what's actually known for tools near a fire No source compares wrought iron, cast iron and stainless steel for near-fire tool use. What's documented is the gap between finishes, just as important.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/wrought-iron-cast-iron-or-stainless-steel-fireplace-tools/) [History A modest history: what is (and isn't) known about fireplace tools Fireplace tools answer an old, practical need, but their precise history isn't documented by reliable sources — what can honestly be said about it.](https://garniture-de-cheminee.fr/en/articles/short-history-of-fireplace-tools/)