what is the name of the tool used by astronauts to collect samples

The tool used by astronauts to collect samples of rock and soil from the surface of the moon is called tongs. Tongs consist of a set of opposing spring-loaded fingers attached to a handle and were used for picking up samples. In addition to tongs, other tools were used during the Apollo program to collect lunar samples, including scoops and a shovel-like trenching tool. The design of these tools changed somewhat from mission to mission as experience was gained about what worked best. Individual samples were stored in small sample bags with unique identification numbers.