A regular pair of scissors may seem like a very commonplace tool. However, they are one of the most frequently used accessories and play an important role in our daily life. This is an indispensable school, office, hospital, and household instrument. Some of us just reach for whatever tool is available, but in order to enjoy the best cutting performance, we should choose a good pair.
It takes a lot of time and attempts to recognize the best pair of scissors. WoWPencils would like to share an extensive guide on the top 10 quality models on the market based on their versatile design and functionality, and which are highly rated in users’ reviews.
Best Rated Scissors: Comparison and Reviews
VERONES: Best Sharp Scissors
This pair of scissors produced by VERONES is an ideal cutting tool for both home and office use. It features stainless steel blades that are amazingly sharp to cut through paper, fabric, or cardboard. The blades are easy to clean, and they are resistant to corrosion.
The scissors come in a pack of 15 items in 5 bright colors (black, blue, green, red, and yellow with grey elements). The soft-grip handles are ergonomic and provide fatigue-free cutting. The instrument is very lightweight and can be used for a number of purposes.
- Multicolored
- Not too large, good for growing hands
- Cut nicely
- Affordable price
- Heavy duty
- Work fine with any material
- The handles sometimes overlap
- The finger holes are small for big hands
- Don’t cut well on the tips
Livingo: Most Heavy-Duty Pair of Scissors
If you are looking for high-quality and durable scissors, then this pair produced by Livingo is right for you. The set includes 2 items (8.5 and 9.5 inches long), which have a heavy-duty and anti-rust titanium coating. These blades are three times harder than those made of stainless steel. They are strong enough to cut through 16 layers of fabric.
These scissors can be used for dressmaking, handcrafts, sewing, quilting, and other purposes. The ergonomic design of the handles provides maximum comfort and control. The scissors come in a black/red color and are packaged in a gift box.
- Large, but lightweight
- Well balanced
- Enable smooth cutting
- Very sharp
- Cut well on the tips
- Feel comfortable in the hand
- The black finish is not durable
- A little hard to open (especially for people with hand issues)
- Become loose at the hinge quickly
EK Success Cutter Bee: Perfect for Scrapbooking
If you need a pair of small but precisely effective scissors, EK Success Cutter Bee is right for you. With only 5 inches of length, they are specially designed for detailed work and paper crafts like cutting photos, paper, or vellum. They have a comfortable grip, which makes them ideal for long-term work, for example, for scrapbooking.
They come in a joyful yellow/black color. A safety cover protects the blades when they are not in use. The blades are made of stainless steel, which makes them corrosion-resistant.
- Come with small sheath for the blades
- Small enough to cut out details (eyeholes in masks, etc.)
- Portable
- Incredibly sharp point
- Due to small handles, the scissors are not suitable for cutting very thick materials
Fiskars Softgrip: Cool Stainless Steel Scissors
Known all over the world for its precision and quality, the Fiskars Softgrip is a perfect variant for home, office, or school. The company has its reputation for a reason, and this pair of traditional orange-handled scissors is not an exception. With more than 365 years of experience, this brand is always associated with quality products.
The high-grade blades made of stainless steel are specially designed so that they cut all the way to the tip. The handles have a bent design and are specially sculpted for maximum comfort and control over the working process. This form keeps materials flat for mistake-free cuts. The scissors are ideal for cutting several layers of fabric, including denim. They are perfect for any needs and projects.
- Ergonomic design
- Remain sharp for a long time
- Effortless use
- Feel comfortable in the hand
- Lightweight
- Good quality
- Non-stick blade cover
- Designed for right-handers
- The items that are made in China are not worth the premium price
- Not quite good for cutting lightweight fabric
CCR: Best for Cutting Paper
This set offered by CCR includes 12 pairs of scissors in 4 bright colors. They are great at cutting heavyweight paper and fabrics. The quality stainless steel blades remain sharp longer and always make clean cuts. They are smooth at work and feel comfortable in your hand due to the soft-grip finger holes.
The quantity of scissors is enough for the whole class, and the color-coding is great for distribution to different groups of students.
- Very sturdy
- Good quality for affordable price
- Fun color assortment
- Comfortable grip
- Lightweight
- Cheaply constructed
- Do not close at the tips
- Not durable
Clear Cuts: Great for Craft
If you need scissors of different sizes, this pack from Clear Cuts is the best option. The set consists of 3 pairs: large (10 inches), medium (8.5 inches), and small (5.5 inches). They are used respectively for fabric cutting, dressmaking, and for crafts. The blades are titanium-fused for durable use and flawless work. The instruments cut seamlessly and cleanly and remain sharp longer. The scissors are lightweight, and the handles have a comfortable grip that provides fatigue-free cutting.
The tool is multipurpose, so that it can be a great gift idea for both men and women.
- Lightweight
- Comfortable to hold
- The sharpest blades
- Heavy duty
- Poor quality of plastic handles
- Not quite good at cutting fabric
Scotch Precision Ultra Edge: Good for Office
The set of 3 scissors from Scotch is a good one to have in your office or house. The blades have a titanium non-stick coating that makes them very strong and helps make clean cuts in different materials. They are good at cutting cardstock and paper and stay sharp enough beyond 100,000 cuts.
The instrument has a lightweight construction and looks very fashionable. The comfort silicone handles are designed to be used by both lefties and righties. The scissors come in cobalt, teal, and hibiscus colors.
- Soft-grip handles
- Don’t catch any residue
- Durable titanium coating
- Lightweight
- Colorful handles
- Connected with cheap rivets (not screws)
- The design makes them weak at the tip
- The holes in the handles are not big
- Do not work well for cutting fabric
Lefty’s: Great for Left Handed People
This true pair of scissors from Lefty’s is equipped with reversed blades and has a special grip designed for left-handers. The set consists of two colorful tools designated for 8-year-old children and up.
The comfortable rubber grip ensures easy performance for long-term projects. The stainless steel blades are easy to clean and corrosion-resistant. The instrument is intended for light general purposes.
- Compact
- Flexible grip
- Specially designed for left-handed people
- Finger holes are small (youth sized)
- A bit tight
- A little pricey
Westcott: Ideal for Kids
For over 150 years, Westcott has been known for exceptional quality of its measuring and cutting tools. These 5-inch scissors are specially developed for 4-year-old kids and for preschoolers.
The blades have a patented titanium-bonded coating. This means they are the strongest and more durable than regular scissors and stay sharp longer. The tool features comfortable soft handles for an easy cutting process, which are infused with antimicrobial protection. This prevents the growth of bacterial odors and makes the tool a safe choice for toddlers.
The scissors come in a number of expressive colors. They are good for creating craft projects and cutting paper.
- Come in bright assorted colors
- Perfect size for small hands
- Non-slip rubber grip
- Effortless work
- Antimicrobial protection
- Do not open and close smoothly
- Very sharp and should be used under adult supervision
Maped Kidi Cut: Best Safety Scissors for Toddlers
This pair of safety scissors for 3-year-olds has been manufactured by Maped Kidi Cut. They are safe enough to be used by kids because they are designed to cut only paper and not anyone’s skin or clothes. They include plastic blades reinforced by fiberglass. The instrument has rounded tips, smaller blades, and comfortable handles for easy control. The tool doesn’t conduct electricity.
This is an ideal variant to start learning how to use scissors. This tool was created by a team of ergonomic experts in order to provide early studying for children. The scissors come in eye-catching colors to please any child.
- Come in assorted colors
- Cool bunny design
- Lightweight
- Attractive price
- Safe for toddlers
- Made of sharp plastic for cutting only paper
- Require a special cutting angle, otherwise they just bend the paper
Buying Guide for Scissors
Choosing the best pair of scissors is a difficult job. They come in different sizes, weights, lengths, and designs. They should be resistant to fading and corrosion. Finding the best product ensures effortless cutting that will not make your fingers tired, numb, or leave blisters. With a wide range of opinions and preferences, choose a perfect instrument that can meet your demands.
People with any hand issues, painful joints, or reduced grip should buy scissors with spring-loaded handles for easy operation. The handles with extended or long loops also suit people with tremors. Users with a thumb injury may consider buying self-opening scissors where the tool can be operated with not only your fingers, but with the whole hand.
Answers for Frequently Asked Questions
Now, you have enough knowledge to visit an art store and buy a good pair of scissors. If you still have some questions left, here are the most typical questions commonly asked by customers and our answers.
What Are Scissors ✂?
Scissors are cutting tools operated by hand. They include two metal blades riveted together so that the sharp edges slide against each other. Their blades are brought together with the help of handles to cut through materials. A pair of scissors is used for cutting various materials, like cloth, paper, metal foil, cardboard, wire, rope, and others.
This instrument is multipurpose and found in almost all workplaces (for dressmaking, embroidery, hairdressing, etc.) and home (food preparation, crafts, gardening, etc.).
Types of Scissors and Their Uses
There are many types of scissors in the world ? that are designed for different jobs. The most common tools used for different activities are the following:
- sewing (dressmaker’s, pinking, bent handle, scalloped, thin, small, and electric shears; tailor’s, button hole, quilting, fringe scissors; thread clipper, rotary cutter, etc.);
- embroidery (embroidery snips, applique scissors, etc.);
- hairdressers and barbers (regular hair cutting, texturizing/chunking/thinning, razor shears; styling, tempered, nail, moustache, nose scissors; hair clippers, etc.);
- surgical (operating, tenotomy, stitch, iris, dissecting, bandage, trauma, metzenbaum, mayo, plastic surgery, ring scissors; spring forceps, etc.);
- dog grooming (straight-edged, thinning, specialized scissors, etc.);
- gardening and agriculture (hedge trimmers, grass shears, averruncators, pruning shears/secateurs, loppers, blade shears, etc.);
- food (kitchen and poultry shears, cigar cutter, etc.);
- metal (snips (pipe, compound action, tin, duct), hydraulic cutters, throatless shears, etc.).
Most scissors are multi-utility tools. If you know what each pair does, it will help keep their durability and sharpness longer.
Shears vs Scissors
Some people ? confuse scissors and shears; however, these are two different tools for distinct applications. They may look similar, but each instrument has its own specific use and purpose.
The main difference between the two tools is that shears are made with a larger handle on one side. This form helps accommodate more fingers or even the entire palm, so that a user may have a comfortable grip and apply more force to cut hard materials. A pair of shears is usually more than 6 inches long.
Scissors vs shears? What are they used for? Here is a short list of their application:
Scissors | Shears |
---|---|
To cut threads, paper, or parcel twine (for office, school, and home use) | To trim grass and hedges, to prune weeds, and for other gardening activities |
To trim nails and hair or for other grooming applications | To cut fabrics in dressmaking |
To be used during surgeries and for other medical applications | To cut animal’s fleece for making wool |
To cut foods (cooked poultry, etc.) | |
To cut metal sheets and wires |
Most shears and scissors are specially designed and have specific forms (like the shape of a bent beak or handles with adjustable screws) that help make the cutting procedure easier.
What Is the Difference Between Left and Right-Handed Scissors?
Right-handed and left-handed scissors are different instruments designed to be used in a particular hand. Each pair of scissors has overlapping blades that are not symmetric.
Human hands ? are not symmetric either. Our fingers and the thumb don’t move vertically: the fingers pull toward the palm, while the thumb pushes out. This adds a lateral component when closing the handles. Besides that, when you hold the right-handed scissors in the right hand the cutting edge becomes visible.
A pair of ambidextrous (or dual) scissors really has symmetric handles and comes with blades that easily rotate with no lateral give. However, they are still for righties because the orientation of the blades blocks the view of the shearing line for any left-hander.
What Are Fiskar Scissors?
Fiskars (named after a locality in Finland) is a Finnish consumer goods corporation known over the world for its orange-handled scissors. Its history traces back to 1649 when it was founded as a manufacturer of cast iron and forged goods. They used iron to make knives ?, hoes, wheels, nails, and other products.
Over time, they increased their production range to scissors and forks. In 1967, Fiskars launched the production of lighter and more comfortable scissors with excellent cutting performance.
They sold over a billion scissors since that time. Their tools with recognizable orange handles are highly rated and have become an icon of durability and superior performance. The range of instruments, which the company offers now, is wider than ever: kitchen, crafting, gardening, sewing, and many others.
Why You Can’t Use Fabric Scissors for Paper?
If you cut paper with your fabric scissors, this will make them dull. Paper contains a number of components that make it stiff, such as clay, cellulose, calcium carbonate, and other abrasive minerals. Fabric may include man-made or natural fibers.
Any material may dull scissors. Denim, polyester, nylon, or wool will dull the blades faster than regular cotton. If you use the instrument for cutting cotton only, then cutting paper ? will dull it faster. Furthermore, the process of cutting fabric will become slower, and this can damage the cloth.
Really Interesting Facts About Scissors
Scissors are a unique tool worth a few minutes of your time to read a few interesting facts. There is a lot of superstition and folklore created by people based on their image. You will enjoy this entertaining information to share with your friends.
Who Invented Scissors and When?
Do you know the origin of scissors? Leonardo da Vinci has been considered as the person who created scissors, but in fact, this instrument predates his lifetime. The earliest tools were used 3,000-4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. They are believed to be invented by the ancient Egyptians in 1500 BC. They comprised two blades connected with the help of a curved bronze strip that held the blades in alignment. Through adventure and trade, this invention spread beyond Egypt and entered ancient China, Korea, Japan, etc.
In 100 AD, the Romans adapted the tool and created pivoted scissors, the ancestor of modern scissors. This idea is used in all the contemporary tools.
How Do Scissors Work?
Scissors are a very useful device, and they are simple to use. They have two blades that are as sharp as knives. They are aligned in such a way that when you squeeze the handles the cutting edges meet each other and cross shear through any material (fabric or paper) that is located between the blades.
How Are Scissors Made?
Each pair of scissors consists of two parts, known as blanks. They can be made by means of cold stamping when a sharp die is stamped into a steel sheet. The blanks can also be made by molding when steel is poured into a mold shaped as the blank. The third way of making blanks is drop-forging, which is used in most quality scissors. The blanks undergo repeated heating and cooling to become more hardened. Then, the blanks are ground and polished by an abrasive wheel.
If the handles are metal, they are made similar to the blanks. If they are plastic, molten plastic is shaped into a handle and cooled. By means of a strong adhesive, it is attached to the blank.
The two blades are assembled together by a screw or rivet. After that, the scissors are plated with coating or painted and inspected for flaws.
What Type of Simple Machine Are Scissors?
A pair of scissors is considered a kind of compound machine because it is made of two simple machines: two wedges (the blade edges) and two levers (the blades).
With the fulcrum in the middle, the first class lever is demonstrated by using scissors. The input force (our effort) is applied to the handles, and the load is applied to the blades. As a result, we need less force for cutting because a greater distance is involved.
Largest Pair of Scissors
The largest pair of scissors was manufactured by Neerja Roy Chowdhury in India, in 2009. It measures 2.31 meters (7 feet and 7 inches) from handle to tip. Their creator was inspired to make unconventional scissors after she had written her own comic book.
Most Expensive Scissors
Yasuhiro Hirakawa is a Japanese blacksmith known for his handcrafts and the most expensive scissors sold under his own brand Sasuke. He uses ancient techniques and needs a week of 10-hour daily work to create his masterpiece. His cutlery costs range from $1,000 to $35,000 and are not calculated for ordinary customers.
This pricey handiwork is in demand with bonsai craftsmen who need extremely sharpened and fine blades to cut delicate trees.
Why Is It Called a Pair of Scissors?
An expression “a pair of scissors” as well as “a pair of trousers” denotes two identical or similar things that make up the whole garment. The plural form of this noun is typical for things if they come in pairs. There is no singular form of the noun “scissor” to be used for just one blade.
The word “a pair” can be omitted, so the tool can be called just “scissors.” The same rule is true with “a pair of pants,” “a pair of shears,” etc.
Are Scissors Magnetic?
Scissors are made of iron, which is a magnetic material. Initially, scissors are not magnetic because steel (iron) consists of domains (groups of atoms). Domains can be magnetic, if their atoms are aligned. They are not magnetic if the atoms point in different directions. Scissors can become magnetic, if there is some force that causes these domains to line up.
Any mechanical shock can cause magnetism and rearrangement of magnetic domains to match an ambient magnetic field. Scissors get weak magnetism simply by cutting, when the two blades rub past each other. There are also lots of magnets in every house, and your scissors may touch them and become magnetic. This may also happen if lightning strikes nearby.
In Closing
It is very important to choose the best scissors because they can guarantee a user maximum productivity and satisfaction and minimum effort. Don’t let inaccurate and inefficient tools dictate how you work. With so many options available on the market, choose the right type of scissors. Opt for a high-quality and professional instrument that will synchronize with your skills and style. With all this knowledge, you are highly likely to make the right choice.
References
- Scissors – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- Which Scissor to Use? – https://www.groomerdevelopment.com/
- Info About Scissors or . . . – http://www.lefthandnz.com/
- Scissors – http://www.madehow.com/
- Who Invented Scissors? – https://www.thoughtco.com/