Scissors and Shears - Get The Facts

When sewing, it's a necessity to have some scissors. In fact, even if you aren’t doing any sewing, every household needs some scissors! Because they’re a useful tool, it’s important to have at least one pair.

Scissors vs. Shears

To start off, though people often use the names interchangeably, scissors and shears aren’t really the same thing and are meant to perform different tasks. Scissors are meant for the lighterweight jobs, while shears are for heavy duty work.

Shears Are Made Strong.

A pair of shears is generally 6 inches or more in length. There is a small ring handle for the thumb, and a larger one for inserting two or three fingers, to enable you to hold the shears. Holding the shears by placing your fingers through these rings gives better leverage to perform the heavier tasks for which shears excel

Scissors Are Smaller.

Scissors are anywhere from 6 inches long down to 3 inches or even less. Smaller than shears, scissors also have handle rings of equal size.

Help For Choosing Quality Shears and Scissors.

Most scissors are made of steel. Scissors and shears are made mainly of two types of steel, carbon or stainless. Carbon steel is the first type. It's used to make scissors with the handle and blade formed in one continuous piece. This kind of steel stays sharp and is also very strong. Scissors made from carbon steel are usually plated with chromium or nickel to prevent them from rusting.

Scissors and shears are also made from stainless steel. A plastic handle is usually fitted to the stainless steel blades. These scissors don't retain a sharp edge as long, and aren't as sturdy. Once dull, they're also harder to re-sharpen. This type of steel scissors and shears are usally cheaper however.

Various Types of Scissors And Shears.

There's a huge variety of scissors available. Here’s a small sampling:

• Applique Scissors: Offset for level cutting
• Bent Handle Dressmaker Shears: Allow the cutting blades to rest flat on the table
• Easy Grip Scissors: With larger handles for those having difficulty holding scissors
• Embroidery Scissors: Used for cutting embroider threads
• Finishing Shears: Either as pinking or scalloping shears, used to cut ravel-resistant seams
• Heavy-duty Shears: For cutting leather, upholstery, drapery, etc.
• Thread Snipping Scissors: For cutting loose threads off sewing

There are also shears made for left-handed people, household scissors (all-purpose, poultry shears, etc.), electric scissors, scrapbooking scissors, paper scissors for children and more.

No matter what you need to do, there's some kind of scissors or shears that will do the job.

How To Care For Shears and Scissors.

The first and foremost rule of scissors: Scissors should ONLY be used to cut the materials for which they were designed.

Do not, I repeat, do NOT use shears meant for cutting material for household tasks like cutting paper. Using shears or scissors for something other than the materials they were intended to cut will dull the blades.

Keep scissors and shears dry and dust free, and occasionally oil them at the hinge screw. Keeping shears and scissors in a safe place like a sewing basket, or with higher quality cutting instruments, the box they came in, will help protect the points. Also note, scissors should be stored in a closed position. Setting down shears or scissors in an open position is the most common cause of dull blades.

High quality shears and scissors can be re-conditioned by the manufacturers or other companies providing that service.  This will give you scissors as sharp as new.

A Final Word On Scissors And Shears.

For scissors and shears that are meant for everyday use around the house, cheaper ones would work fine. It's not a problem to replace them if they become broken oe dull. A good set of shears is a wise investment for cutting material and other sewing chores.

The reward of keeping your scissors and shears in good shape is a lifetime of easy cutting.  That will make your sewing a shear pleasure.