Cutting Paper with Scissors
Is it as bad as they say?
My aunt, at ninety-one, broached the subject of my great-grandmother Rosalie’s sewing cabinet more than once. She wanted me to have it when she passed away. I did. My cousin Dennis pulled it out of the estate sale. He said, “I don’t know, Diane, if you really want this. It’s well, you’ll see.” He stowed it away till my brother Greg could drive fifty miles to fetch it. My brother kept it in his shed till I drove through four states and brought the little cabinet home. Humble and rickety, it sits in my garage awaiting my husband’s ministrations to return it to functionality. Along with Rosalie’s cabinet came wooden spools of shiny silk thread, embroidered patches, fancy ribbon, odd-ball sewing gizmos, a bushel basket of still-in-the-wrapper 1970s Talon zippers, and three beat-up pairs of scissors. The scissors, their cutting days over for decades, likely belonged to Rosalie or her mother, treasured like the cabinet for sentimental reasons.
Scissors. For most of us, they are the first tool with any complexity that we use. By three or four years of age, pudgy fingers slip into the holes of round-tipped scissors to cut paper — or maybe a younger sibling’s hair. Scissors are ubiquitous and come in an infinite variety, which should be no surprise for a tool dating back at least four thousand years. Particular groups claim their own variety of scissors: curved Mayo, straight Mayo, and Metzenbaum scissors are for surgeons, (hair) shears are for barbers, pinking shears are for seamstresses, and craft scissors are for hobbyists.There are rules for scissors. Surgical scissors must be sterilized or tossed out after one use. Running with scissors is generally discouraged. Rock beats scissors; scissors beat paper. But the biggest no-no, if all the snarky cartoons posted by my quilting friends are true, is cutting paper with fabric scissors.
I long wondered if it were true. Did picking up your mother’s scissors she used to cut corduroy magically cast an evil spell if you, for instance, cut out your paper science project with them? How could that be? What’s the story with sewing scissors?
John Sigsbury knows. Owner of The Point, a Virginia company dedicated to sharpening everything from embroidery scissors to chef’s knives to lawnmower blades, Sigsbury explained that, yes, indeed. Cutting paper should be avoided. The fibers in the paper are tough and dull the scissor blades. He recommends having sewing scissors sharpened when using them requires extra pressure from your thumb.
Finding a knife sharpening service can start with a call to a local fabric or craft shop. Staff will often “know a guy” or have someone come into their store on a scheduled basis. Services like The Point, offer drop off or mail in service. The cost of sharpening a pair of scissors is typically around ten dollars or so
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Does the brand of scissors matter? Sigsbury says, “Yes.” He recommends a tried-and-true brand like Wiss or Gingher. Both are now made in Italy. Soligen is a popular German brand which dates back to the early 1800s. For business longevity, none can beat the Zhang Xiaoquan Company of Hangzhou, China which began making scissors in 1663. Sigsbury is not a fan of the popular Fiskar scissors. Relatively inexpensive, he believes they are “not at that level” of a pair of Wiss or Ginghers. A pair of the latter, depending on the type, might cost thirty to fifty dollars.
I turned to my friend Terri Giambaressi for her thoughts. “I’m picky about my scissors.” An avid quilter and embroiderer, she confirms that cutting paper with fabric scissors is a bad idea. However, Giambaressi has found spring-loaded Fiskar scissors a great addition to her collection of Ginghers and other brands. Spring-loaded scissor blades pop open a bit after the cut is made and so, are easier on the user’s hand. They also have a padded handle. She shared that she uses a rotary cutter, not scissors, when cutting lengths of fabric.
How many pairs of scissors are enough? Or too many? Depends. One pair of shears will do to get a person new to sewing started. Shears are great for cutting fabric and most references agree using shears to cut the filmy paper of sewing patterns is fine. A pair of embroidery scissors is a good second pair or, else. a small pair to have handy to snip threads while using the sewing machine. Pinking shears help keep seam edges from fraying. Button-hole scissors can simplify slitting finished buttonholes open. Left-handed scissors for left-handed sewists round out most folks’ needs.
A drop of oil on the pivot point from time to time, a visit to the knife sharpener when dulled, and your scissors should serve you well.
Great article! Husbands rarely understand the "never touch my sewing shears" rule.