ERNEST WRIGHT, AT YOUR SERVICE

Even though we share all kinds of information on this website, you might still have a question or two. Here is where you can find answers to some frequently asked questions. If you can’t find what you need, please click here to write us an email. We will respond as soon as we can.

General FAQs

Lifetime Warranty

If the product becomes faulty throughout its reasonable lifetime due to production workmanship, you must notify Ernest Wright within 14 days of the fault occurring. This warranty covers manufacturing faults only and does not cover wear, blunting, unreasonable use, misuse, damage, or oxidation. Please note – whilst stainless steel products will resist oxidation more than carbon steel products, they cannot be guaranteed against rusting.

We cannot accept liability for return goods damaged during transit and advise that you package and insure the products adequately to prevent this happening.

We may not be responsible for any postage and packaging charges you may incur by returning any product.

The following information should be included inside the packaging: your daytime telephone number, your order number or postcode and a detailed reason for the return.

On receipt of the returned goods, we will assess the product according to the workmanship fault you have stated. If we agree with the fault, we will repair the product free of charge, or replace it with a similar item.

Limited production

Ernest Wright is dedicated to the craft of making supreme quality, handmade scissors with a perfect performance. Due to our quality standards, the handmade nature of our products and the limited number of craftspeople who possess the skills of scissors-making, we have a relatively small production of unique scissors and shears.

We have no unlimited stock.

Handmade in Sheffield

Sheffield has a long and proud history as a producer city and “the home of stainless steel”. It became famous for products with a cutting edge, which were made in the surrounding areas for a very long time. The first official reference is a tax return of Robert the Cutler, which was filed in 1297. Made In Sheffield is one of the World’s great brands, famous for its mark of origin and quality regarding the City’s manufactured products.

Imperfection is perfection

We take pride in crafting our scissors and shears the traditional way. This means our craftspeople use time-honoured techniques such as flexible grinding and putting-together, which are now used by only a handful of scissor-makers worldwide.

It also means our scissors and shears might not always appear “perfect” from an aesthetic standpoint – but rest assured, they always perform. If a tool doesn’t meet performance expectations, we consider it defective, and it will never leave the workshop. However, if there are superficial marks left over from the crafting process, these are considered a badge of honour and a symbol of authentic craftsmanship, rather than a flaw.
It’s important to note that we do not plate our scissors; instead, we polish the metal to a mirror finish. The final step in crafting our scissors is edging, which is done after polishing. To ensure the scissors close precisely, with the points perfectly aligned, we need to bend one of the shanks. This bending can leave minor marks, small dents or lines. These are not mistakes; they are evidence of our insistence on outstanding performance.

Embracing the concept that “imperfection is perfection,” we celebrate the unique beauty and authenticity in the slight variations that arise from hand-crafting. This mindset means our putters can feel free to make our tools perform as well as they possibly can, and ensures you receive a product that is not only functional but also rich in character.
Thank you for choosing our traditionally made scissors and shears. If your pair features a ‘witness mark’ left over from crafting, we hope that this will always remind you of the time-honoured hand skills that made the tool cut flawlessly.

Visiting our workshop

Many supporters visit the Ernest Wright workshop each year to meet some of the team and tour the premises.
We love to meet our customers, so you are always welcome to visit us in Sheffield and experience a working scissors workshop. However, as we are a very busy team, we are not always in a position to drop our work immediately when someone calls by. For the best chance of a great visit, email info@ernestwright.co.uk and we will find a suitable date.

If you can’t make it to Sheffield but you’d like to take part in a group virtual tour, we’ll be happy to arrange it.

Where we make it

All our scissors and shears are made at Kutrite Works, 58 Broadlane—our own workshop in the heart of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It’s where traditional skills and heritage tools come together in the making of every pair. We occasionally offer tours by appointment. For more information, see Visiting our workshop

Left- or right-handed

The arrangement of right-handed and left-handed scissors’ blades takes into account the mechanics of the hand’s grip to optimize cutting and allow the user to see what they’re cutting clearly. When you use a pair of scissors, as well as a vertical motion your hand creates a lateral squeeze, with the thumb pushing slightly away from the palm. Right-handed scissors are engineered to harness this motion to push the blades together, but when used in the left hand, the blades are pushed apart. To create the same effect, left-handed scissors are a mirror image of right-handed ones.

Stainless Steel

We use two kinds of steel: Stainless steel and Carbon steel.

Another difference relates to the alloying elements that form carbides. Stainless steels contain at least 10.5% by weight of chromium. The carbide particles provide the steel with significant wear resistance.

Carbon scissors and shears should be stored dry whereas Stainless steel ones are more durable in wet conditions.

Carbon Steel

We use two kinds of steel: Stainless steel and Carbon steel.

The main difference between Stainless steel and Carbon steel is, that stainless steels have much higher corrosion resistance, due to the protective chromium oxide layer that covers the steel surface after heat treatment (hardening process).
Another difference relates to the alloying elements that form carbides. Stainless steels contain at least 10.5% by weight of chromium. The carbide particles provide the steel with significant wear resistance.

Carbon scissors and shears should be stored dry whereas Stainless steel ones are more durable in wet conditions.

Material Composition & Hardness

Pattern — Steel Type

List of patterns with their steel types:

Pattern / Steel Type
Pattern	Steel Type
Stork Embroidery	C50 Carbon
Turton kitchen scissors	420 B Stainless
Turton kitchen scissors (LH)	420 B Stainless
Kutrite flat kitchen scissors	420 B Stainless
8.25″ Sidebent Dressmaker Shears	C50 Carbon
8.25″ Sidebent Dressmaker Shears (LH)	C50 Carbon
10″ Sidebent Tailor Shears	C60 Carbon
10″ Sidebent Dressmaker Shears (LH)	C60 Carbon
12″ Industrial shears	C60 Carbon
13″ Classic Tailor Shears	C50 Carbon
13″ Heritage Tailor Shears	C60 Carbon
12″ Paperhanger	C50 Carbon
6.5″ General Purpose	420 B Stainless
6″ Quilting Scissors	420 B Stainless
4″ Print Embroidery	C50 Carbon
Threadsnips	C50 Carbon
11″ Bookbinder	C50 Carbon
Nurseryman scissors	440 B Stainless

Steel Types — Short Descriptions

C50 – Plain Carbon Steel: A plain carbon steel with around 0.50% carbon. Strong and tough, but not stainless — can rust if not cared for.
C60 – Higher Carbon Steel: Like C50 but with ~0.60% carbon. Harder and more wear-resistant; sharper edge, slightly more brittle. Can rust.
420B – Stainless Steel: Rust-resistant stainless with medium hardness. Used for easy-to-clean tools like kitchen or medical scissors.
440B – High-Grade Stainless Steel: High-grade stainless combining corrosion resistance with hardness. Holds a fine edge longer than 420B.

Elemental Composition & Preferred Hardness

Element composition by steel grade
Element	C50 (1.1206)	C60 (1.1221)	420B (1.4028)	440B (1.4112)
Carbon (C)	0.47–0.55%	0.57–0.65%	0.26–0.35%	0.75–0.95%
Manganese (Mn)	0.60–0.90%	0.60–0.90%	≤ 1.00%	≤ 1.00%
Silicon (Si)	≤ 0.40%	≤ 0.40%	≤ 1.00%	≤ 1.00%
Phosphorus (P)	≤ 0.035%	≤ 0.035%	≤ 0.04%	≤ 0.04%
Sulphur (S)	≤ 0.035%	≤ 0.035%	≤ 0.03%	≤ 0.03%
Chromium (Cr)	—	—	12.0–14.0%	16.0–18.0%
Nickel (Ni)	—	—	—	—
Molybdenum (Mo)	—	—	—	0.50–0.75%
Vanadium (V)	—	—	—	0.10–0.30%
Preferred HRC	52–54	55–59	52–54	58–60

Scissors or Shears

The difference between “scissors” and “shears” lies in in the length of the blade and the design of the handles or bows. Scissors have symmetrical, equally sized finger holes and are generally under 6″ in blade length, while shears have one smaller and one larger finger hole, and are over 6″ in blade length. (See also our Trivia page)

How many layers of materials will it cut through?

We sometimes receive this question from customers and honestly we do not have a clear answer. It all depends on the material. When you need excessive force, you’re probably overdoing it. Most people who use our products with love and dedication are not layering materials to cut through.

Measurement

When measuring scissors and shears, some people refer to the length of the blades, where others mean the total length of the pair. Since our products are handmade there may be very small differences from the stated dimensions. Our focus is on flawless performance and finishing rather than on the exact dimensions.

Hot drop forging

If you’ve ever seen a blacksmith beating on a piece of red hot iron with a hammer, you have seen the simplest type of forging. Blacksmiths have been doing this for centuries. But as they experimented with new techniques, they learned that complex shapes could be created by hammering metal into a die. The die contains the shape of the finished product. Nowadays either a falling hammer or a powered hammer is used to do the hammering (rather than doing it by hand), and we use dies on both sides of the piece. This, we call hot drop forging. The advantage of hot drop forging is that it improves the strength of the metal by aligning and stretching the grain structure. It makes the parts stronger and more durable.

Waiting list

If your desired model is out of stock and you wish to be notified when it becomes available again, please send an email to pam@ernestwright.co.uk specifying the model you’d like to purchase, and provide your name.

We will then add you to the waiting list for the relevant model, and will give you advance notice as soon as it is due back in stock. The product should be available to order from the moment you receive our notification email, and since you’ll be one of the first people to find out about the new batch, you will have a very good chance of securing the scissors or shears you’ve been waiting for.

Engraving

We appreciate that some customers like to have items engraved, but we strongly advise against doing so to your Ernest Wright scissors or shears.

The mirror polish finish on these items is the result of much hard work. Engraving detracts from the finish, while creating an elevated risk of rusting.

For these reasons, we do not offer an engraving service. We’re confident that when you give our scissors or shears to someone (or get them as a gift to yourself), the owner will always feel the unwritten love and kindness. Sometimes, putting these things into words takes away from the deeper meaning.

Shop & Delivery FAQs

Where to buy

We offer our handmade scissors and shears primarily through our own website, with a select number of specialized stockists also carrying our products. We do not distribute through large trading or e-commerce platforms. Limited stock can be found by our stockists. As a small craft workshop, we strive to provide our carefully crafted products at reasonable prices, reflecting the time and effort invested in their creation.

Pick Up from Workshop

We offer a free ‘pick up from the workshop’ service from our location in Sheffield. Once your order is placed and you have selected the collection option, we will contact you via email as soon as your item is ready. Our workshop is open from 10 am to 4 pm, Monday to Thursday. Please bring either a printout or an email confirmation as proof of purchase. Orders will be held in the workshop for up to 2 weeks. If you are unable to pick up your order within this period, please notify us to arrange a later collection.

Delivery in the UK

We deliver to all UK postcodes, including Northern Ireland, the Highlands and Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands. All products are insured and specially packaged to ensure peace of mind. You can track and trace your parcel via Royal Mail.

EU delivery

Deliveries to the following European countries include VAT, handling, import, and customs duties, as reflected at the online checkout:

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Portugal
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Vatican City

There are no hidden fees charged by the courier or any other authority in your country. The price you see at checkout is the final price, and we guarantee there will be no extra costs.

We send all orders to these countries to a location in the Netherlands. From there, the scissors and shears are collected by DHL or a DHL Partner and delivered to our customers. You will receive a DHL tracking number when your package is handed over to the courier in the Netherlands. Tracking may take a couple of days to update after your order.

USA delivery

Shipping from the UK to the USA — 29th of August 2025 Update

We’re pleased to let you know that we’ve found a solution for shipping our scissors and shears from the UK to the United States.

Available to:

United States
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
United States Minor Outlying Islands
US Virgin Islands

When you order through our webshop, all tariffs and import duties are already included. Our courier settles these directly with the U.S. government, so the price you pay to Ernest Wright Ltd is the final price — no hidden costs, no surprises at your door.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on trade regulations and update our customers whenever things change. In the meantime, if you have any questions about ordering from the UK, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Delivery to Canada and the Rest of the World

We deliver to almost every country in the world. You can fill in your country in the order section, and the price for your country will be displayed at checkout.

All international orders (except those mentioned under European Union and USA delivery) are not duty paid and may incur additional charges once the parcel reaches its destination country. These charges must be paid by the recipient of the parcel, and failure to do so can result in delays. It might be a good idea to contact your local customs office for details of current charges before you order. For parcels returned to us due to customs charges being higher than expected, we reserve the right to refund the transaction minus all incurred costs. All products are insured and specially packaged to ensure peace of mind. You can track and trace your parcel.

Restricted Countries

We send scissors and shears around the world, to almost all countries. However, a number of countries and international organizations, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, impose certain restrictions, also known as sanctions, on what you can send to certain individuals, organizations, or countries.

Over recent years, these countries have included those listed below. However, the list changes, and you should check your country’s status before ordering an item: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Republic of Guinea (Conakry), Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Palestine, Russia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine (Crimea/Sevastopol), Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Return Policy

Returns – Faulty or Incorrect Goods upon Delivery

If the product is found to be faulty upon delivery, or you have received an incorrect delivery, you must notify us via email to ku.oc.thgirwtsenre@ofni within 14 days of receipt. The goods should then be returned for repair or replacement or refund.

We cannot accept liability for return goods damaged during transit and advise that you package and insure the products adequately to prevent this happening.

Proof of postage is not necessarily proof of delivery and you are therefore strongly advised to send your package by recorded delivery, registered post or courier and to maintain sufficient insurance to cover the value of the goods. We may not be responsible for any postage and packaging charges you may incur by returning any product.

The following information should be included inside the packaging: your daytime telephone number, your order number or postcode and a detailed reason for the return.

On receipt of the returned goods, we will assess the product according to the fault you have stated. If we agree with the fault, you will receive a full refund or replacement goods.

Returns – Unwanted Goods

Every customer has the right to cancel their order. Unwanted goods must be returned to us within 14 days of delivery. There is no requirement to provide a reason for cancellation.

If an order has been delivered, the goods must be returned unused and in unaltered condition. Subject to the terms outlined in this FAQ, the customer will be refunded the full cost of the goods within 30 days of cancellation.

Please note that payment and delivery costs may not be refunded to the customer. The customer is fully responsible for return delivery of the cancelled goods . We will not refund the payment/transaction costs paid by ourselves for the customer’s order, since these are out-of-pocket costs for us and we cannot have them refunded by our payment service providers. Depending on which payment method the customer has used, the payment/transaction costs could be between 2% and 5% of the total order value.

Repair or Replace Guarantee – Workmanship
If the product becomes faulty throughout its reasonable lifetime due to production workmanship, you must notify Handmade scissors Ltd within 14 days of the fault occurring. This guarantee covers manufacturing faults only and does not cover wear, blunting, unreasonable use, misuse, damage, or oxidation. Please note – whilst stainless steel products will resist oxidation more than carbon steel products, they cannot be guaranteed against rusting.

We cannot accept liability for return goods damaged during transit and advise that you package and insure the products adequately to prevent this happening.

We may not be responsible for any postage and packaging charges you may incur by returning any product.

The following information should be included inside the packaging: your daytime telephone number, your order number or postcode and a detailed reason for the return.

Payment / Currency

All prices are in GBP

Back orders

We are committed to crafting scissors and shears with perfect performance. Each pair is
given all the time and care needed to ensure its quality. As a result, we don’t often have
stock available to buy straightaway.
Most customers will need to back-order their desired model. Once a back order is placed,
the scissors or shears are usually delivered within approx. 12 weeks. This also means that products ordered after the 25th of September 2023 will not be delivered before Christmas.
Not all models are currently available as back orders. If you’re interested in a model that’s
listed as “Out of stock”, please email ku.oc.thgirwtsenre@ofni so that we can add you to the
relevant waiting list.

Combining ‘in stock’ and ‘backordered’ products

If you place an order for an ‘in stock’ product at the same time as a ‘backordered’ product, the entire order will be sent when the ‘backordered’ product has been produced, as we do not send part orders out to save on costs and environmental impact.
If you would like an ‘in stock’ product to be sent to you within the 10-day period specified on the order page, please order the ‘in stock’ product separately to any ‘backordered’ products that you also wish to purchase.

Repair FAQs

How can I get my scissors or shears repaired?

If you find that your Ernest Wright or Kutrite brand scissors or shears need sharpening or refurbishment after several years of use, we offer a paid repair service to our valued customers. Please reach out to us, via ku.oc.thgirwtsenre@ofni and we’ll add you to our to-do list. We will contact you when it’s your turn to send in your scissors. This approach helps us to manage and maintain a fair waiting list for all our customers. Thank you for your understanding.

Can you repair scissors from other brands as well?

Regrettably, we are only able to resharpen, refurbish, or repair scissors and shears from the Ernest Wright and Kutrite brands. We do not offer these services for products manufactured by other brands.

Are there any exceptions for repairing scissors from different brands?

There is one exceptional case. If you have scissors or shears with significant emotional value, and they have been crafted using traditional methods, we are more than willing to explore the possibilities of assisting with their repair. Please reach out to us, via info@ernestwright.co.uk.

Kutrite reservation FAQs

Why is the Kutrite sold using a reservation system?

In short, because the model is too popular. Previously, we put the Kutrite on sale openly every time we finished crafting a new batch. We notified followers by email when the scissors went on sale, and the whole batch would sell out within a few minutes. About 100 customers were able to buy a pair each time, but another 1,000-or-so(!) people were unsuccessful. This led to frustration and disappointment.

We created the Kutrite Reservation system to make purchasing the Kutrite fairer and less stressful. It gives everyone an equal opportunity to buy a pair – regardless of how often you check your email inbox.

What happens to my reservation fee?

When your Kutrite Reservation number comes up and you purchase your pair, the value of your reservation fee is deducted from the Kutrite’s list price at checkout. Your total expenditure equates to the normal list price for the Kutrite.

If you do not purchase your reserved pair of the Kutrite within four weeks of us informing you that your number has come up, the reservation is voided and the reservation fee is used for admin costs. This ensures somebody further down the queue can enjoy the scissors. We will contact you more than once during your four-week window, to make sure you have every chance of using your Kutrite Reservation to buy the Kutrite within the allotted time.

How long does my Kutrite Reservation last?

Your Kutrite Reservation gives you a reservation number that remains valid until four weeks after we reach your number in the queue.

The duration of the wait for your number to be called will depend on how many other customers are ahead of you in the queue, and on our crafting schedule. We cannot guarantee a specific wait time for this, but customers should be prepared to wait anywhere from a few months to a few years.

Once we’ve informed you that your reservation number has been reached, the reservation number can be used to purchase your reserved pair of the Kutrite within a four-week period, after which the reservation is voided.

How will I find out when my Kutrite Reservation is ready?

We will inform you by email when your Kutrite Reservation number comes up. From then, you’ll be able to use your email address to access a special page of our website, which you can use to purchase a pair of the Kutrite immediately. In the email we send to you, we will include a link to the special webpage, plus instructions on how to make the purchase. When purchasing a Kutrite Reservation, please take care to use your correct, permanent email addres.

Can a Kutrite Reservation be gifted, returned or exchanged?

No, sorry. Your Kutrite Reservation is tied to your email address, so you cannot gift your registration number to another person. However, there’s nothing to stop you from giving the Kutrite Flat Kitchen Scissors themselves to a lucky loved one, after you’ve used your reservation number to buy a pair! Returns and exchanges are not available on Kutrite Reservations.