A PAIR OF 1930’s…
Not long ago, I found my father’s pair of 1930’s Ernest Wright 9-inch Tailor’s Shears. He had been stationed in Stanford in the Vale as part of the U.S Airforce and while there, he bought himself a pair of 2nd hand scissors at the local market. They instantly became part of his toolkit and he used them for the rest of his life.
My mother, during her time in England, also developed a strong bond to Ernest Wright. When I was growing up as a kid in the U.S, there was a special drawer in which my mother kept her scissors. To use these scissors, I had to ask special permission and was only allowed to borrow them if I “put them back where I found them”.
Unlike my mother’s well-kept and cared for scissors, my father’s 2nd hand tailor’s shears went through one hell of a beating. He used them for all manner of things. But when I found them after rummaging through some old boxes, a great wave of emotions and childhood memories came flooding back to me. Before I knew it, I was cleaning up the scissors and, despite the wear, the Ernest Wright stamp was clear. It was magical.
I wanted to restore the scissors to their former glory and give them to my daughter. After inquiring at Ernest Wright, I found out that their craftsmen refurbish and sharpen the different scissor brands that originated from their workshop. Giving a new lease of life to old scissors.
RENEWING
This news filled me with excitement and I knew that there was still hope for my dad’s Tailor’s Shears! I sent them across the Atlantic and the craftsmen at Ernest Wright put the scissors through a process called “taking them off the screw”. The worn-out screw is taken out, the shears are polished and sharpened and the pair is put back together with a new screw. After this, the scissors look as good as the first time they came out of the factory
When I gave them to my daughter she was thrilled. She appreciates the background and the history and the significance of these scissors. So, I’m sure she’ll look after them a lot better than my father! Hopefully, they’ll be passed onto her children and if they ever need refurbishing again, her descendants will know who to contact.
( Mr Beaumont and his daughter, California USA )
