WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO LOOK AFTER MY SCISSORS?
Always store scissors dry, and maybe keep them wrapped in some clean-dry absorbent material. We use carbon steel (not stainless) for our cloth-cutting products as we find carbon steel holds a sharp edge better and for longer; however, it does not mix too well with moisture.
Frequently open your scissors as wide as you can, and firmly wipe the insides with a dry cloth (mind your fingers!) including behind the screw around where the two scissor blades meet. This will remove any collected lint and dust.
A tiny drop of household oil (or vegetable oil) can help too, right in behind the screw – but only very occasionally or when your scissors really need it. Finally – I know it can be tempting but please do not try to move the screw! That’s fixed for a reason; it takes years to learn the skill of putting two scissor blades together.
WHAT ARE THE TOP TIPS FOR KEEPING MY SCISSORS NICE AND SHARP?
The usual tip we hear is to “keep them hidden from the family!”. But seriously, different materials (e.g. from hair to silk, tweeds, even paper) have different ‘blunting’ powers. So, if you are using scissors regularly, it is wise to keep a specific pair of scissors or shears for one type of cutting job.
CAN YOU GET FABRIC SCISSORS AND THREAD SNIPS SHARPENED?
Yes of course – but only provided the sharpener knows what they are doing. The scissors may need re-adjusting and re-curving once they have been re-edged, and the screw may need re-setting. We advise you to send your scissors to us for sharpening and repair. We offer this service by post, or, you can call ahead and visit Broad lane to watch our craftsmen sharpen your scissors in person!
A good pair of scissors have many re-sharpenings and decades of faithful service in them (we still sharpen scissors from the 1950s!), as long as they are properly looked after.
HOW CAN YOU TELL A GOOD QUALITY PAIR OF SCISSORS?
A good pair of scissors has a distinctive gap between the blades when closed. That’s because proper scissor blades are curved to create a “bite” point wherever the two blades meet. In contrast, inferior flat machined scissors simply wrap around whatever is being cut.
I’m sure you’ve all used a pair of machine-made scissors that meet beautifully along the blades, that cut like a dream when you first use them, but then after a while don’t cut at the tips and just seem to slip around fabric rather than cut it? You’ll never have that with a handmade pair.
You’ll also find that just by holding a good pair of scissors, you feel a “weightiness”. This is a sign that the scissors are strong and robust and more likely to last.
