If you’re an avid crafter you’ll need to invest in some decent scissors. Sadly, it's time to rid yourself of the notion that one size fits all. I reckon you need at least 3 pairs of scissors to make life easy on yourself.
So, here’s the lowdown on what to buy:
Firstly, if you’re a fellow left hander, don’t muddle along with scissors designed for right handed people. They feel uncomfortable and you’re more likely to cut badly with them.
Secondly, invest in a decent brand. I tend to buy Fiskars, recognisable by their bright orange handles. They’re not outrageously expensive, have good quality cutting edges and that orange colour makes ‘em easy to find if you drop them!
Finally, as noted earlier on, I’d suggest – where finances allow – you buy 3 pairs. A small pair of ‘snips’ or embroidery scissors (about 13cm). Useful for cutting threads or trimming edges on fabric. A medium sized pair of scissors for household jobs, including cutting paper and thin cardboard (about 17cm) and lastly a large pair of scissors for cutting a swathe through fabric (either 21 or 25cm).
Cutting paper and cardboard blunts scissors very quickly, so don’t be tempted to use your large scissors for those kind of jobs. Keep the medium ones handy, maybe in a kitchen or desk drawer, so you always know where they are when you need them.
A word of sharpening scissors: there are places you can post your scissors off too, online businesses that’ll sharpen them and post them back to you. However, if you’ve got a shoe repair & key cutting shop or market stall nearby, it’s worth checking with them if they offer a scissor sharpening service too. Many do, and the last time I had them done it was only about £3 a pair. If you’ve paid several pounds for the scissors then it makes sense to take care of them and they’ll last for years and years.
So, here’s the lowdown on what to buy:
Firstly, if you’re a fellow left hander, don’t muddle along with scissors designed for right handed people. They feel uncomfortable and you’re more likely to cut badly with them.
Secondly, invest in a decent brand. I tend to buy Fiskars, recognisable by their bright orange handles. They’re not outrageously expensive, have good quality cutting edges and that orange colour makes ‘em easy to find if you drop them!
Finally, as noted earlier on, I’d suggest – where finances allow – you buy 3 pairs. A small pair of ‘snips’ or embroidery scissors (about 13cm). Useful for cutting threads or trimming edges on fabric. A medium sized pair of scissors for household jobs, including cutting paper and thin cardboard (about 17cm) and lastly a large pair of scissors for cutting a swathe through fabric (either 21 or 25cm).
Cutting paper and cardboard blunts scissors very quickly, so don’t be tempted to use your large scissors for those kind of jobs. Keep the medium ones handy, maybe in a kitchen or desk drawer, so you always know where they are when you need them.
A word of sharpening scissors: there are places you can post your scissors off too, online businesses that’ll sharpen them and post them back to you. However, if you’ve got a shoe repair & key cutting shop or market stall nearby, it’s worth checking with them if they offer a scissor sharpening service too. Many do, and the last time I had them done it was only about £3 a pair. If you’ve paid several pounds for the scissors then it makes sense to take care of them and they’ll last for years and years.