April 3 – Shears

It is day 3 and no, this challenge is not getting any easier. Today I have chosen the scissors shears that lay in my drawer. First off let me say that until today I have always used the words scissors when in actuality I should say shears. The difference is that scissors are 6″ and less in blade length with both finger holes the exact same size and shears are longer than 6″ and have one small and one large finger hole. Now that I have cleared that up let me get right into this review. There are many brands of shears, many shapes and sizes so I have chosen to review the ones that I have in my sewing cabinet.

I have to admit I love a great pair of shears – I have bought different brands trying to find the right one for me. I have come to the conclusion that it is a preference choice. You want them to be able to cut through many types of fabric and you want them to be comfortable doing so. In my sewing drawer I have Fiskars, Mundials, and Gingher, Eberlecrafts, plus some unknown brand I bought from Walmart for cutting paper with. The price ranges are $1.00 to $50.

My walmart shears have a universal handle, right or left handed, I bought them for my children to use and when I first got them you could cut cotton with them. But after using them a few times  they quickly became dull but hey, for a $1 it was all good and they still cut paper and a pizza.

I have used the Fiskars brand for years and have always had good luck with them. A couple of years ago I purchased a pair of Red handled left handed bent Fiskers. A true left handed shear is not just the handles but the way the blades are set up, the left blade is always up giving a clear view of the cutting line. I had a coupon and they were on sale so the cost was less than $10. I hated them from the moment I took them out of the package. I could not get a full cut with them, I was so disappointed, I threw them in my sewing drawer. I probably should have taken them back but I hate returning things.

My next adventure with shears came from a saleswoman talking me into a pair of Eberlecrafts Titanium Shears. Right off I knew they were a mistake, they are a universal handled pair of shears that are not really universal. While the handles were comfortable they were just to hard to use. I gave these to my daughter and she loves them. She has been using them for almost a year and never complains.

Next shear sale I purchased Mundials. While not a cushioned handle they give a smooth cut. The package mentioned them being a  Multi-layer shear. They are a true left handed shear and they are nice, but I just didn’t think the sharpness was there that I was looking for plus I should have purchased the bent handled style.

After a couple of months of using my Mundials I decided that I would try a pair of Gingher scissors. My selection was the 8″ knife edge Dressmaker Shears that were left handed. They came with a sleeve to protect the point and my first cut on denim fabric was so nice. It felt like you were cutting through warm butter, so smooth and a full length cut with each pass of the blade. I have owned them for 6 months now. I protect them like they are my newborn child, any time someone goes to my scissor drawer I scream out “Do not use my GINGHERS! They are mine!” like a mad woman. My daughters roll their eyes but humor me. Honestly I have only made probably 8 garments with them and the last time I used them I noticed that the full cut is no longer there. There is an adjustment nut and after just an ever so slight turn to it they working properly. But because of the full metal finger holes they can become a little uncomfortable after an afternoon of cutting.

What are your favorite shears? How often do you think they should be sharpened?

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