Sunny is happy with her Kai scissors and I'd like to try them. Mercy! there are just so many to choose from. Okay. I know my little old hands won't really need the twelve inch shears. And I know my hands are happier with 7". But - I just never thought about it; always have chosen the 'bent' ones. Do I really want 'bent'? Just because it's what I've always had doesn't mean it's the best choice. Do you like bent or straight and is it because it's what the Home Ec teacher 'said' or what Grandma always used? I would moan that something so simple as buying new scissors is such a challenge - but honestly am so happy to have so many choices. If I make the wrong choice, it's not like I adopted them and have to keep them for the rest of my life. Your thoughts? Polly
"Polly Esther" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...
Well, I tried my teacher's KAI and was overwhelmed, but Katexxxxxxx quite swears by those Fiskars ones, and I got them via Amazon as a bargain and am very happy with them. Just my 2 c.
I have both Kai and Fiskar scissors. Two pairs of sidebent Fiskars dressmakers sheers, several smaller pairs, and one smaller pair of Kai. The Kai and the Fiskars smaller scissors are on a par for weight. For speed and power on long cuts and larger pieces, the larger Fiskars are better because of the size and comfort of the handles, but for smaller fiddly things and trimming seams I like the Kai better than the smaller Fiskars. They seem to hold an edge a little better than my smaller Fiskars (some of which are their cheaper black handle range), and corner better!
I prefer sidebent scissors for dressmaking as they slide along the table nicely, keeping the cloth as flat as possible. For bias cutting and anything very light weight or slippery, I use a rotary cutter and several large cutting mats!
Anything much larger or any heavier than the Fiskars dressmaking sheers is too large and too heavy for my hands. Yes, when you slide them along the table, the table takes most of the weight, but if they are STILL too heavy or you can't open them wide enough for the added advantage of the longer blade to make a difference, go with what fits your hands and is comfortable.
One last note: I haven't had much luck with Kai customer service: I had a pair of their scissors that was faulty, and they asked me to post them off to their European headquarters somewhere in France. I did, and never saw them or heard from them again. On the other hand, I had a pair of Fiskars kitchen sheers that had one blade break in two at the riveted pivot point. Take into account that these were by then over 20 years old and hard used (they had even been 'lost' at one point and spent several years 'resting' in the garden shed, in a sack of potting compost!), both in the kitchen cutting things like chicken legs in half, and as pruners for smaller plants. They too asked me to send them back. Less than a week later they sent me a note of apology, a report from their metallurgist about why they had busted, and a replacement pair!
There are plenty of old scissors around here, Roberta. Just time for a new pair and I wanted the thoughts of you all before I added to the collection. And you're right - sometimes I cut odd angles from the wrong direction too. The neckline curve for a size 3 pound preemie calls for some serious angling around. Polly
My favorite "big" scissors right now are Fiskers - one side straight and the other not so I guess they are half bent? They have been staying sharp very well. Never tried Gingher or Kai but maybe I should just for comparison. Altho I imagine any new pair of scissors will cut better than an old pair from my sewing drawer. Allison
I prefer the large bent variety for general cutting when a rotary cutter won't do. Long stretches of silk (or other slippery fabrics), gentle curves etc. you can scoot the lower blade right along your cutting surface while maintaining good control. I prefer the smaller straight kind for detailed cutting. The sort of thing where you have to go in multiple directions in tiny increments and regardless of your best intentions pick the fabric up to get the weave closer to your eyes so you can snip a thread at a time. I've been meaning to get another mid-sized pair for in between sort of work. I just have no luck hanging on to those.
I have to say I do not like Fiskers. I have never had a good pair. Aside from my Ginghers my best pair of standard dressmakers shears is an ancient pair DH found at a yard sale. No idea what brand they might be. They are made in England and have a gold plated blade guard. I took them to the jeweler, and he tightened them up for me. Since then they have been one of the best pairs of scissors I have ever owned.
Kate, after reading your message, I went shopping on Amazon (haven't bought anything yet). I discovered that Fiskar also makes kitchen scissors. I had to give away the really good pair of Cutco kitchen scissors I had because they hurt my thumb so bad - bad enough that I couldn't even make the scissors go!
OK, Polly. Here's my 2 cents worth! I have a pair of Wiss scissors over 30 years old, bent blades, and my mother gave them to me. The were always my favorites, and still cut very, very well. I have a pair of Fiskars, straight blades, that I got as one pair in a set of three different sizes. I use them when I'm cutting decorator fabrics, fused items, or not-so-easy to cut items (not paper, though...I have special scissors for that). Then, I have a pair of Ginghers which I bought about two years ago. What a treat they are to use!! I mean that I just smile each time I use them!! I've never tried the Kai scissors, so I can't comment on those. I also have a couple pair of tiny scissors for applique, and three pair of really cheap short bladed scissors that I use at the machine and ironing board to snip threads. It is understood in this house that NO ONE touches my scissors! :) Good luck on your purchase!
Bent lets you keep the lower blade on the table so you can cut patterns accurately. You get the best cuts if you keep the lower blade on the table and have scissors that fit your hands so that you can open them nearly to the pivot, then slice all the way to the tip, instead of chop.
Tailors cut a bit differently than dressmakers, but here's a video of a Savile Row tailor cutting, and he mentions having to teach apprentices to cut with the lower blade on the table:
formatting link
Polly, the Kais have a shorter cutting length of blade than Ginghers do. Measure your favorite shears, the one that really just want to cut for you from pivot to blade, and then choose your size by that. I have big hands, size
7.5 or 8 gloves, so I use the 5275s the most, though I've got kind of a Kai wardrobe:
formatting link
I suspect if youlike 7" Ginghers, you're probably going to want 8" Kai. The only disappointment I've had from Kais is their thread nippers, the blue handled jobs in the photo. They're just not as precise as the others. And it's not a big deal, just an "oh, not quite up to the usual standard". The little red handled needlework scissors are wonderful for getting one stray whisker off a rolled hem or for hardanger, or any other place you need a very precise cut. They fit very nicely into that red lanyard, as do the little straight scissors underneath that I use for all sorts of small projects and needlework.
I also have a pair of the professional shears, the N7300s. They're great for when I need to cut 8 plies of heavy cotton twill, but they're much, much heavier in the hand than the standards.
The scissors are made in Japan, but you can send them back to the Kai/Kershaw knife plant in Tualatin, OR for sharpening... you just pay the postage there.
formatting link
they're on my way to one of my favorite fabric stores, I just gather up all the Kai/Kershaw knives and scissors about once a year and drop them off on my way to the store, and pick them up on my way back home. BTW, this is the favorite kitchen utility knife in this family:
formatting link
-- we tend to grab for them instead of a standard paring knife because they're very sharp and stay that way, and the grip is spongy and non-slip, kind to hands that don't need to work harder. Again, you can send them intoKai/Kershaw for free sharpening. Yes, I know it's a steak knife. I don't care.
THANK YOU, Roberta! That was my question: you can only have one pair?
Try a couple or a few pairs of scissors, Pol; see what works for you; could be the feel, the cut or the color. Keep the ones you love. When I invest in something like this, and one thing (scissors, books, needles, fabric) isn't what I was needing/wanting, I "gift" the others to someone who likes/wants them. No good merchandise goes to waste. ;-D
Interesting how he cuts some of the pattern on the line and some with a big seam allowance...must be for adjusting I guess. (I found another video by the same guy where he drafts a jacket pattern by what he calls "rock of eye". Uses just chalk and brown paper!)
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.