Scissors and shears

[apicius9]

First, can anybody explain the difference between scissors and shears to me, please? I think Dave did at some point but I am old and confused and don't remember...

I need two different ones. For all-purpose tasks around the kitchen, I have been using the Messermeister kitchen scissors like these (Amazon picture)

Robust, easy to clean, just about large enough for me. The ones I have somehow wandered into the wood shop, so I was thinking about replacing them. Before I just buy the same ones - any reasonably priced alternatives that you can recommend? Not looking for damascus scissors here...

I also need decent scissors for paper - again, I am not doing fancy art projects with them but also don't want the $2.95 crappy ones. I have XL hands and just need something larger that fits. Any recommendations here?

Thanks,

Stefan

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

I don't know if this is Dave's distinction, but here's something that sounds good:

What is the difference between scissors and shears?

Scissors are usually under six inches (150mm) in length. Scissors usually have two small matching handles and eyes, and are designed for the lighter tasks of hand cutting. Shears generally measure six inches (150mm+) or more in length. One handle is small and for the thumb, the other handle is larger, and for the insertion of two or more fingers. Shears are designed to do a great variety of heavy cutting jobs in the home and in industry. Hair cutting shears are the exceptions to these rules of thumb, as they are both greater than six inches in length and have equal sized eyes and handles.

 

[sudsy9977]

stefan....i have learned a tremendous amount about scissors from dave over the years......i can tell u one thing.....you will never be able to use a regular pair of scissors after you use a regular pair dave has sharpened.......they cut so well....even the really crappy ones.....i know u can sharpen them yourself too ......i have prety big hands......i have a pair of scissors made by kai....i think they might be the 5220 here..... http://www.kaiscissors.com/category.php?category_id=49 maybe dave can confirm which one i have by looking at the site.....the oens i have have a green handle.....they would be awesome as a standard pair of scissors around the house.....i MEAN AWESOME......they r the nicest ....most comfortable.....sharpest......most durable scissors i have ever used......they r comfortable to use for extended periods too.....did i mention they r awesome......ryan

 

[apicius9]

Thanks Ryan, that sounds just like what I was looking for. So, I will probably have them shipped straight to Dave I will look through the models again. Any other thoughts? One can never have enough of those, at least in my place they are never where I need them...

Stefan

P.S. Cool avatar, Ryan.

 

[sudsy9977]

yeah i would just wait for dave to reply and see if he can figure out which one i have......they really r that nice.....i have been wanting to buy a pair for my house for a long time ......ryan

 

[Chef Niloc]

For fish & chicken I love the Chens http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CFLH7/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
The Mac ones are also good and they are bigger.

 

[Dave Martell]

Ryan, we got you the 5240 9.5" shears.

Description:
9 1/2" ERGONOMIX® SHEARS

KAI® model 5240 dressmaking style shears with a 4" cutting length

The shear handles are ergonomically designed to place the hand in correct alignment for ease of cutting and are made of Santoprene®, a soft thermal rubber, that is chemically bonded to the blades to prevent contamination. The handles are also slightly larger than the 5210 for larger and gloved hands.

The blades are made of AU6 Japanese stainless steel with Vanadium giving them a Rockwell of 54 to 58 HRC. The shear blades are held together with a hex nylon-insert locknut that keeps the shears tight to prevent them from loosening up during use.

Recommended uses:
For difficult to cut materials
Food safe for cutting up poultry, meats, and vegetables(FDA approved dyes in handles)
All fabrics, sewing, and trimming operations
Household use (shears are dishwasher safe)
Meets most hobby and craft needs
Gardening and floral arrangements

Typically last 2-3 times longer than other brands of Shears

 

[Dave Martell]

The scissor industry typically defines the difference between shears and scissors as scissors use only 2 finger (this includes the thumb as a finger) where shears use 2 or more fingers (same rule for the thumb here too).

This is just a general description though, we often see the particular trade that's using the tool define what the name is to be called. An example would be in a barber shop shears are called scissors but take the same tool into a salon and they will laugh at you if you call them anything but shears as they are told that shear cut hair and scissors cut paper.

 

[Dave Martell]

Check out Tojiro Kitchen Shears

The are pretty nice since they offer a cam-bolt pivot for easy take apart for cleaning and if I recall correctly the cam-bolt is also adjustable for setting tension. Most kitchen shears don't offer adjust-ability or break down capability.

 

[FryBoy]

These work great -- come apart easily for cleaning. I have two pair in the kitchen.

Kershaw Taskmaster Shears -- $26.56 at Amazon, no tax, free shipping.

 

[ThEoRy]

Check out Tojiro Kitchen Shears

The are pretty nice since they offer a cam-bolt pivot for easy take apart for cleaning and if I recall correctly the cam-bolt is also adjustable for setting tension. Most kitchen shears don't offer adjust-ability or break down capability.

I have these and super love them. Tough as hell. Cutting up chicken backs and lobster shells with no problem. The take apart design is great for cleaning and perfect for sharpening. Though I haven't needed to sharpen them yet.

 

[Citizen Snips]

thanks to you guys about making me question my shears. ugh...

i use a pair of take-apart whustofs that were like 20 bucks and wishing i had put that towards some nicer ones for only a few bucks more. they do start to hurt my index finger and thumb if i use them for an extended period of time but i usually dont need them for much besides lobster so having some beaters might be a good idea.

i would guess that the 2 things you wanna look for is the comfort level in your hand and the ability to take them apart for ease of cleaning and sharpening. after that i would say get what you think look the best

 

[Dave Martell]

I always hate to say this in public but Cutco's shears are pretty damn good although way overpriced. If you ever get a chance to snag a used cheap pair that aren't too beat up jump on them.

 

[add]

I always hate to say this in public but Cutco's shears are pretty damn good although way overpriced. If you ever get a chance to snag a used cheap pair that aren't too beat up jump on them.

Glad that is out there... now I can come clean.

Against strong parental advice and waay too few jobs around these parts, college daughter recently took on with the Cutco/Vector mafia.

Well, needless to say the wife and I were part of the first audience.
After the smoke and dust settled (marital and parental politics) the compromise was to buy something.
So the shears it was.

Good and strong, they come apart for cleaning, fairly comfortable, and considering how many cheap kitchen scissors/shears we have gone through, the lifetime guarantee was the kicker... and yes, they can cut a penny!

So daughter got a sale, I got temporary peace in the household, and all parties enabled the scam known as Cutco/Vector Marketing.