Shears and Scissors

One of our MD customers found this profile of designer’s shears in the NY Times. I found it so inspiring because I too have deep bond with my shears. A good pair of shears can last a lifetime.

My first pair was given to me in 1997, a pair of Gingher 8″ dressmaker shears. In costume shops just about everyone has the same shears, so people chose a color and tied ribbons through one of the handles as an identifying mark. I still have the hot pink ribbon tied around that first pair. These shears and I have been through alot–grad school, summer stock, working in New York. I would never part with them! (Well, maybe for Tony to sharpen them, which they are in desperate need. I’m so glad MD does that now!)

Gingher makes a variety of scissors and shears for very specific jobs. Like these applique scissors. The “duck bill” prevents you from cutting through the back layer as you trim.

I keep these 5″ knife edge scissors next to my machine. They great for clipping curves, snipping threads, and can even cut stitches if my seam ripper is out of reach.

Sometimes, you go BIG. I have a pair of these 9″ Knife Edge Tailor’s Shears. I love how powerful I feel when I cut with them. They are great for all kinds of cutting, including garments and home dec. I think Sophie Buhai, of Vena Cava said it best (this quote is taken from the image above) “We love using these unnecessarily large scissors to cut very tiny things-they make cutting anything very dramatic.”