Sewing is like most other skills: the better the tools, the better the results and the greater the enjoyment. An excellent set of cutting tools are an investment, not an expenditure. With gentle use, they'll last for many decades, will stay sharp far longer, will be able to slice a wide variety of fabrics, are more easily maintained, and are weighted for more precise and more comfortable handling. They also look great. Finally, they can be handed down to others or re-sold.
The scissors shown above are all made in Italy by Gingher, a well-known and respected manufacturer of fine cutting tools. The blades are polished chrome over nickel, double-plated, and knife-edged (referring to the angle of the edge). The four larger scissors are in a bent-handle design, allowing for easier flat cutting and they include two-finger loops for stability and better pressure. Having large hands and fingers as well as doing a majority of flat cutting, I greatly prefer this design. The scissors cut beautifully all the way to the tip, so I'm getting precision cuts for the entire blade length.
Many find that certain plastic-handled scissors do a fine job. Once I started using these, I can't go back. Knowing these will last for the rest of my life, I thankfully don't need to. Thrifty!
The sizes in the picture are:
10" dressmaking shears
8" spring-loaded dressmaking shears
7.5" pinking shears
6" shears
5" straight scissors
4" embroidery scissors
sharpening stone
No comments:
Post a Comment