An ode to traditional Eastern Scissors.

Gorog

Gorog

Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Messages
515
Firstly, has anyone ever heard of them? I had never heard of them until my knife and blade craze began...and I had never used them until I did job readiness training at either my local TJ Maxx or Marshalls, where, lo and behold, in the back where I worked, lying in the 'tool mug', used to cut probably millions of boxes, tapes, paper, and more, there was the largest pair of traditional hand-forged scissors, made with iron loop handles, and incredible high carbon steel blades. Unfortunately for this beautiful specimen of twin blades, it had been used and abused and was no longer a juggernaut cutter, only cutting if you held the tape or cardboard in question very taut, and even then, with great difficulty. Despite that potentially scarring experience with that particular tool, it made me realize all the more that I wanted one exactly like it, that I admired its supremely functional design and marvelously low tech craftsmanship. So I got myself four pairs (it only came in bundles of four in the size I liked), and they just left the companies facility.
Here, let us see them, how about?
Picture:
3D02FE38.jpg
They are not exactly clean looking per say, but I think they have a subtle beauty to them. Tell me if you like them, or not. Peace, everyone. Bye for now.
David
 
Gorog, me Likey!!! That is if they're made by a real Eastern Craftsman that knows what he's doing... :thumbup: If not then they can be extremely hazardous to everyone that comes into contact with 'em... :(

I've seen both kinds and the first is a leather worker's dream! A friend of mine had a pair of about 4" to 4-1/2" Eastern Scissors that was marvelous cutting 3-4 ounce to 10-11 ounce leather without a hitch albeit cutting the heavy stuff took a tad longer, although the scissors shined on both weights when it came down to cutting all the way to the point!!!

Unfortunately the ones I bought were of the second variety... :(
 
I'll be extra careful with these, then, in case they prove to be untrustworthy. As soon as they arrive, I will gently test them out on incremental thicknesses of paper, and if my confidence is built, I might try some harder things like rubber, vinyl, cardboard, heavy fabric, and leather. Safety glasses will be used :) . Thanks.
Peace.
David
 
Thanks for the heads up, David:) I have never seen those before. I'm in the market for some new leather sheers, and those look great:)
 
Really? Well, I'm no expert, but this is apparently more popular than I thought it would be, so if I may offer my two cents? This may or may not be old news, but if you do get one of these, the first thing my sister taught me about her subject, engineering, was leverage comes in smaller packages. So, for making those clean, nice cuts in thick, heavy leather, go for smaller blades unless you are cutting big time slabs of leather, okay, dude? I'm kind of surprised that this is drawing in people, but, at the same time, it makes sense. They are blades, after all, and we Cantina goers do not usually discriminate with edged tools, do we? :) Well, peace, everyone, and good night from Delaware.
David
 
Your sister is so right about cutting power coming with small blades. I have a pair of aircraft shears for cutting sheet metal. The blades are very thick but also pretty small, and they work great. Sheet metal nibblers have really tiny blades. Then there are the heavy duty bolt cutters where the blades only open a fraction of an inch and can cut through thick metal.

The large handles on these Eastern Scissors would let you squeeze with your whole hand. Also, you can use them with work gloves that would not fit through the loops in conventional Western scissors.

I hope you give us a report when you have a chance to use them.

-- Dave
 
I will do my very best, Dave. They are supposedly coming in on this coming Tuesday, only a few days left! Yay! Well, peace everyone.
David
 
You're welcome. By the way dude, gotta love those HI blades in your avatar. Is the bottom one a Nepalese sword? If so, then this is my third correct blade spot since my joining the forum! A triple anniversary of right-ness or triversary, as I call it :) . Well...peace, everyone.
David
 
Great scissors and very inexpensive. I pick mine up at one of the local Asian housewares shops. I think that Lee Valley Tools also sells them.
 
BAH HUMBUG!!!!!!!!!!! I got it wrong, even though it looked too straight to be a katana, it was... oh woe is me.... Thanks for telling me Ted. And you are all too correct Yuldeli, the scissors are a fistful of dominating awesomeness, both for their superior quality, and superior price. Peace.
David
 
Here's the report. I got them today, and yes, on first impression, they are seemingly not sharp, and look cheap to the untrained eye. But! They do not shy away from anything short of pennies, nickels, and coins in general, and, lets be frank here, what hand scissor CAN cut through a penny without diamond blades or superhuman strength/? I don't believe those infomercials that show Cutco or medical scissors just powering through solid quarters like they are nothing, that HAS to be fake. I mean, sure, if I saw someone with average muscle and a pair of Ikea scissors, cut a quarter in half, I would believe, but short of that...I don't think so.
So, anyway, I am very pleased with my chinese scissors, they have great blade on blade action all the way to the tips, they are tunable and left or right handed, especially on the biggest model, and they are just workhorses. Sometimes, it does not matter if you can cut adamantium once with your blade, so long as you can cut paper with it every day, all day, 24/7, 365, you know? That's what these little beasties are for, cutting reasonable amounts of sheet goods that are weaker than the steel they are made of, and they do it...remarkably well. The iron pivot point is sounder than anything else I know of. They work fabulously. I recommend them. Peace.
David
 
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