Japanese Scissors/Shears Question

empty5853

empty5853

Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
2,290
Hello,

I have a pair of Japanese Shears or scissors that won’t cut properly. They are brand new and great quality. I don’t remember where I bought them (otherwise I’d return them) but I do remember I paid about $60 for them.

Here’s what’s going on:
Tried a few cuts on paper and light felt fabric and I couldn't get the scissors to cut properly.
I took the blades apart and lightly oiled them at the joint. I tweaked the torque on the nut, flipped the washer around, and tried anything else I could think of without any modifications.
The edges are plenty sharp., like razors. That is not the issue.
The issue seems to be that they will either cut at the tip or at the heel but not both at the same time. Maybe the blades just don't line up properly or lack a straight edge?

Can anybody suggest a fix or know someone who could repair them? It’s a shame to leave them sitting a drawer as they are very nice. And did I mention that they are sharp as a razor and brand new.:D



Thanks for any help.

Vr

Mark T.
 
Any photos of the join of the blades? That could help with assessing the problem. Your guesses are as good as mine without seeing them--either a bad blade alignment or warped edges seem likely.
 
Try opening and closing the scissors and look to see if the edges are making contact all the way along. I'm not sure if yours are supposed to or not, but most scissors edges look like a shallow X during the cut, with the center of that X sliding from bottom to top during the stroke.
 
Sorry for taking so long to answer your question.

I checked them all along the blade length, where they meet. I can't slide a piece of paper between them. I would guess that means that they will cut all along the scissor stroke. It WILL cut paper like a razor. No problem there. It just doesn't seem to like a lightweight fabric, such as a cotton sheet.

Maybe it was designed to cut only paper. I've never heard of scissors like that. That would cut paper but not cloth:confused:
but I'm no expert on scissors.

Oh well.:( I guess I'll use it just for paper (which I don't cut much of)

Thanks for your help FortyTwoBlades (love the machete BTW)

Vr
Mark T.













FortyTwoBlades said:
Try opening and closing the scissors and look to see if the edges are making contact all the way along. I'm not sure if yours are supposed to or not, but most scissors edges look like a shallow X during the cut, with the center of that X sliding from bottom to top during the stroke.
Click to expand...
 
It could be that the edge is having a hard time gripping the fabric. Many fabric scissors have at least one serrated edge to prevent slippage of the material.

Glad you're liking the machete!
 
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