Who Invented Scissors? Their Impact On Our Lives

Ever wondered who made the first pair of scissors we use so often today? These handy tools are crucial for cutting paper or fabric, used in different trades, crafts, and even for hair. In this article, we’ll explore the origin story and how these common tools serve an accessible purpose and make our daily tasks easier. Scissors have a rich history, dating back to ancient times, and have evolved to become a daily necessity. Get ready to cut through the chase and discover the remarkable ways scissors have shaped our daily lives.

Scissors

In every household and professional setting, hand-operated shearing tools like a trusty pair of scissors are indispensable. These tools, consisting of two blades connected by a pivot, boast sharpened edges that efficiently slide against each other, thanks to their well-crafted handles with bows. Designed to tackle various thin materials such as paper, cardboard, cloth, and even wire, there’s a large variety of scissors and shears geared toward specialized purposes.

 While hair-cutting shears and kitchen shears may seem functionally equivalent to larger implements of shears, each has specific blade angles making them ideal for their respective uses; choosing the incorrect type could cause damage or split ends. As someone who values precision, I’ve learned that the right scissors make all the difference, whether it be in crafting or cooking.

Terminology

In the realm of cutting tools, the term “scissors” is treated as a plural noun whereas a single set is referred to as “a pair of scissors.” The word “shears” is used to describe similar but larger and heavier instruments, indicating their suitability for more robust cutting tasks.

 Where do scissors come from?

Leonardo da Vinci is often credited with contriving a version of the scissors we use today, yet this device for cutting predates his inventions by centuries and has become an essential household tool. Currently, it’s quite rare to see a household that doesn’t have at least one pair of scissors.

Ancient Scissors

The ancient Egyptians created the first known interpretation of scissors around 1500 B.C., contriving them from a single piece of bronze. These were fashioned into twin blades joined and controlled by a bronze strip. The advancement spread through trade and exploration, influencing others like the Romans, who, by 100 A.D., had adapted this design into cross-blade scissors made initially from bronze and later iron. These early scissors, with a central pivot that allowed the blades to slide past efficiently, laid the groundwork for the cutting devices we use today.

Scissors Enter the 18th Century

Although it’s hard to pinpoint a single factual innovator of the scissors, Robert Hinchliffe from Sheffield, England, is widely recognized as the father of modern scissors. He made history in 1761, more than 200 years after da Vinci’s death, by being the first to use steel in their manufacture. Later on, the evolution of scissors continued with the pinking shears, patented in 1893 by Louise Austin of Whatcom, Washington, a device that allowed cutting of fabric from end to end and edge to edge, which made the work to be swiftly done, producing two scalloped edges in one go.

Scissors in Print

For centuries, scissors have been essential tools with their origins dating back to the Fourteenth Century BCE in Emar. Ancient finds, such as those described in a 1995 article by Jean-Claude Margueron and Veronica Boutte in The Biblical Archaeologist, included scissors among everyday items like bronze scrapers and millstones. Don Wiss’s book, A Story of Shears and Scissors: 1848–1948, traces their history from Egyptian bronze shears to Greek-influenced art pieces. Renowned archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie attributed the development of cross-bladed shears, which evolved into modern scissors, to between the First and Fifth Centuries.

In my professional experience as a tailor, the historical evolution of scissors from a rudimentary tool to a finely crafted implement is evident in the precision and artistry that modern scissors provide.

Scissors by publish

Throughout history, scissors have consistently been mentioned in print numerous times, including in a 1995 composition published in The Biblical Archaeologist. The authors, Jean-Claude Margueron and Veronica Boutte, wrote a passage that besides pottery, highlighted the collection of objects like scissors that served the day-to-day requirements of city merchants in ancient times. These objects, alongside bronze scrapers and stone rings, formed the many tools integral to household and commercial activities.

Early manufacture

During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, craftspeople created spring scissors by heating a bar of iron or steel, then flattening and shaping the ends into blades on an anvil, and bending the center bar to form the spring. Later, the Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Company in China began manufacturing scissors in 1663, and William Whiteley & Sons (Sheffield) Ltd. has been producing since 1760, making it one of the oldest Western companies in the trade. Pivoted scissors were manufactured in large numbers after Robert Hinchliffe used hardened and polished cast steel to craft the first pair. Even today, the legacy of those early manufacturing practices enriches our understanding of scissors’ form and function.

Modern manufacturing regions

China

The vast majority of global scissor manufacturing takes place in China, with 2019 statistics showing the country responsible for 64.3% of the worldwide scissors exports. When combined with Chinese Taipei, their share rises to 68.3%, with Guangdong Province being the primary production hub. Steeped in history, the Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Company, founded in 1663, is one of the oldest continuously operating scissor manufacturers in the world.

France

The modern English word “scissors” arrived in the late 14th century, originating from the Old French calories, pointing to an era when France prided itself on several historically important scissor-producing regions, including Haute-Marne, Nogent-en Bassigny, and Theirs. Notably, Thiers, located in the Auvergne region, continues to be a significant hub for scissor and cutlery production and celebrates its rich 800-year history at the Musée de la Coutellerie and Coutellia, an esteemed industry trade show, and gathering of artisanal blade-makers.

Germany

Germany is noted for manufacturing just under 7% of the global scissors exports as of 2019. The famed “City of Blades,” Solingen, situated in North Rhine-Westphalia, stands as a historic center for manufacturing scissors dating back to medieval times. By the end of the 18th century, Solingen boasted over 300 scissor smiths. Adherence to quality was institutionalized when The Solingen Ordinance, updated in the 1930s, stated that “Made in Solingen” could only mark products almost entirely manufactured in its renowned industrial region. Today, the city is home to 150 companies, like Friedrich Herder, founded in 1727, maintaining its status as one of the oldest, still-operating scissors manufacturers in Germany.

Italy

Nestled in the Lecco Province, the village of Premana traces its origins to ironworks and knife manufacturing since the 16th century, evolving to house ten scissor-manufacturing workshops by 1900. Fast forward, the dynamic Consorzio Premax currently organizes over 60 local companies in Premana, specializing in scissors for global markets. As of 2019, Italy proudly exported 3.5% of the scissors manufactured globally. Among those, Sanelli Ambrogio stands out, founded in 1869, maintaining its reputation as one of the oldest and most revered Premanese scissor manufacturing firms.

Japan

In Japan, scissor-making has a lineage that evolved from the ancient craft of sword-making since the 14th century. The city of Seki in Gifu Prefecture, long renowned as a center of sword making since the 1200s, adapted its skills when blacksmiths were forced to shift from swords and turned to making scissors and knives. Sasuke, a workshop in Sakai City, stands out with Yasuhiro Hirakawa at its helm; a 5th-generation scissorsmith running a company in operation since 1867 and known to be the last traditional scissor maker in Japan. He adheres to the old ways, making scissors that are thinner, lighter, and sharper qualities that eclipsed the heft of European scissors.

Spain

In the town of Solsona, Spain, scissor manufacturing has a storied history beginning in the 16th century. During the industry’s peak in the 18th century, 24 workshops operated under the Guild of Saint Eligius. Today, Pallarès Solsona stands as the enduring legacy of Solsona’s scissor-making heritage, founded in 1917, it remains the town’s sole, family-operated, artisanal scissor manufacturer.

United Kingdom

Sheffield, UK, became the hub for scissors in 1761, booming with about 60 scissor companies by the 19th century. However, globalization in the 1980s led to cheaper, mass-produced scissors, causing many local manufacturers to close. By 2021, only two historic companies, William Whiteley (founded in 1760) and Ernest Wright (established in 1902), remain. These companies now focus on crafting high-quality, long-lasting scissors instead of mass production.

In my experience, watching the Sheffield putters, highly skilled in scissor assembly, at work is an extraordinary sight, ensuring that every snip reflects the heritage and precision that Sheffield’s scissor industry has long stood for.

 Structure of scissors

• The structure of scissors starts with the tips at the very end, ensuring a clean cut from the blade that moves in an unrestricted position.
• The Cutlet Bows form an arc where the portion designed to fit a user’s fingers and thumb includes the cutlet meant for the middle or forefinger which provides comfort.
• Blades are shaped from metallic plates, not only for an aesthetic shape but for strength and a sleek good look, careful to distinguish the inside blade from the outside blade.
• The Backside has a dull, non-sharpened edge, contrary to the well-defined inside and outside with an option for a Serrated Edge, suitable for a freshman, as it slips less and improves control for cutting particularly dry hairs.
• A Straight Edge allows for slice and point cutting, while a Convex Edge enables smooth cuts for more professional haircutters.
• The Adjustment Screw grants adaptation, a vital screw for connecting the hole in the blades to the correct fit, with setting options of adjustable or non-adjustable, depending on the pressure the blades might demand.
• The Cushion Stopper, usually attached to the arc, ensures a soft touch, and the Finger Rest offers metallic support for the fingers, sometimes removable, giving the hairstylist’s cutlet rest extra support grip.
• The Shank crucially connects the handle to the blades, with the Wing being the flat area around the adjustment screw’s hole.
• The Outside Ring and Inside Ring refer to the inside part of the handle, also called the outside and inside respectively.

Drawing on personal experience, it’s evident how each segment from the Cushion Stopper to the Outside and Inside Rings plays its part in delivering precision and control, embodying the enduring innovation behind the humble scissors.

Right-handed and left-handed scissors

Scissors, essential for crafts and daily tasks, have evolved to accommodate both right and left-handed users. Right-handed scissors enhance cutting by naturally pushing blades together, while left-handed scissors mirror this action to match the left hand’s motion. The design ensures clear-cutting visibility, with appropriate blade asymmetry and handle orientation for each hand.

Left-handed users often struggle with “semi” left-handed scissors, which have reversed grips but poor visibility due to obstructed blades. “True” left-handed scissors, featuring reversed grips and blade layouts, offer a perfect mirror image of right-handed scissors, ensuring precision. Even ambidextrous scissors usually favor right-handers, but a recent U.S. patent introduced true ambidextrous scissors with 360-degree swinging handles, offering clear visibility and usability for both hands.

As an expert, I can attest that using the correct scissors for your dominant hand is crucial. “True” left-handed scissors provide a more natural cutting experience, reducing thumb strain and ensuring precision. Proper blade orientation is essential for effective, strain-free use.

 Effects of scissors on daily life

• Scissors are essential in the modern world for opening packages and letters, streamlining what was once an uphill task.
• In fashion, scissors are key for cutting fashions, thread, or cords and crucial for making clothes, slipcovers, and home accessories.
• Safety scissors enhance the safety of grooming activities, including cuticle and nail trimming, shaping eyebrows, or trimming nose hair.
• They assist in the garden for picking flowers, as well as in arts for darning, creating samples, and doctoring paper dolls.
• Regarding essence work like upholstery, scissors turn donkeywork into an art form, enabling detailed and correctly done crafts.
• Scissors aid physical development by requiring hand strength to develop cutlet and fritter preparation chops.
• They promote independent movements and dexterity, essential for achieving a functional grasp and increasing focus and attention on a task.
• Utilizing scissors involves bilateral collaboration between hands and improves eye-hand collaboration, which aids in developing pencil control and enhancing handwriting skills.

• Drawing from personal use and expertise, the value of scissors extends beyond their immediate functions; they are a developmental tool that aids in refining motor skills from a young age, leading to more skilled and effective hand movements in various tasks.

 Scissors are indispensable in the beauty process

In the realm of beauty, scissors are indispensable whether wielded by a professional stylist or a normal person aiming to enhance their appearance. Precision cuts that frame the perfect face or trimming to tame thick eyebrows are pivotal elements in one’s beauty routine. As a skilled practitioner, I’ve used scissors to transform looks, accentuating unique features and boosting confidence. They have continually proven to be invaluable tools in our ongoing quest to achieve the beauty and confidence that shape our personal and social identities, a testament to the profound invention of scissors throughout history.

Conclusion

Scissors, an invention with roots in ancient Egypt, have become an essential tool in everyday life, influencing trades like tailoring and hairdressing for centuries. With their design perfected over generations, from Robert Hinchliffe’s pioneering steel pairs to ergonomic handles for left-handed use, scissors have facilitated precision and creativity across countless crafts and industries. They encapsulate human ingenuity, blending functionality with artistry, and continue to be an indispensable asset in our daily activities.

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