The history of the appearance of scissors - who invented them and in what year

Manual metal processing is a labor-intensive, traumatic process that takes a lot of time and effort. Some people use a grinder to speed up the process. But she is also powerless when the products are in places inaccessible to her, or she needs to do jewelry work, which is not so rough - cutting corrugated, profile structures. Sheet metal is much more convenient, faster, and safer to cut using electric scissors.

The history of scissors

Scissors appeared in ancient times. However, the exact author of this invention is still unknown.

Ancient first scissors

In Ancient Egypt, scissors began to be used as early as 1500 BC. At that time, the product was a solid piece of metal with two blades, which were controlled by a metal strip. Most often the instrument was made of bronze. Thanks to active trade, he quickly went beyond Egypt and into other countries.

The Romans modified the Egyptian design in 100 AD. As a result, they were able to create rotary and cross blades. Such products are more similar to modern products. The Romans also made them from bronze, but sometimes they also used iron.

Leonardo da Vinci or not?

There is a theory that scissors resembling modern ones were invented by Leonardo da Vinci. According to another version, the instrument appeared much earlier. Archaeologists have found similar products on the territory of Ancient Greece. Later they managed to find the instrument in the place where Ancient Egypt used to be. Scientists believe that the first scissors were made for shearing sheep and rams.

Ancient Greek legend

There is an interesting ancient Greek legend about the appearance of scissors. It says that one day the shepherd Fersit saw a shiny object on the mountain. When he climbed it, a herd of unusual sheep appeared before his eyes. Their fur sparkled in the sun like gold. Fersit was literally amazed by what he saw, and he wanted to take one of the amazing animals with him. However, nothing worked out for him.

When the man returned home, he was ridiculed because they took the story for fiction. Fersit was upset and decided to prove he was right. He connected two knives with a staple and sheared a whole bag of wool from the lambs. When the shepherd showed it to the people, they were very surprised, but still doubted the veracity of the story. When the people climbed the mountain, they did not see a single ram. They started calling the shepherd a liar.

In anger, the people began to ask the shepherd how he got the wool. Frightened Fersit showed the tool he had made. At first people didn't understand what it was for. Then the shepherd sheared wool from an ordinary sheep, which delighted those around him. Since then, he began to be respected and became rich, and people acquired a unique instrument.

Culture

Because of their widespread use across cultures and classes, scissors have a strong presence in world culture.

art

Numerous art forms around the world use scissors as a tool/material to achieve art. For instances where scissors appear or are represented by the final artistic product, see Commons: Category: Scissors in art

.

Movie

• Dead Again
  is a 1991 film starring Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in a thriller revolving around repressed memories of scissors.
• Edward Scissorhands
  is a 1990 film starring Johnny Depp as a young man whose hands are made from several pairs of scissors.
• Running with Scissors
  is a 2006 film based on the memoir of the same name.
• Us
  is a 2022 psychological horror film directed by Jordan Peele about a family faced with scissor doppelgängers.

Games

• The game Rock Paper Scissors involves two or more players creating shapes with their hands to determine the outcome of the game. One of the three shapes, "scissors", is made by extending the index and middle fingers to mimic the shape of most scissors.

• In the horror video game franchise Clock Tower
  , there is a character named Scissors. Although the identity is usually shared by multiple people throughout the series, Scissorman is usually portrayed as a demonic serial killer with a giant pair of scissors who kills anyone without showing any signs of mercy or remorse.

• An anthropomorphic scissors looks like a boss in Paper Mario: The Origami King
  . Various additions to scissor activities are also appearing, such as the Rock-Paper-Scissors variety.[6]

Literature

Augustin Burroughs' 2002 memoir Running with Scissors

spent eight weeks on
the New York Times
bestseller list. The book was later adapted into a film.

Music

• Running with Scissors
  is the title of the 1999 album by "Weird Al" Yankovic.
• The song "Enbizaka Tailor's Shop (円尾坂の仕立屋Enbizaka no Shitateya
  )" from Vocaloid Produced by Akuno-P tells the story of a tailor who kills a man and his family whom she mistakes for her unfaithful lover and his three mistresses, using your sewing scissors.
• In XTC, the song "Scissor Man", later performed by Primus.
• “Save your scissors” - song City and Color.
• The song “Scissors” by the American rock band “Slipknot”

Sport

The term "scissor kick" can be found in several sports, including:

• Scissor kick (punch), a general martial arts term for any of a number of movements that may resemble the appearance or action of scissors.
• Bicycle kicks in soccer are sometimes called "scissor kicks."
• Swimming Kicks, Including Side Kick Include a kicking motion often known as a scissor kick.

Superstition

Scissors are widely used in cultural superstitions. In many cases, the details of a superstition may be specific to a given country, region, tribe, religion, or even situation.

• Africa In parts of North Africa, it was believed that scissors could be used to curse the groom. As the groom rode on horseback, the man casting the curse stood behind him with open scissors and called his name. If the groom responded to his name being called, the scissors snapped shut and the groom could not consummate his marriage with his bride.[7]

The science

Scissors have been used in science for a variety of purposes, including describing animals or natural features.

Nature

Animals named after scissors include:

• Birds The scissor-tailed flycatcher of North and Central America.
• The hummingbird with scissors
• The scissor snake is a bird widespread throughout Africa.
• The scissor-tailed nightjar is from South America.

Evolution of scissors

Since its creation, scissors have undergone many changes. Over time, craftsmen began to use different materials for their manufacture - steel, silver, iron. Subsequently, they became so carried away by the design of the instrument that using it for its intended purpose became very problematic.

The nail scissors that every modern woman has in her arsenal were created in the Middle East. They were designed by a jeweler for the wife of a rich Shah. Therefore he received the title of the first sage.

They also began to come up with tools that were used for certain purposes and specialties. Some were used in medicine, others in cattle breeding, and others in hairdressing. Lawn mowing tools were invented in England.

Operating rules

Our recommendations are simple but effective. They will protect you from unpleasant situations. So, starting to work with tools, you should:

• Keep products away from your face.
• Use scissors only for their intended purpose.
• Store or leave unattended only in a box or case.
• Protect your fingers.
• Carefully take or pass products to someone, pointing the sharp ends down.
• Use only sharpened, adjusted, serviceable tools.

Device and characteristics

The simplest scissors include 2 blades that converge in parallel planes.

The functions of the handles are performed by the rings. The cutting elements differ in shape and size.

What are scissors made of?

To manufacture the tool, a durable and wear-resistant material is used, which can be subjected to increased loads and the influence of mechanical factors. Most often, different types of steel are used for this purpose - chrome-vanadium, high-carbon, chromium-nickel. Handles can be made of plastic or silicone. They are made rubberized or covered with anti-slip materials.

Forms

Cutting parts can have a straight or shaped shape. There are also scissors with notches, cutouts, and teeth.

Dimensions and weight

These parameters are determined taking into account the purpose of the tool. Thus, the models that are used to trim a child’s nails have a length of no more than 8-10 centimeters and a weight of 50-100 grams.

Household and culinary products can reach 30-50 centimeters. Their weight is 200-500 grams. Devices for caring for plants and cutting metal are larger in size. They can reach 1 meter in length. Moreover, the mass of such instruments reaches several kilograms.

Punching (punched)

They have a rigidly fixed, static part in the structure, inside of which there is a movable working unit. During operation, the active cutting element cuts out sections of metal (chips).

The advantages of such a power tool are:

• The work process can be started on any part of the metal (even from the middle);
• Corrugated and profiled sheets are excellent for cutting;
• Curvilinear, shaped cuts using templates and shapes are available;
• High quality work is achieved at any thickness (twisting, burrs - no);
• Quick replacement of cutting elements;
• Good visibility of the working area;
• Good performance in terms of power and efficiency.

There are several disadvantages:

• During processing, it leaves marks along the edges of the line - grooves equal to the diameter of the working edge;
• Difficult to keep cutting in a straight line;
• Doesn't work well with uneven metal thickness.

What types of scissors are there?

All tools differ in purpose. At the same time, they are characterized by design features, technical parameters, weight and dimensions.

Hairdressers

Hairdressers use straight products that have a standard sharpening. These tools help you cut your hair evenly. There are also thinning devices with a serrated cutting edge. They allow you to create stylish modern haircuts.

Manicure

These scissors are small in size and have sharp tips. They can be used to trim nails, hangnails and cuticles.

Kitchen

Scissors are also often used in cooking. They are used for cutting rabbit or chicken carcasses. This tool allows you to cope with the task more quickly and accurately than a regular knife.

Stationery

Such products have long or short fabrics. They are equipped with comfortable handles. Stationery products are used for cutting paper and handicrafts.

Garden

This group includes special tools for cutting grass. Of course, they cannot match the functionality of lawn mowers. However, such devices allow you to remove plants in hard-to-reach places.

Tailor's

Tailors use unusually shaped tools. They have one blade longer than the other. In addition, the finger rings are larger than those of ordinary models.

Hydraulic

This tool is used for cutting metal rods and wires. It allows you to make perpendicular or angled cuts. Thanks to lever systems, it is possible to achieve a smooth transition of pressure from the drive to the cutting parts.

Medical or surgical

These scissors are used to cut soft tissue, cartilage, and bones during operations. Products are guillotine and hinged.

Electric scissors

Electric tools have various modifications. Sheet shears are used to dismantle metal structures. There are also splined devices. They have several knives, cope with seams and do not cause deformation of steel sheets.

Instrument care

The key to a long service life of an instrument is, of course, the quality of its execution. However, care during use also affects the life and quality of service of sewing scissors. Following simple recommendations will extend the life of your favorite instrument:

• Before starting and after work, shake off any remaining threads, dust and lint from the blades;
• Use tailor's scissors only when working with fabric. Leave paper, plastic, cardboard and other materials to other scissors;
• It is also better to trim zippers and metallic threads with a separate tool;
• the same applies to fabrics that differ greatly in structure: for thin chiffon and thick wool it is better to have separate scissors;
• sharpening must be professional. You should not try to sharpen scissors at home unless you are a sharpener. Without precise observance of the sharpening angle and pressure on the blade, it is easy to completely dull the tool. Checking the sharpening quality of scissors is quite simple. Take a thin fabric and make cuts in different directions. Scissors should cut equally evenly along the entire length of the blade, without pinching the fabric or skipping areas;
• The reason for a poor-quality cut is not always sharpening problems. The adjusting screw may need to be tightened. Don't be discouraged if a rivet is installed instead of a screw. It can also be tightened, although for this you will have to contact a specialist.

How to use scissors

When using scissors, it is recommended to follow these rules:

• Take the correct stable posture and control your body position.
• Focus on the process. It is important not to be distracted by other operations.
• Do not subject the device to increased loads.
• Do not interfere with the design of the product.
• Check the tool for functionality before using it.

Recommendations

1. "Scissors: Roman period". Metropolitan Museum of Art
   . n.d. Received 2018-07-18.
2. Inventors and inventions of Zoom. Enchanted learning. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
3. Sudworth, John (2013-04-22). "The scissor maker who cut through Chinese history." BBC News
   .
4. "Story". William Whiteley and Sons
   . Archived from the original on 2014-12-08. Retrieved 2015-01-20.
5. Leader, Robert Eadon (1901). [Memoirs] of Sheffield in the Eighteenth Century
   . Sheffield: Sheffield Independent Press Limited. pp. 69–70.
6. "Paper Mario: The Origami King Wiki Guide: Bowser's Castle." IGN
   . 2020-08-20.
7. Radford, Edwin; Radford, Mona A. (October 2004). Encyclopedia of Superstitions 1949 - Edwin Radford, Mona A. Radford - Google Boeken
   . ISBN 9781417976553. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
8. DJPianz (05/04/2011). "Superstitions of the World: Pakistan - Scissors." Worldsuperstitions.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
9. Fairies and Elves Shannon Knudsen p.27
10. "NEW ORLEANS WARNINGS (1886) by Lafcadio Hearn." Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
11. Aquatic community. "Scissorweed - Rasbora trilineata." Aquaticcommunity.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
12. "Scissor Tail Rasbora - Rasbora trilineata." fishlore.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.

How to choose scissors?

When choosing a tool, it is recommended to take into account a number of technical parameters. So, when buying scissors for metal processing, you should take into account the following indicators:

• material for manufacturing the handle and working elements;
• maximum cutting thickness;
• dimensions and weight.

When purchasing a tool, it is important to pay attention to its appearance. There should be no defects or burrs on it.

Scissors are a very famous invention that is still popular today. Since the creation of this instrument, it has undergone many modifications and transformations. This helps modern people choose the most suitable devices depending on their goals and objectives.

Content

• 1 Terminology
• 2 History 2.1 Early production

Can steel of lower hardness be used?

Yes you can, of course. You must understand that steel with ideal hardness is not cheap. For example, for the Mustang Premium series we use the “same” American-made 440c steel.

But for all other episodes, after sober reflection, we decided to abandon it. Because for a master who is still learning - or is already actively growing, but has not yet reached the top - scissors made of this steel will become a rather heavy purchase. And we want to give everyone exactly what they need.

That's why we used simpler, but still high-quality 4x13 stainless steel in the Mustang Base Series. Can we say that these scissors are unworthy?

I am sure that if anyone says such a thing, hundreds of craftsmen who use these scissors will spit in his face. Because they know for sure that these scissors are good.

You should not blindly listen to the opinions of authorities who say what they need. Because you may need something else. In the Mustang scissors catalog you can choose what you need: