Everything about scissors - in this post I will tell you what you need to know about scissors and which scissors you need for sewing. You will also get tips on handling cutting tools!
The most important at a glance
- In this post you will learn what you should know about scissors and which scissors I recommend to you for sewing
- When buying scissors, you should make sure that they fit well in your hand and you feel that the scissors are made for you
- Since I have owned good scissors, sewing has been at least twice as much fun for me
Scissors for sewing and fabric – which scissors you really need!
I am asked so often by blog readers which scissors I can recommend - and what you need to pay attention to. Therefore, I decided to pack my accumulated knowledge from many sewing years into one post. :)
When I started sewing, I didn't really know: Which scissors do I absolutely need - and what do I need to pay attention to when buying and using them?
Do I absolutely need a super expensive precision scissors or is the cheap version from the discount store enough? Read my Fabric Scissors Test Report with buying advice.
In the meantime, I have been sewing for many years and have gathered a lot of experience. You can benefit from this (if you like) in this post. Here you will find a Shopping List for Sewing Beginners.
If you like to sew, you need the following scissors:
- Paper scissors: for cutting out the patterns
- Fabric scissors: for cutting the fabrics
- Thread scissors: for snipping, marking and trimming threads
- optional: Thread snips for quick and effortless cutting (mine is always next to the overlocker, there is nothing better for trimming threads!)
- optional: special heavy-duty fabric scissors with a bent blade (great for thick textiles like fleece, sweatshirt fabric, faux leather or coat fabrics, where the "normal" fabric scissors give up).
TIP: With the discount code PAULXSEWSIMPLE you get 10% off all products in the Paul Shop!
The code is valid for all non-discounted products and for purchases of at least 40 euros.
Have fun browsing & shopping. 🛒✂️
How do scissors cut?
A pair of scissors consists of two blades that are guided closely past each other. The fabric is pushed between the two blades, which are sometimes also called scissor blades, jaws or levers . When the jaws are closed, the fabric is cut smoothly and without material loss.
By the way, the space between the jaws is called the throat (and I really like that).
The two openings through which the fingers are guided are called eyes.
There are scissors for right- and left-handed people. You can find my recommendations for left-handed scissors further down in this post.
My tip: The longer a pair of scissors is, the greater leverage it can develop. This means, conversely, that you have to exert less force yourself when cutting. Especially when working with thick fabrics or many layers of fabric, this is a decisive advantage. That is why using a special textile scissors with a thick blade, like the one you can see in the picture on the far right, pays off.
Buying recommendation: When buying scissors, you should make sure that they fit your hand well. You should feel that the scissors are really made for you. If possible, try out in the store whether the scissors cut the materials you often work with well.
The motto here: Better just one, but a really high-quality pair of scissors than several mediocre ones.
I don't know if you feel the same way as me, but cutting the fabrics is almost a sensual pleasure for me, which I really enjoy celebrating. Since I have decent scissors at my disposal, sewing has been at least twice as much fun for me! :)
Storing scissors
It is important that scissors are stored safely and dry. Avoid letting them be bumped or fall. This is not very good for most scissors.
It is very good to hang the scissors by their handles on hooks.
You can also store them lying down. My scissors lie on an artist canvas padded with fleece and covered with cotton fabric (available occasionally in the DIY section at the discount store). This way I always have them at hand.
My tip: Some scissors (like my fine Gingher scissors*, which I bought in the USA), come directly with a plastic case. When your scissors are taking a break, slide them in all the way. Then they are safely and protected stored.
Cleaning and maintaining scissors
Storing the scissors dry and dust-free is already half the battle.
If you want to do something especially good for your scissors, you can also give them a spa day.
Here's how: Wipe the scissors with a clean, dry cloth. If necessary, sharpen them with the scissor sharpener (see below). Clean them dry again. Then put a drop of oil (e.g. sewing machine oil) into the throat and on the screw.
There is also special scissor oil, which I use for example for my fine Paul scissors. I ordered the scissor oil directly with my order. It ensures that the scissor blades glide very smoothly. Important: Use only a very, very small amount of oil. And not on the entire scissor blade but only on the screw!
This is how you can oil scissors: Put a drop of oil on the screw with the pipette. The oil molecules distribute themselves between the screw and the scissor blade. Let the whole thing work briefly. Then you can remove the excess oil with household paper.
Which scissors do you need for sewing?
The fabric scissors
The fabric scissors, also sometimes called cloth scissors or cutting scissors - are an important tool in sewing!
With them, the fabrics are cut. Either in combination with a rotary cutter or solo. Both are possible. The fabric scissors can do what the rotary cutter cannot: cut corners precisely.
A professional cutting scissors has a bent shape, which allows you to hold the scissors comfortably and with a straight wrist and at the same time guide the blade horizontally over the cutting table.
I have noticed that on thefabric market by the way, they also like to cut with such professional scissors:
I started back then with scissors from the discount store - and was pretty quickly annoyed that they were so stiff and imprecise.
Of course, I also didn't know back then that you should under no circumstances use fabric scissors for other materials.
I found that out later. :)
With increasing experience, higher quality sewing utensils also became more important to me. I then (for my birthday, I think) wished for fabric scissors from Zwilling. And specifically the Superfection. I am really satisfied with it. I have the version with the longest blades.
Because remember: The longer the blade, the greater the leverage effect of the scissors. And the easier the cutting.
I use the Superfection* exclusively for fabrics - and for all fine fabrics.
For jeans or working with multiple layers, I have been cutting for some time with a pair of scissors by Fiskars*, which is specially made for this.
It was warmly recommended to me by blog reader Coco. Because it is not only fantastic - but also very affordable. I tested it and have to say: The good piece is really very robust, sharp and cuts through many layers of fabric without problems.
Great for sewing fans who often work with jeans or canvas.
My tip: If you especially like working withspecial fabrics, for example vinyl, silk, leather or curtains, it might be worth buying a pair of scissors that is specially made for these materials!
Extra tip: Recently I came across a series of scissors that are manufactured in Scherenmanufaktur Paul. I wasn't even sure at first if that was really something for me, because I was quite satisfied with my scissors. I thought. Until I saw this beauty:
What is in the picture is a heavy-duty special scissors for textiles, a real hammer of a thing! It has a smooth resting surface that allows you to guide the scissors on the surface and cut at the same time. It is not only the first choice for fabric, but also cuts leather, rubber, cardboard, soft plastic or carpet. The 3 millimeter thick scissor blades ensure that even hard materials can be cut without much effort.
You can order the Special scissors for textiles from Simone at Nähcafe am Wasserturm*.
By the way: Since I was already there, I also ordered a completely normal fabric scissors from Paul. It is a bit smaller than the special scissors and overall very handy.
The fabric scissors are also marked with a fabric roll symbol. It is a real powerhouse and cuts super sharp. What I especially like: the blade has a micro-serration, which ensures that even slippery materials are cut safely and do not slip away.
The extremely reliable fabric scissors* you can also order from Simone.
The electric scissors
What is common on the fabric market is gradually making its way into non-professional sewing rooms. Electric scissors are ideal for speed sewers, impatient people and sewing tool nerds (like me).
Electric scissors usually work with the same technology as their non-electric relatives, however, the blades are driven by an electric motor. It feels a bit like an electric knife that you use in the kitchen...
So you need no cutting motion - therefore: no force - to cut with the scissors.
Most electric scissors are not only designed for fabric but can also cut carpet, cardboard, plastic, sheet metal and much more. They are even suitable for gardening.
My electric one has additionally interchangeable cutting heads for different materials. The one for fabrics is however actually only used for that. Here I am a bit picky.
Otherwise electric scissors work astonishingly unpretentiously: charge the battery, attach it and get started. You have to get used to the vibration a bit. And to the speed too.
Since I sew a lot with corduroy, jeans & Co., I am really grateful for my electric scissors*, which makes the work enormously easier for me (and protects my wrists).
Disadvantage: The cutting fun has its price, that must be clearly stated. At just under 50 euros, the electric one is just as expensive as a good normal pair of scissors. I recommend it anyway. Especially because cutting with it is quick and effortless.
Important to know: The electric scissors cut long distances very well, at corners and angles or tight curves you should reach for the fabric scissors. The electric scissors are too imprecise here.
The serrated scissors
Let's briefly look at the anatomy of the serrated scissors. It is constructed on the same principle as the cloth scissors - with the difference that the jaws have an interlocking serrated edge .
The material cut with the serrated scissors therefore has a serrated edge .
Fabrics cut with the serrated scissors have the nice property of not fraying. Therefore, seam allowances can be trimmed very well with the serrated scissors.
The serrated scissors can also be used well for curves or turns: Here the serrated scissors help to notch the seam allowances, so that curves and turns lay perfectly. Read more here about the sewing of curves!
Important to know: Because of the serrated blades, the serrated scissors are significantly harder to use than the fabric scissors - the extra cutting surface brings greater resistance.
Since you often work with the serrated scissors close to the seam, it is also worth purchasing a high-quality pair of scissors so that you can cut precisely and not accidentally damage the seam.
I cut with the serrated scissors* from Prym and am satisfied with them. The serrated scissors from Ikea at the beginning of my sewing career were actually not that great. :) Now I have been very satisfied with the Prym for several years.
For people who do not have much strength in their hands, I recommend the Easy-Action serrated scissors from Fiskars*, which are equipped with better leverage.
The paper scissors
Because I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER cut out patterns with my precious fabric scissors, I absolutely need paper scissors on the sewing table.
Accuracy is important, but it is not as important to me as clean fabric cuts. I am currently using up the old fabric scissors, but I also still have a set from the discount store in use.
So: In my opinion, nothing special is necessary here.
My latest discovery for cutting out patterns, however, is this clever tool here:
*
Cutting out patterns always annoys me because of the handling of the scissors in combination with the flimsiness of a multi-sheet pattern (and always being careful with the table and floor - depending on where I am cutting!).
That is why I looked for a solution that would make it easier for me - I really sew a lot of clothes for my loved ones and myself, so there is a lot of gluing and also a lot of cutting and snipping.
The paper knife is simply guided around the lines of the pattern. This is really a discovery for me. And also a huge relief. ;)
The embroidery scissors
A sharp little pair of embroidery scissors (or two: one at the sewing machine, one at the overlocker) is a great purchase. The little helpers are designed to cut threads close to the fabric. Accuracy is required here.
When buying, make sure that the blades of the scissors lie tightly together and the scissors do not look wobbly. They should cut really powerfully all the way to the tip.
By the way, in the USA I discovered these scissors with a rainbow-colored unicorn design (which I could not resist, although I admittedly had no real shortage of good embroidery scissors).
They look cute, but cut terribly. So they are more decoration. That is why I set out to find an alternative...
...and also found something for the embroidery scissors and thread snips topic at Schnittenliebe.
The thread snips are made entirely of stainless steel and can be operated with one hand. Very sharp, very precise and simply totally fun to use. Like the two fabric scissors, the thread snips also come from the Paul scissors manufactory and are a real little masterpiece.
Matching the thread snips, I also have a small pair of embroidery scissors from Paul, which completes my collection.
Scissors for left-handed people to buy
I am often asked where to buy good scissors for left-handed people. Until now I had no really good tip. That has now changed. Paul has a complete scissors set for left-handed people. Also from the Paul family, produced in Germany, more precisely in Harsefeld, just around the corner from me.
The scissors set for left-handed people includes fabric scissors, textile scissors, and thread snips.
Sharpening scissors - how do you do it?
Your scissors could use a little sharpening? Here you should definitely proceed with caution.
If they are very dull, it is best to take them to a professional scissors sharpener. He makes sure that the scissors do not lose their shape despite the slight material loss during sharpening.
If your scissors only need a light sharpening, you can do it very well yourself.
My tip: I searched for a while until I had the right scissors sharpener* - Fiskars makes such parts, but I would have almost made the mistake of ordering a sharpener that is only suitable for Fiskars scissors.
But there is also one for sharpenable scissors from other manufacturers. It looks like this:
*The trick to the matter (at the beginning I first practiced with old, hopelessly dull scissors until I was sure that it worked - scissors are valuable work tools in sewing!):
The blades are guided straight into the sharpener slot. Then cut slowly a couple of times without pressure. Imagine you are cutting something very delicate. So be very careful!
Afterwards you can marvel at how sharp your scissors are again - at least that is how it is with me. I always cut with my ever-duller scissors until I eventually remember: Oh yes, I could sharpen them again... ;)
My little extravagant scissors
I admit, sometimes I have a little quirk. Then I admire a special accessory for a long time until I finally buy it. That was also the case with my Tula Pink scissors*. A stylish piece. But not only that. They are 6 inches long, so a medium-sized pair of scissors. And one that fits wonderfully in the hand.
I actually thought that they were "too good" for everyday tasks. But that is not true. I use them every day. Firstly, because they look great and I immediately get into a good mood when I look at them. Secondly, because they have a really practical size.
And thirdly, because they have a special blade that cuts very precisely and reliably all the way to the tip. By the way, the blade is "micro-serrated", so it has tiny little teeth that ensure that the fabric edges do not fray so easily.
Bonus: Sew your own scissors case
To keep scissors well protected from dust and dirt, scissors cases have proven themselves. You can sew one yourself very easily. For example with the scissors case pattern from my sewing journal. All you need is half a meter of fabric, some H250 interfacing and a zipper. The scissors case is suitable for scissors up to 22 cm long. Have fun!
Conclusion: You really need these scissors
Here are the three scissors without which it is not possible at all in my opinion:
- a sturdy pair of fabric scissors; clear recommendation: the Profi-Textilschere von Paul* (the best scissors I have ever had)
- a decent thread or craft scissors: for me, the craft scissors by Paul* are the best
- all-purpose or paper scissors: for cutting out sewing patterns, cutting off zippers, and everything else that the fabric scissors are too good for. You can use any mid-priced all-purpose scissors here
And because buying scissors is a matter of trust, I asked Simone if she would include the really high-quality Paul scissors in her shop. Now she has a direct line to the Paul company and always gets the best scissors for us. So also for you. Is that cool or is that cool? :)
Did this post help you?
Then pin it for later so you can find it again! :)
Happy simple sewing,
your Sabine
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