I remember that we used pinking shears to cut apart our school pictures to trade them with friends.
(1946-1959)
Also for cutting aup Christmas cards to turn them into gift tags.
Really not impressed with using pinking shears to "finish" seams any more. I think it gives clothing a very "home-made" look. Plus, after many washes the seam allowances fray eventually.
French seams, flat felled, bound, serged - all look nicer to me.
My Mom's pinking shears were pretty much off limits to me.
And how did one get them sharpehed?