New Shears
 

The time has come, I'm afraid. Need new shears. I've been using a pair of 8" Wiss dressmakers for about 50 years. They finally need sharpening and I'm just not willing to risk them to the mails to send them off to be professionally sharpened. They were a gift from my mother--the only 'adult' gift I can ever remember her giving me--and thus quite precious. So I am shopping for new shears and open for suggestions!

I've been looking at Kai 5230 over on amazon. I like the idea of Japanese steel. Are there any other brands that you've found work especially well for quilting? Since professional sharpening seems to be running about $20+/-, I'd like to keep the price under $30 so I can toss them and by new with a clear conscience the first time they need sharpened.

Experience (good and bad) is always helpful, too, and may help someone else as much as me!

Thank you all!

:D

Rusty

Rusty, I have many shears and Kai are by far my favorite! They cut like going through butter and I love the feel of them in my hand.
For many years I thought Gingher couldn't be beat but they are so heavy!

When you decide on a new pair of shears, take your gift from your mother and have them framed in a shadowbox for your sewing room wall.

Years ago, I found Gingher shears that are polycarbonate with blades attached. Very lightweight, advertised at the time as "good for arthritic hands". I've used them heavily and they've stayed sharp. Worth every penny.

Great idea! Thanks!

I have several pairs of Kai and I don't think they can be beat. I love the small ones for embroidery as well as the 8". I have several other brands that are expensive and I don't think they are as good. Also, after you cut, if you will take a soft cloth and put a couple drops of oil on it and wipe the scissors, I have found they stay sharp a lot longer. .

If you go to a hairdresser, you might check with them when their shear sharpener comes to do all theirs as he could do yours too. I live in a small town so having to drive to another town during the winter time is out of the question for me. I rarely use my shears and I keep them in their original box. I doubt if I've used mine in the last 12 years or more so they're as good as new. I gave my pinking shears to my sister as I have a pinking shear blade for my rotary cutter that works great for me. Picked it up on Nancy's Notion site.

Most of my quilting friends love the Kai and highly recommend them. They have been replacing their Ginghers and other brands with Kai.

It might help that for us in the Pacific NW, the US headquarters are in Puyallup (a small town sort of between Seattle and Tacoma), so they have a presence at the local sewing expos and such.

The manufacturing has changed for scissors and now even the most inexpensive scissors are good. Clover Bordeaux is my top choice I like Elan and Havel brand. The serrated edge is the best for detail cutting. I have Ginghers, Clover, Havel, Karen Kay Buckley, Elan, Kai Westcott, Mundial, Weiss, and many with no brand name. I have a basket full of scissors. My prized scissors that stay with my hand sewing projects are hand made in Nogent France. My daughter bought them for me when she toured France. She said they were small enough to pack and she knew I liked scissors. LOL

I still have the first pair of Wiss Shears I ever had and will always hold onto the. I may or may not have them sharpened, who knows. As far as new shears I have 2 pair of Gingher shears. They were reasonable in price and I have 1 pair for my sewing room and one pair for traveling. Neither of which will ever cut paper if I have my way! The first pair I got was from My mother when she could no longer sew and I purchased the other pair for around $30.00 if I remember right. It could have cost a little more. I have had both pair for several years and just love them.