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.

Love Kai!! My favorite of what I have used in 65 years of sewing!!

I like my kai embroidery scissors. No idea what their larger scissors are like.

I bought 8" gingher dressmaking shears when I was doing custom sewing back in the 1980's, and I am still using them. (most of my cutting now is rotary) My husband has always done the sharpening (he sharpens my knives too). I have no idea if they still are the same quality though. . .

when my Mom passed 6 years ago, I found another pair of the exact scissors that looked near unused, She had not sewn for about 30 years before she passed, so I expect they were not much newer than my set. So now I've got a spare if I ever need them.

Clover Bordeaux, hands down. Made in Japan. Excellent, cuts like butter. I have ginger, kai, buckley......BORDEAUX !

I didn’t know that! My son and family live in Puyallup and we go there regularly!!

I especially like my Gingher scissors. They're very sharp and pretty too.

My favorite pair by far. They aren't much at JoAnn's with a coupon.

I use a rotary cutter and seldom use scissors other than to cut threads.

These look nice. I'll have to investigate them a bit! TY!

I love my Gingher shears. I used this pair for 30+ years before I had them sharpened. On a side note, I was at an estate sale and purchased 2 pair of Ginghers for $3 each and they were even sharp!

I own several pairs of Kai scissors, they're my absolute favorite, my second favorite is a pair of Karen Kay Buckley scissors.

Both brands are micro-serrated, which means the blades grab the fabric and don't let it slip as they cut.

The Kai handles are super comfortable.

Kai has a free sharpening program that can't be beat. You pay the cost of postage, they sharpen for free. Last time, I sent 4 pairs in, one of which had a bent tip because I dropped it. They replaced that pair with a brand new pair at no charge.

Kai also has customer service that can't be beat. A few years ago, someone here on the board was looking for a pair of specialty scissors, I *think* they were the duckbill applique pair, but in a left-hand version, she couldn't find a pair anywhere. We suggested she contact Kai. They made a pair for her, she was super happy.

Peckish, thanks for that info on sharpening. I didn't know about it.

This is a deal-maker for me!! Guess Kai will be my new pair. Now I have to choose between #5230 and #5240. Decisions, decisions!

And thank you everyone for all your help and input!

:D :D :D

My Mother-in-Law gave me about 30 years a left-handed Gingher scissors. I have treasured and used that so much and no one else in the family better use it. I laid that rule down long time ago when my kids were at home and no one touched it but me. What a meanie I am, right?

Nah. My mother did the same with me and I did the same with my husband when we got married. lol

This. Many professional shops have knife services and "the guy" has a regular route. The guy in my area actually lives about 10 min from my house and does work at his house, but I am aware of how rare/lucky my situation.

I have WISS, Ginghers, Kai, Fiskers. I have a lot of scissors but they must not be popular brands? I recently bought a pair of Gugenheimers and they are super nice!

I have Wiss (now retired), Gingher (nonfunctioning), and tossed my Fiskars back when I got my Wiss. Gonna try Kai.

Sharpening IS an issue here. I live in the true boonies. If there is a local guy sharpening here, I haven't been able to find him despite a solid effort and I just don't trust the mails. Over the holidays one of our Alabama drivers tossed over 700 packages and envelopes in a ravine nearby and I got 4 refunds for stuff as a result, which is why I won't trust my Wiss shears to the mail. So I'm gonna try Kai right after I finish my taxes!!

:D

.... you do realize in order to have the Kai sharpened, you have to mail them, right? 🤔

After reading your reviews, I bought a Kai 8" dressmakers scissors (V5210) on Amazon. It does cut very well, but is a little too big and heavy for my hand. I've had all the good brands, starting with Wiss, then Ginghers, then Fiskars. I'm going back to Fiskars because they cut well, fit my hand, are light weight and inexpensive ($8.98 on Amazon). I'll keep the Kai, but they're not my favorite. Love hearing about what you like!

That's why I'm insisting on the really low-end Kai's. I've finally settled on the 5210's, which are $17.99. Sharpening is $20+/-. So instead of sharpening, I'll toss 'em and buy new, 'though after reading SallyS's post on Fiskars, maybe THAT's the way to go?!?

LOLOLOL. Just when I think I've got the whole thing worked out, I find I'm back at square 1. I think I give up!!!

:D