Specialty Scissors
 

My main quilting interest is applique, and I sew both by hand and by machine. I am considering purchasing the Gingher 6" Knife Edge Applique Scissors (for hand applique) and/or the Gingher 6” Double Curved Embroidery Scissors (for machine applique).

Do any of you use either one of these scissors? How do you use them? What are the advantages or disadvantages over a "regular" pair of scissors (like the Gingher knife edge scissors that I already use and love!) ?

Thanks for any insights you can share!

Angie

I have never used these scissor so I can't say on the Ginghers but I did a google search on them and I found they are microserrated. I have the Karen Buckly micro serrated scissors (4" size) I use for applique (needle turn) and I love, Love, LOVE them. The micro serration grabs the fabric so it doesn't move at all as you cut. I find I have much more precision and control when cutting tiny pieces with these scissors. I highly recommend them for applique. I suspect the Ginghers are just as nice but the images I find they don't seem as fine pointed (excellent for precision cuts) as the Karen Buckly ones.
http://www.karenkaybuckley.com/store.php?cat=5

I don't appliue but I have to second the Kay Buckley scissors, they are my favorites for everything. My mom's Senior group even had me get them for them as they have the extra large handles

I, too, have the KKB microserrated scissors -- there are 3 sizes and I have 2 of each of them. One set with my piecing tools and one set with my applique tools. Last year at the Houston IQF, I got a couple pair of the Kai embroidery scissors with the curved tips (model N5100). And this year at the Houston IQF, I got a pair of Kai double curved blunt tipped embroidery scissors (model N5130). They didn't have any with serrated blade, but I knew that after using the KKB serrated scissors, I wouldn't be happy with smooth blades. The salesman said he would check and see if they could make them for me. And they did (at no extra charge). It is amazing how closely I can trim with the blunt tipped scissors. I do needle turn, back basting and reverse applique by hand and fusible and spray sizing and template applique by machine.

I love my Gingher applique scissors. They are really sharp, and you can cut right to the edge of anything with the point. I have the ones that have a large curved shape flat blade, and it is great for trimming close to an edge by sliding that blade under the top fabric. You can see exactly where you are cutting.

I have lots of Ginger's and the KKB ones......both are great brands in my opinion.

I also have micro serrated scissors, and yes, l love them, too. I was curious precisely about the ones you describe, and was wondering what the advantage would be over other also great scissors.

Does anyone know of any video where we could see how they are used? I have several Gingher scissors and love them all, but they are pricey, so I wanted to know what the advantages and/or disadvantages would be for these particular ones.

Kai DOES make scissors with a micro-serrated blade. Maybe they were sold out of them by the time you got to the booth - I was also in Houston last year and that's where I bought my second pair of Kai micro-serrated shears.

I own 6 pairs of them in a multitude of sizes and they are my favorite. They have a very comfortable handle, are not heavy, and have a sharpening program similar to Gingher's.

Here is a link to Kai's page of serrated scissors. http://www.kaiscissors.com/category.php?category_id=53

There is a list of more scissors on the left side of the page if you're interested in other types.

I just looked at the Kai scissors. Which size do you like best, the 4 1/2" or the 6" Serrated Patchwork Scissors?

It depends on what I'm doing. I think I like the 4 1/2" best.

I have 3 pairs of the 4 1/2", one of them has a curved point and I like using that pair when I'm longarming. The second pair lives at my sewing machine, and the third pair is in my to-go box of handwork I take with me when I go out somewhere.

The larger ones I use mainly for garment sewing, cutting shapes that are too difficult to cut with a rotary cutter, or when I can't find my small scissors. :D

Someone else here on the board had gone to Kai based on my recommendation, and I was very impressed with the customer service she received from them.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...y-t206195.html