I have been sorting through my mom's sewing stuff, trying to organize the mess that is called my sewing room.

I am across these scissors - Which I have no idea what they are suppose to be used for- they are around 4 1/2" long - the blade is 1 1/2" long - but only 1" is sharp and cuts. There is a 1/2" cut out on both blades. The screw when twisted pulls out a brass gear thingamagig - which prevents the scissors from fully closing -

They say Von Cleff & Co. on 1 side and PAT. 7393 Germany on the other side.

Does anyone know what they are used for.

Those are buttonhole scissors.

Okay, what are buttonhole scissors - or should I say how do you use them?

Only guessing, but could they be to cut button holes after machine stitching?

Google buttonhole scissors. I just saw some articles on how to.

I've always used a seam ripper???

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you...nhole_scissors

They are for cutting buttonholes. Probably old enough to be before machine made button holes. I can remember learning to stitch buttonholes by hand. As I remember you cut first and then stitched. Remember my mother getting a buttonholer for her old singer treadle. ( She sewed a lot of clothes when I was young.). Then when she got her electric zigzag machine it was off to the races. That was in the early 60's. I was about ten.

I have 2 pair of these, Never knew what they were either! Funny would have never guess button holes. Thanks for asking!

Buttonhole scissors...my Mom had some. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Button hole scissors. You set that screw so you don't accidentally cut through the stitching at the end of the place you want to cut open. The pointy things on the blades will make the original hole in the fabric and you cut to the end. I don't recall ever using the tips of the blades to actually cut the buttonhole open. It's a lot more accurate than anything else I've used. That seam ripper can slip and rip through the stitching awfully easy--guess how I know!