All About Scissors

Posted on Nov 15, 2017 By

Most scissors are made up of two sharp blades with a handle. The blades are attached to each other by a pivot. A pivot is a type of joint that allows for two things to swing back and forth from a single point. Scissors are very sharp and can be dangerous if not used carefully. Use safety scissors and be sure to ask an adult for help if you need it.

Check out this list of some of the many tools used to snip, clip, and cut:

Safety Scissors: Safety scissors are small scissors designed specifically for kids! They have a rounded blade so that you don’t accidentally cut yourself while using them.

Shears: Shears are large scissors designed for cutting fabric. You should never use fabric shears to cut paper: doing so can ruin the blade.

Snips: Snips are tiny scissors with an extra sharp point. They are often used in sewing to trim small threads. Some snips are functional and plain and others are designed to look like flowers or birds!

Pinking Shears: Pinking shears cut in a zig-zag pattern and are used to prevent fabric from fraying.

Novelty Scissors: Novelty scissors are like pinking shears, but are primarily used for cutting paper. They can cut in all kinds of fun, crazy patterns like scallops and waves!

Embroidery Snips: Embroidery scissors have a special curvy handle designed to help when trimming close fabric edges or small threads.

Grooming Scissors: Grooming scissors are special scissors designed for cutting and trimming hair.

Electric Scissors: Electric Scissors have a long cord with a plug and use electricity to vibrate really fast and cut paper. Because they are not sharp and do not pivot, you won’t accidentally cut yourself when you use them.

Rotary Cutter: A rotary cutter uses one circular blade that spins like a wheel when you roll it across a surface. Rotary cutters are used to cut fabric.

Box Cutter: A box cutter has one large blade that can be extended and retracted for safety purposes. Box cutters are very sharp and can be used to cut through thicker materials like cardboard and foam core.