Show us your Shears, Scissors, and Secateurs!

[four.cycle]

If you had always thought that metal cutting snips would be included..."

4Cycle, are tin snips in or out?

Wow... well... Gentlemen - I've never started any thread on here thinking of it as "mine" - I see all of this as "ours".
I was just acting on Lugz's mention of it yesterday because I happened to have ventured into a "shears/snips/scissors" rabbit hole about a week ago and knew it would turn over some really interesting rocks. (Thank you Mr. Bean. )

Honestly, maybe it's because I look at so many ebay ads written by sellers who wouldn't know "tin snips" from their shoes, but I've always thought that "shears" and "snips" - in the context of tin snips and sheet-metal cutting tools - were the same animal.

NOW maybe it will make more sense to some of you why I started that goofy "Nomenclature" thread - because candidly, I am confused as hell about some of this stuff, and venturing into European and Asian makers in an effort to flesh out that list has only added to the confusion.

I'm always one of those "the more is merrier" kinds of guys, so I certainly have no objection to "tin snips" - I was going to go dig out my old beaters and post them.

My only concern when I started the thread was that we were going to have members posting big sheet metal brakes and the like. I was hoping to just restrict it to hand-held devices.
Otherwise, we wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing gems like Jabberwoki's cuticle trimmers

 

[The Bean]

The ones i pictured from "PRUSSIA" might have come over with my wife's Jewish grandparents...
I had no idea we had so many from so far afield. I'm sure i missed a few pair...including ones from Taiwan.
I'll keep an eye out for the nomenclature listed ones (USA).
Cheers.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

More from the wife's collection

Believe it or not, in case Mrs. Bean didn't know it, those fancy Mundia Italy scissors you posted in the shape of a crane or egret or heron type bird with the detailed scrollwork are not just a clever, cosmetic one-off, but a "type" or "pattern" of embroidery scissors that probably goes back a couple hundred years in Europe.

Mine are unmarked and considerably newer than that.



1907 Wiss catalog excerpt...




The reason nearly all the gilt has worn off of mine is the same reason my photo background is stone instead of my typical wooden workbench top. That's because I took the photo in my bathroom instead of my basement. These are my go-to facial groomers for how precise they are. My hair grows quickly, I am extremely fastidious - especially about the areas that get irksome, and they are used nearly daily. I found them at a flea market many years ago and I am so dependent on them, and they are so much better than the crappy scissors that came in my little multi kit, that if I forget to put them in my travel bag, it's more upsetting than forgetting my meds.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I've never started any thread on here thinking of it as "mine" - I see all of this as "ours".

Well, I have always been a proponent of the idea of thread proprietorship, and I think the tradition here on GJ of respecting that is an important, good one, because they can sometimes get off track (wrong tools, modern examples instead of vintage examples, etc) or out of control (sales instead of discussion, rudeness, arguments, etc) very quickly, and respecting the thread starter as the arbiter is an easy way to avoid further trouble. But if that's the way you feel, then I selfishly "vote" for no tin snips! Mainly, because I won't have to scroll past hundreds of common and likely redundant examples!

 

[The Bean]

These are my go-to facial groomers for how precise they are.

OMG. I forgot to check the bathroom. These are my groomers and my travel scissors. Can i get past TSA with those? Maybe on my key chain. LOL

 

[four.cycle]

@Private Lugnutz -

Well... I take the good with the bad. My objective, of course, is to discover and record as many names and brands as I can find, and this is just one more way to turn them up, as these objects don't surface during the usual searches I run on ebay.
One can ask "is it a hand tool?", but this is one of those genres of tools where the manufacturer may have made some other widget that spills over into "hand tool" territory - the same reason I'm digging up patent numbers on "combination corkscrew and can opener" devices lately (which is even nuttier than this one.)

Your point is certainly not lost - I doubt there are many members here who do not own at least one pair of "aviation snips" or standard conventional "tin snips", of which we've all seen plenty - my hope was to turn up the unknown, oddball, strange stuff.
I'm not going to want to wade through nine bazillion photos of 10-inch tin ships either!

Again, I was just hoping to restrict it to hand-held devices.

I had no idea that Newark was such a hotbed of scissors/shears/snips makers!

Heinisch / R. Heinisch Sons Works, 109-121 Bruce St., Newark, NJ / est. 1825 acquired by J. Wiss & Sons 1916 / shears, scissors, button hole cutter / patent 129309 Jul 16 1872 Peter Bauer / see also J. Wiss & Sons Co. / http://jwissandsons.com/ /

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Your point is certainly not lost - I doubt there are many members here who do not own at least one pair of "aviation snips" or standard conventional "tin snips", of which we've all seen plenty - my hope was to turn up the unknown, oddball, strange stuff.

That's the spirit I was alluding to.

I had no idea that Newark was such a hotbed of scissors/shears/snips makers!

Kitchen and bakery tools and implements, too.

 

[four.cycle]

..... and another thing that may come out of this is (because I don't think that this particular genre is expansive enough to make it impossible) is the creation of a list of "*** makers" (in this case "shears/scissors/secateurs" .... it may be turn out to be more work than I want to do, but it's worth considering.

 

[RTM]

Here is one that has been annoying me for some time. I can’t decipher the maker, but this may not help with 4.c quest, as these are Sheffield made. These have been on my work desk for months, and I look at them every so often, try a different google search, and still nothing. 8” OAL, ~3-1/2” cutting length, square top blade to avoid catching on your victim.

The stamp seems to be.

..EORGEPL.. George Platt Thanks to Kwigly
&SON
.HEFFIELD (I think we can guess the leading S)

Edits in Bold
Found this Link that calls them Button Hole Scissors, for surgery (which I doubt), and also helps explain the Logo, a Sailor

Buttonhole Scissors

Making short, straight cuts into the body cavity when dealing with severe trauma in a battlefield setting requires quick and easy tools as often this surgery is done in the most rudimental of condi…

talesfromthesupplydepot.blog

Back side has a small shape that does not photo well. Bottom center is a wavy line, with posts on either side. Cross bar above it, something hanging from the crossbar. Left is a vertical line that bends at crossbar height and end up just shy of whatever is hanging over the crossbar. (Cooking on a spit over a campfire?). Pics for your ideas / input / factual answers.




And an image of the shop

Searching Picture Sheffield

 

[Outlawmws]

To give 4C some names for Tin Snips, and not "clog the thread" (Or kill me for search, setup and photos) I culled this list from my inventory:

99
Baker
Bartlett
Blue Bird
Blue Point
Boker
Corona
Craftsman
Crescent
Diamalloy
Dunlap
Equity Shear Co
Kraueter
Malco
Midway
OL? Clover T.rade Mark.
P. S. & W (Pexto)
PEXTO
Proo
Proto
R. Heinisch
R. Heinisch (Vulcan)
Sargent & Co.
Schimkat
Stanley
Stiletto
Wiss
Worth

 

[HeelSpur]

This was a flea market find years ago.

 

[Outlawmws]

That's pretty Awesome for scissors!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

This was a flea market find years ago.

Very cool, Heels. One of the things I like about new threads and new subjects is the learning. I mentioned it on my thread with respect to terminology, the name of the various parts of shears and scissors, and also how many different types or patterns there were. Those are quite literally called "Editor's Scissors" or sometimes "Desk Scissors" in old catalogs! "Paperhanger's Shears" and "Banker's Shears" had similarly long blades, also for cutting paper, but much longer, larger, more elaborate finger rings.

 

[four.cycle]

"... these are Sheffield made...."

Sheffield History forum
for reasons I do not understand, they have not yet approved my membership application.
member johnm seems to really know his stuff.
some of the threads bring out locals whose fathers/uncles/brothers worked in the factories and workshops of the area.
the site is a gold mine for information. I just need to get "signed up" so I can interact with a couple of them.

it's pretty easy to get lost on GracesGuide.uk - Sheffield, England is ground zero for knife, scissor, and other blade makers - if there was a spot on the planet where all blade-making originated, Sheffield, England would be it.

I have to run to the bank. I can't keep up here. I'm leaving all the windows open. I'll be back later. 12:37 pst BK

 

[Outlawmws]

The Solingen area of Germany is also noted for its blades and steels. Most of my favorite knives came from there, and I have a pre-civil war export cavalry sword from there.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Sheffield, Solingen, and to a lesser extent, Eskilstuna. The references to Swedish steel in mid-century American hand tool mfgrs' catalog was astounding fo me when I first took notice.

 

[kwigly]

RTM maybe George Platts & Son, Sheffield (with your logo only showing the bottom left quadrant)

 

[four.cycle]

@Outlawmws -

Baker ? Just "Baker"? not "Baker Hamilton" ?

Equity / Equity Shear Co., Newark, NJ / shears, scissors / patent (?) / any idea of a patent date or number from Equity?

OL? Clover T.rade Mark. - ?? I think maybe we need to see this one.

Proo - definitely need to see this one... Google want to sell me "PRO"

Heinisch ... Vulcan?? (there is a mess of information on Heinisch on the "Wiss" site, of all places, but I suppose that makes sense:
Heinisch / R. Heinisch Sons Works, 109-121 Bruce St., Newark, NJ / est. 1825 acquired by J. Wiss & Sons 1916 / shears, scissors, button hole cutter / patent 129309 Jul 16 1872 Peter Bauer / see also J. Wiss & Sons Co. / http://jwissandsons.com/ /

That button-hole cutter patent carried over to Wiss? Or Wiss just used the design after the patent expired, maybe? They both manufactured that particular widget.

It would appear that I do not need to re-invent the wheel here. It looks like one Mr. Philip K. Pankiewicz published a volume on scissors and shears in 2013. Mr. Pankiewicz's list of American scissor and shear manufacturers is posted in the first post of this thread.

@Outlawmws & @Private Lugnutz -

RE: "The Solingen area of Germany" / RE: "Sheffield, Solingen, ... Eskilstuna."

Exactomundo. It would appear from just a quick glance at Mr. Pankiewicz's list above that what Solingen was to Germany, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York were to America.

@Private Lugnutz -

RE: "Swedish Steel"

The more references I see to that term, the funnier it gets. I did catch one a couple weeks ago where they were marketing "Norway Steel". Go figure.

Like I said above, I think this one will turn over some interesting rocks. I am looking forward to what comes out of the woodwork here.

I'd imagine Dave455, humber2, and farmerj will no doubt have some interesting curios among their treasures.

 

[RTM]

for reasons I do not understand, they have not yet approved my membership application.

You probably don't hold your pinkie high enough when drinking your afternoon beverage.

 

[RTM]

RTM maybe George Platts & Son, Sheffield (with your logo only showing the bottom left quadrant)

Geez, I never thought to put a space into my searches between George and PLA. Thanks much, that looks very convincingly like a portion of my logo.

And I have that book too. Didn't do the George search on it yet. Dang it.

This is the book kwigly probably found it in, another great reference book that is kicking around on my hard drive. Tho it says table ware, I often find cutlery, scissors, and chisels in here.

https://sha.org/assets/documents/Trademarks%20on%20Base-Metal%20Tableware.pdf

 

[RTM]

Crud, duplicate post, sorry for the bandwidth wasting

 

[Outlawmws]

4C, just Baker. If it had more I'd have included it in the inventory.

I rarely see any patent info on these.

I won't be getting pics anytime soon for reasons already stated. These are not "neatly organized" i have several drawers full of them... plus some of the oddballs and users not in the main drawers.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It looks like one Mr. Philip K. Pankiewicz published a volume on scissors and shears in 2013.

I posted a link to it in the Lugzsonian thread. Unfortunately, not all the pages are available.

 

[jabberwoki]

Yes?

 

[kwigly]

Replacement scissor blades by E Morris Mfg Co. (I don't have the scissors, neither the "Old Model" nor the "New Improved")

 

[The Bean]

American Scissors and Shears - Google Play

American Scissors and Shears provides an historical overview of more than 100 companies and individuals involved in producing scissors and shears in the United States from the mid-1800s to approximately 1930. Accompanying and enhancing the text are hundreds of photographs, advertisements, and...

play.google.com

 

[tontotheindian9]

Craftsman

 

[d42jeep]

I spotted these Case scissors sitting in my user toolbox this morning. I’m not sure where they came from.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

If they are near as good as the knives, they should be very good!

 

[four.cycle]

^ Those are extremely cool. I was not aware Case ever made scissors. Curious as to what else they may have stamped out since 1889.

 

[Mintgrun]

I was not aware Case ever made scissors. Curious as to what else they may have stamped out since 1889.

Spatulas! (not mine, unfortunately)



CuTco is another knife maker that made scissors. Here's a pair I have, along with some WISS kitchen shears. (I think they both qualify as vintage).





They are made to come apart at the pivot for cleaning and the T shaped pin can be adjusted for tension. The serrated side helps grip food (and stuff) and they've got good very leverage.



The serrations on the WISS pair don't go into the cutting edge.



I think the grippy part between the handles is for opening small jars and bottles in the kitchen. (Forgive me for stating the obvious. I'm just mentioning some of the features that are somewhat unique to kitchen shears).

I like the smooth profile and simplicity of these. It makes them easy to wash and safe to handle. I'll bet K.S. stands for Kitchen Shears.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...some WISS kitchen shears.

I think the grippy part between the handles is for opening small jars and bottles in the kitchen. (Forgive me for stating the obvious. I'm just mentioning some of the features that are somewhat unique to kitchen shears).

You may have missed the catalog excerpt I posted in post #14. See the whole page here. Yours don't have that notch in the outside of the finger ring, though.

 

[Mintgrun]

You may have missed the catalog excerpt I posted in post #14. See the whole page here. Yours don't have that notch in the outside of the finger ring, though.

Sorry, Lugs. I remembered the bit about the bottle opening notch. I should have gone back and reread your post. No notch on mine and the grips are symmetrical, as opposed to having one side designated for your thumb, so I figured it was different enough to be worth posting. I appreciate the symmetry.

I am a fan of WISS tools. Here's an assortment of some of the ones I have. The upholstery shears see the most use.



Tom

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Sorry, Lugs. I remembered the bit about the bottle opening notch. I should have gone back and reread your post. No notch on mine and the grips are symmetrical, as opposed to having one side designated for your thumb, so I figured it was different enough to be worth posting.

No apologies necessary. I didn't mean, "it was already covered." I meant, "Yup, you're right, cool kitchen shears, and I posted a funny excerpt," because I couldn't tell from your post whether you had seen it or not!

 

[Mintgrun]

I'm not sure how old these are, but I'll post them anyway, because I think they're cool and I think the design has been around for a while. This pair is marked SICO and STAINLESS.



I'm also not exactly sure what to call them, other than medical shears, or scissors. I need to brush up on my terminology. The nub on the end allows them to be pushed in under a bandage, or clothing without cutting the patient.



The spring is a cool design that has a little wheel on one end and a track cut into the handle for it to run in and the other end of the spring opens the closing-catch when you squeeze them.



When I bought them, the guy told me that the "military version" will cut a penny in half, so I tried that (of course) and they do indeed. With very little effort. The serrated bottom jaw keeps it from slipping out.



I've seen these called carpet shears, but they were also in a leather working catalog that RTM shared. In any case, they have very pronounced teeth along the bottom jaw that get a grip on the material being cut.



The cutting edge is smooth behind the teeth.



They're marked Roberts Shears on one side and Solingen Germany on the other. (obvious in the photos, but typed out for future site searchers)



I'm not sure what the tall nub on the bolt end is for, aside from possibly making them easier to pick up. The gap at the handle, where one side meets the other may be there to allow for sharpening; so as the (non-toothed) blade gets ground down, the nub between the handles can be shortened to keep the tips overlapping.

 

[Outlawmws]

I found an old pic of the big Wiss (mostly) Upholstery scissors, Probably not all of them...

 

[Mark Stansbury]

Clauss # 3760 10" stationers shears and Clauss kitchen shears. My wife was nicking herself on the screwdriver tip so I capped it.

 

[Mintgrun]

I found these little GOLD SEAL thread nippers so long ago that I can't quite remember where they came from. Tonight I learned that they were invented by a man named Francis M. O'Brien, from St. Petersburg, Florida and patented in 1952. Here's a link to that information - https://www.freepatentsonline.com/2597519.pdf with drawings showing how he fit the spring inside.

 

[kwigly]

Clauss 3318s, and Twinworks 182/7 from Brazil

 

[kwigly]

Equity Shear Co, and H Seymour Cutlery Co.
Interesting that the Seymour's are overstamped "2ND" (maybe why the pivot pin has been vigorously peened"