‘Twas a dark and stormy afternoon. Lightening streaked across the sky, and thunder rumbled its angry response. A promise of rain hung in the sultry summer air, and all the world waited, hoping that this parched Kansas land would soon be lush again.
Except for me. I didn’t even notice.
I was under ridiculously bright lamps, trying to settle a score with some silk embroidery I’ve been fighting with lately. I was moving along, rather chipper in mood, actually making progress, when I picked up a pair of tiny scissors to take a premeditated, carefully calculated snip of thread….
You do know the kind of snip I’m talking about, don’t you? The kind that is taken slowly and carefully; the kind that you hesitate before taking, maneuvering into perfect position for the snip? That kind?
When it’s time to take one of these Major-Moment Snips, I strongly – no, I violently and vehemently – encourage you to be absolutely certain of the scissors you are using.
Small, sharp, good quality hand embroidery scissors are the embroiderer’s best friend. Good quality scissors can last a life time. They give little bursts of wondrous pleasure every time they cut a thread. They feel good in the hand. They work with a smooth perfection of motion. Good scissors work as well as good chocolate tastes.
Good Scissors are simply divine.
And then there are Bad Scissors. Bad Scissors are the kind of scissors that give you all the hope of goodness, only to disappoint. They are small. They are sharp. They are blessedly inexpensive. But they lack quality, and in their making, they lack quality control.
In the photos above, you can see, up close and personal, the blades on a brand-new pair of poor quality embroidery scissors. Just out of the package, they have a burr on one blade, and the tip of the other blade is simply missing. In its place is a rough, broken edge.
Burrs and broken tips snag embroidery threads. And they do it before you even know what has happened. Burrs are difficult to see. They can often be felt, but who wants to run a finger over a sharp scissor blade?
It’s worthwhile to invest in good tools. Once you invest in them, they’re with you for life. You can use them with confidence.
And you’d think that I would know this by now. But these scissors – they were so cute. They were so small. They were so sharp. They were so inexpensive. And they were so, so very flawed.
And my embroidery suffered for it.
Learn from my mistake, dear friends. Be sure of your scissors before you use them!
Have you ever had a scissor disappointment? Any good scissor recommendations? What’s your favorite pair? (Surely we ALL have a favorite!) Have your say below!
