Snippets on snips

I have an obsession and I am not referring to my over abundant cloth and yarn stash. I am actually referring to my rather useful, though most likely unnecessary,  scissor collection. I have tho pairs of pinking shears, I think I last used one of them two years ago but one of them belonged to my Grandmas K and the other, her mother-in-law. Three fabric shears. The Weiss were my GK's and the one I actually use my aunt gave me. I have three pairs of Stork embroidery scissors, in 3 different colors. Then there are my Historical looking ones, dull ones, little ones, big ones, folding ones, the ones I have lost and yet I seem to always think I need more.

Spring scissors are the oldest form dating to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia over 3,000 years ago. These ones were the most common around the world until the 16th century(1500s). They were made of one solid piece of bent metal that opened and closed with the pinch of the metal. The pivot scissors are the most common type today but are found in Rome in 1st century (100 AD). By the 16th century  it had replaced the spring scissors but you can still  find them around.

Scissors were used for everything and a tool for every housewife. Along with knives and pockets, paintings of housewives show women with scissors hanging on ropes or chains attached to their belts/girdles.  They would be kept near at hand and used for cutting everything from cloth or twine to flowers or herbs.

Now beyond scissors are thread cutters, small pendants with a disc blade in the center or rings with small blades for cutting single threads. Seam rippers that easily tear out stitching mistakes were invented in the 1980s. In 1975 Olfa company introduced rotary cutters that for clothing making and are today a favorite tool among quilters. A patent from 1950 has a pair Gideon and Gorka adding thread cutters to thimbles. Thread cutters on sewing machines was patented on September 10, 1946 yet don't appear common on machines till later. Two of my three machines date before 1970 and neither have one. My mom's 1976 or 78 Kenmore, my 91 Rose both do. Singer renews the patent for the item in 1962.

Signing off and snipping away...