Terminology
– Scissors is treated as a plural noun and takes a plural verb.
– Alternatively, a pair of scissors is used to refer to the tool.
– Shears are larger instruments used for heavier cutting.
– Scissors and shears are functionally equivalent.
– Hair-cutting shears have specific blade angles for cutting hair.
History
– The earliest known scissors appeared in Mesopotamia 3,000 to 4,000 years ago.
– Spring scissors were used in Europe until the 16th century.
– Pivoted scissors, the ancestor of modern scissors, were invented by the Romans around 100 AD.
– Scissors entered common use in ancient Rome, China, Japan, and Korea.
– The idea of pivoted scissors is still used in modern scissors.
Early manufacture
– Spring scissors were made by heating and shaping iron or steel.
– The Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Company has been manufacturing scissors since 1663.
– William Whiteley & Sons (Sheffield) Ltd. was producing scissors by 1760.
– Robert Hinchliffe of Sheffield produced the first pair of modern-day scissors made of hardened and polished cast steel in 1761.
– Scissors were hand-forged with elaborately decorated handles during the 19th century.
Modern manufacturing regions
– China is responsible for 64.3% of worldwide scissors exports.
– Guandong Province is the primary scissors producing region in China.
– The Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Company, founded in 1663, mass-produces inexpensive scissors.
– France has historically important scissor-producing regions in Haute-Marne, Châtellereault, Thiers, and Rouen.
– Thiers remains an important center of scissor and cutlery production.
– Germany was responsible for manufacturing just under 7% of global scissors exports in 2019.
– Solingen, known as The City of Blades, has been a center for scissors manufacturing since medieval times.
– The Solingen Ordinance ensures that Made in Solingen stamps are applied to products mostly manufactured in the area.
– Friedrich Herder, founded in Solingen in 1727, is one of the oldest scissors manufacturers in Germany.
– Italy’s Premana has a long history of ironworks and knife manufacturing, with many scissor manufacturing workshops.
Scissor manufacturing in specific regions
– Scissor manufacturing started in Solsona, Spain in the 16th century.
– Pallarès Solsona, founded in 1917, is the only remaining artisanal scissor manufacturer in the town.
– The scissor manufacturing industry in Solsona peaked in the 18th century with 24 workshops.
– The Guild of Saint Eligius organized the scissor workshops in Solsona.
– By 2021, there were only two scissor manufacturers left in Sheffield, UK.
– Sheffield was the first center for mass production of scissors, starting in 1761.
– By the 19th century, Sheffield had around 60 steel scissor companies.
– Industry globalization and cheaper mass-produced scissors led to the decline of artisanal manufacturers in Sheffield.
– William Whiteley, founded in 1760, and Ernest Wright, established in 1902, are the remaining scissor manufacturers in Sheffield.
– Ernest Wright was recognized with the Award for Endangered Crafts by the British Heritage Crafts Association in 2020. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scissors
