#50 Wiss Nutcracker

Model: 1KS

#29 Stork Scissors

Stork scissors seem to have originated as a mid-wife's clamp. The evolved over time into a much small, simpler design with cutting rather than clamping blades. Stork scissors all follow a similar design and most of the a treated to have a gold appearance. They range widely in age and most are relatively modern and not marked--making exact age and value difficult to determine.

#28 Cream Handled Nutrcrackers

Maker: Unknown
Model: Unknown
Materials: Unknown
Year: Vintage?
Length: 20cm, 8"
Description: As shown.

#27 Green-handled Compton

Maker: Compton
Model: unknown
Materials: unknown
Year: unknown
Length: 6"/15cm
Description: Standard office scissors, green-painted handle.
Estimated value: $1

The green-painted handles may not be original as there are also traces of black paint.

#26 Red-Handled Kleencut

Maker: Kleencut
Model: unknown
Materials: unknown
Year: unknown
Length: 8.5"/21cm
Description: Standard office scissors, red-painted handle.
Estimated value: $1

#25 Tiny Trim Safety Scissors

Maker: WW Beck Wire Products Co.
Model: safety scissors
Materials: unknown
Year: unknown
Length:
Description: Safety scissor still on the card
Estimated value: $1

#24 Bone-handled folding scissors

Maker: unknown
Model: unknown
Materials: unknown
Year: unknown
Length: 4.5"/11.5cm
Description: Folding scissors with what looks like a bone handle. Missing a spring or other mechanism needed to achieve an effective scissor action.
Estimated value: $5

#22: Wiss Shears

Maker: Wiss & Sons: Newark NJ USA
Model: --
Materials:
Year:
Length: 31cm/12.25"
Description: as shown
Estimated value: $10

#14: Peerless Pinkers

Maker: Peerless
Model: Pinker
Materials: unknown
Year: Unknown
Length: 25.5cm/10"
Description: as shown
Estimated value: $5

Scissors for a Cause: Breast Cancer Awaremness

If you need a modern pair of scissors these ones are a nice shade of pink, and part of the price goes to the breast cancer research foundation.

Celebrity Scissors

This is the first in a new theme: celebrity scissors. These are the scissors from The Eyes of Laura Mars. Laura Mars (Faye Dunaway) is a photographer who starts to have visions from the point of view of a murderer. The movie opens with a vision where the murder begins by cutting up a book of Mars's photos. She then wakes and looks at here own version of the book.

In other news... I have plans to make a scissor pigasus ;)

Storing Scissors

I have not yet hit on a good system for storing my scissor collection because they come in such a range of sizes and shapes. This shabby crate is my current method. If anyone out there has a better system, please let me know :)

New Shredder Scissors

This is a brand new set of scissors but I found the design interesting. It would certainly be more labor intensive than a shredder but a good alternative for someone who just wants to destroy receipts and other personal documents before discarding them. Available from the Container Store.

#21: Wiss Equity No 39

Maker: Wiss Equity
Model: No 39
Materials: Steel
Year: Unknown
Length: 23cm/9"
Description: as shown
Estimated value: $1

#20: German Sheath scissors

Maker: Unknown
Model: Unknown
Materials: Unknown
Year: Unknown
Length: 33cm/13"
Description: Slightly warped example. Stamped 'GERMANY'.
Estimated value: $15--$25 if undamaged

#19: Compton U-Set

Maker: Reliance Compton, Newark NJ, USA
Model: Unknown
Materials: Unknown
Year: 1941+, vintage
Length: 28cm/11"
Description: As shown. Remnants of black paint. Stamped with a 1941 patent. These are tailor's shears.  They have a very pleasing design, in my opinion.
Estimated value: $5 up to $30

#16, #17, #18: Patterned-Handle Scissors

Maker: Eversharp
Model: Unknown
Materials: Steel
Year: Modern?
Length: Unknown
Description: As shown. Blade marked 'CHICAGO MAIL ORDER CO'. Handle very faintly stamped 'Eversharp, FORGED STEEL, USA'.
Estimated value: .50c

Maker: Unknown
Model: Unknown
Materials: Steel
Year: Modern?
Length:
Description: As shown. Stamped 'STEEL, U.S.A.'.
Estimated value: .50c


Maker: Unknown
Model: Unknown
Materials: Steel
Year: Modern?
Length:
Description: As shown. Stamped 'FORGED STEEL, U.S.A.'.
Estimated value: .50c

#15: Equity Shear Co Shears (Wiss)

Makers: Equity Shear Co, Newark (Wiss)
Model: Unknown
Materials: Unknown
Year: Unknown
Length: 30cm/12"
Description: As shown. Remanants of both green and black paint on the handles. The makers stamp is very faint but seems to read 'EQUITY SHEAR CO NEWARK'.
Estimated value: $1

About collecting scissors

It is still relatively uncommon for people to collect scissors and this gives the hobby many advantages. The key advantage being that interesting antique (100 year old +) and vintage (50-100 years old) scissors can be acquired for very little money. Almost all of the scissors shown on this blog were purchased cheaply, about $5 for a vintage pair, about $10 for an antique pair--for a mixed lot the per scissor price is often only about a dollar. As I am not interested in museum specimen quality, but actually prefer tools that have seen use, wear and even repair, I have acquired a large and interesting collection primarily of larger vintage linear design scissor--the kind I find most attractive.

There are many interesting types of scissor to collect. Some people prefer the ornate designs, medical scissors, or very early examples. Foldable scissors are fascinating and take up very little space. Candle snuffers are no longer useful to most people and so even very old examples may be purchased for a few dollars. And for the more macho collector there are many models of scissor that doubled as daggers, for a lady's self-defense. If you are more interested in creating scissor art, modern scissors can be bought cheaply in bulk secondary to airport seizures.

If you also collect scissors or even just have a few interesting or rare example, I would love to see pictures and to link to any related blogs.

#13: Wiss Model A Pinking shears [vintage]

Maker: Wiss
Model: Model A
Materials: Unknown
Year: Design begins 1934, this model 1940s
Length: 26cm/10.25"
Description: As shown. Marked with patent 1955443 (1932), 1970408 (1931) and 1959190 (1934)
Estimated value: $1