"Heavy duty" scissors.. ?

[jac_solar]

Heya. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a heavy duty pair of scissors for general usage? As in, a pair of scissors that won't bend, or break, will retain a decent edge and stay sharp while cutting general stuff such as cloth, tape, plastic, etc. The more versatile the better..

Or does anyone have any advice/opinions on this subject?

 

[fast14riot]

Wiss industrial shears, go for about $60.


-X

 

[CapitalizedLiving]

Wiss industrial shears, go for about $60.


-X

Thanks for the tip - I found some online for much less, and they look like great shears.

 

[liamstrain]

Budget option - Fiskars 9" Titanium Nitride Shop Shears. ~$20

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

There are a number of excellent models by Heritage Cutlery that would fit the bill. I love my 3" stainless high leverage shears from them. Very capable scissors. Klein electrician scissors are nice pocketable ones that deserve mention as well.

 

[smokinbasser]

Look around for a set of bonsai scissors

 

[KNaB]

I have a pair of Dovo shears that are pretty heavy duty and sharp.

 

[Nic S.]

Leatherman Raptor. Nice and heavy duty, fold up so they are easy to carry.

 

[shecky]

A good forged scissors seems to feel more rigid and substantial than modern plastic handled types with stamped blades. Forged electrician scissors offer good utility. I have an old pair of USA Clauss forged kitchen shears that I love. A little larger than electrician scissors, more leverage, and also some "multitool" features. Forged scissors are often plated carbon steel, so some care may be needed regarding corrosion.

Still, scissors often offer long lived utility even on very inexpensive models, such as stamped stainless bladed plastic handled scissors costing only a few dollars. My mom has used some Tullen snips for decades simply because they offer so much utility, with good leverage and a sprung pivot. She's an unsophisticated cutlery user, and they just work, all the time, whatever she needs cut. That particular brand isn't made anymore, but similar scissors can be found in any discount store very cheaply, and will likely survive all kinds of abuse.

 

[mete]

A couple of years ago I came upon a pile of scissors made in Pakistan. Heavy duty, stainless steel .I went through all of them , picking the best .Now I have exactly what I wanted for cardboard, leather etc - all for $ 6 !!!, excellent quality !

 

[eKretz]

I have a pair of the Fiskars TiN coated shop shears recommended above that I have done my level best to beat the living hell out of and they are still going strong. I use them to cut sandpaper, steel shim, etc.

 

[Voltron]

Check out a pair of Klein electrician snips. Can be had at home depot for about 15 dollars. Indestructible, don't bend, and are designed for heavy duty work (cutting heavy gage cable). I use mine as my EDC, sheathed on my belt, and have cut everything from a Penny, to tissue paper. Small, handy, unobtrusive, and definitely heavy duty.

 

[Gizmo Gizzmo]

These are old heavy duty scissors that I stumbled across some time ago . . .

R. HEINISCH INVENTOR NEWARK, N.J. U.S.A.

16-3/8" over-all length & blades are 9-1/8 inches from pivot to tip
Might be Heinisch's largest scissors.
Might be pre-Civil war (c. 1850) - I am still trying to determine their age.
IMHO they are Museum quality - unrestored - original paint.
Full length of both blades are still ultra-sharp!

They are just so nice that I haven't cut anything with them - except my thumb when photo shooting

 

[Gizmo Gizzmo]

WISS KS USA

These are our all-time favorite kitchen scissors - probably somewhere's near 35 years old - if they became lost, we would replace them with a pair as close to identical as possible - still perfect for all of us - used daily, but never abused - we use tin shears if something with metal or wire needs cutting. The scissors are no longer sharp enough to cut those micro sheer fabrics or ultra-thin plastics, but hey, they have never ever been sharpened. We keep tape adhesive wiped off whenever necessary with some household rubbing alcohol / isopropyl alcohol (IPA)

 

[The Amazing Virginian]

Heya. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a heavy duty pair of scissors for general usage? As in, a pair of scissors that won't bend, or break, will retain a decent edge and stay sharp while cutting general stuff such as cloth, tape, plastic, etc. The more versatile the better..

Or does anyone have any advice/opinions on this subject?

Here are a few brands that should all fit the bill to varying degrees, from cheapest to most expensive . . .

Fiskars (the ones they still make in Finland; not the cheap Chinese ones); Gengher; Mundial; and my recommendation, Kai. Standard 8 inch shears by all of these companies can be had from $15 to $50 and should work well for many, many years.

 

[kn4wd]

kai, 7000 series. not under 50 but very nice and well made. I use mine in an industrial environment every day. cut , rip and seem to hold an edge forever. be sure you go for the 7250, if you want the bigger ones and they even have a serrated or knife edge as well as std. the genger and mundials ,clauss and fiskars are no where near the kai quality I have used them all.

 

[eKretz]

These are old heavy duty scissors that I stumbled across some time ago . . .

R. HEINISCH INVENTOR NEWARK, N.J. U.S.A.

16-3/8" over-all length & blades are 9-1/8 inches from pivot to tip
Might be Heinisch's largest scissors.
Might be pre-Civil war (c. 1850) - I am still trying to determine their age.
IMHO they are Museum quality - unrestored - original paint.
Full length of both blades are still ultra-sharp!

They are just so nice that I haven't cut anything with them except my thumb :hurt:

Still healing . . .

Those are gorgeous.

 

[The Amazing Virginian]

kai, 7000 series. not under 50 but very nice and well made.

Don't know about the 7250, but if you look around you can get the 8" Kai 7205 brand new for under $50. The rock anything else I have ever used.

 

[kn4wd]

one is high carbon and one hc stainless. mine are at work and unsure which they are I think the 7250 is high carbon and the 05 is hc stainless. I love mine and agree on cutting ability.

 

[wwells20]

Check out a pair of Klein electrician snips. Can be had at home depot for about 15 dollars. Indestructible, don't bend, and are designed for heavy duty work (cutting heavy gage cable). I use mine as my EDC, sheathed on my belt, and have cut everything from a Penny, to tissue paper. Small, handy, unobtrusive, and definitely heavy duty.

I can tell you what Voltron said is the truth. I once worked with a guy who spliced wire for the phone co. and he told me if you get a pair, you will use them for EVERYTHING. No truer words have ever been spoken. You just need to know how to hold/grip them and they become one of the most useful tools I" ever had.