Shop Scissors Blog

Feature Friday: Left-Handed Scissors

Today’s Feature Friday product was inspired by two reviews in the last couple of days, both for left-handed scissors. The first customer noted that true left-handed scissors are not easily to come across and expressed appreciation for locating them on our site.

The second wrote:

“Like everyone else I had a very difficult time trying to find true lefty scissors. These are great scissors and the quality is good. I will definitely buy from this website again when my child needs a new pair.”

This week, we feature the 5” Blunt Tip Children’s Lefty Scissors. True left-handed scissors with the blades reversed are challenging to come by, and these are specifically designed for a child’s hand. With an inside grind on the stainless steel blades, the scissors are accurate and dependable and can easily cut through paper, fabric, string and other craft materials.

For more information on the 5” Blunt Tip Children’s Lefty Scissors, visit ShopScissors.com.

Teaching Your Child to Use Scissors

Being able to use scissors is a great benchmark for measuring a child’s fine motor skill development. Teaching a child to safely use scissors doesn’t have to be challenging, however. With these tips, you will have your child cutting away in no time.

Choose a pair of scissors that is appropriate for the size of your child’s hand. Demonstrate the proper technique for grasping the scissors, placing your thumb, middle and ring fingers in the handles with your index finger outside to stabilize and help your grip and the pinky finger curled into your palm.

When your child has achieved the proper hold on the scissors, have him begin practicing with a sturdy material like construction paper, even play dough. It can be challenging at first as your child works at developing hand muscles, but don’t let him give up. Work at opening and closing the blades in a pattern – fast then slow, wide then narrow – to improve hand muscle. As skill improves, gradually reduce the sturdiness of the material you are cutting until your child is cutting tissue paper.

Teach good scissor safety habits. Using scissors should always be a supervised activity and one that is performed while sitting. When walking with the scissors, your child should close his fist around the closed scissor blades.

To order children’s scissors, visit us online at ShopScissors.com.

Unique Gift Ideas for Her

With the Holiday Season rapidly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about gifts. While some may have already begun their shopping, most are just starting to save and keep their eyes opened for the right presents. For many men, shopping for the women in their lives can be a daunting task. Here are a few ideas for unique gifts for her to help get you started.

E-Book Reader. Whether you would be interested in a Nook or a Kindle, an E-Book reader is a great gift that can be used for years to come, even providing you with gift alternatives for the future in the form of E-Books.

Blankets and throws. While most men would fail to understand the appeal in buying a small blanket, a soft, cozy blanket can be a great gift for the cold Holiday Season. Is the female you’re purchasing for always cold and buried in blankets on the sofa? Not only is this gift useful, it’s also thoughtful and sensitive to her needs.

Garden Tool s. For the green thumb in your family, consider purchasing a variety of gardening tools. Many times you can buy them as a gift set. You might also take time to evaluate what tools she has, what needs to be replaced, and what she could use. Gather the items and put them in a nice gardening bag or even a pretty clay pot or basket. Some common tools that are useful to include are pruners, floral shears, or a comfort grip trowel.

Navigation System. Whether the female you’re purchasing for has a solid sense of direction or not, a navigation system can be a lifesaver when visiting new cities or even just looking for new stores or restaurants.

Spa Essentials. This is one of those simple, inexpensive gifts that every woman loves. Whether you elect to purchase this gift as a complete set or purchase items separately, this is a gift she will be guaranteed to appreciate.

Using the Right Cutting Tools to Reduce Meal Preparation Time

Whether or not you enjoy cooking, we all get busy with work, children, and extracurricular activities and find it difficult to squeeze in time for everything. Using the correct tools, like kitchen knives and shears, is a great way to prepare your foods more quickly and with substantially reduced effort. Not to mention the frustration that can result from battling with a blunt or unsuitable knife.

If you have a large number of kitchen knives, try experimenting with them to establish which ones cut the best. A few aspects to consider are:

• Sharpness of the blade
• Type of knife
• Size of knife
• Alternate cutting tools

Sharpness of the Blade

While expensive knives generally stay sharp for a longer period of time and do not need to be sharpened as regularly, cheaper knives can also have good blades but just be missing a good grind. Have your knives sharpened professionally or, if you have a grinder, do it on your own. If your knife is sharp, you will enjoy working with it.

Knife Type

There are a variety of knives, including Chef’s knives, paring, boning, and carving. Establish what you most frequently prepare in your home and which knives are going to be most important in preparing those meals.

Alternate Cutting Tools

Kitchen tools like poultry shears and peelers can save you time in the kitchen. Consider purchasing an alternative cutting tool to make yourself more efficient in meal preparation and reduce the effort you exert in doing so.

Feature Friday: Choosing the Right Paid of Sewing Scissors

It may seem like choosing the right pair of sewing scissors is an easy or menial task, but it is actually an important one if you do much sewing. Purchasing a good pair will mean you won’t have to go through the task of breaking in a pair for a long time and will yield much better results than an inexpensive pair. While you can always use a cheap pair until you can afford a good pair, do try to keep an eye out for sales at local shops or online.

• Try to purchase scissors at a fabric store over a pharmacy or office supply store
• If possible try them before you buy them to establish the level of control you feel while cutting and whether they are comfortable
• Consider the type of cutting you’re going to be doing – you may want a heavier pair for cutting fabric whereas for cutting yarn or wool you may need a lighter pair
• If you plan on cutting material other than fabric, such as patterns, paper or cardboard, make sure the handle is offset from the blades to help you cut long pieces – do keep in mind that cutting anything other than fabric will dull the blades more quickly

This week, we recommend that 8” Titanium Bent Trimmers which features titanium blades and contoured soft grip belt handles, making it easier for comfortably cutting fabric.

To order these sewing scissors or purchase another pair, visit us at ShopScissors.com.

Rotary Cutter: Tips for Extending the Life of Your Rotary Cutter

It may look like a pizza cutter, but a rotary cutter is a far more valuable tool that should be kept far from the kitchen. The rotary cutter revolutionized the world of quilting and is invaluable for cutting patchwork. With the help of a ruler and a mat, a rotary cutter allows the user to quickly and easily cut through a large number of fabric pieces. There are steps you can take, however, to increase the life of your rotary cutter.

• Be careful not to touch the rotary cutter to the sides of the ruler
• Avoid running over pins
• Change the blade in the cutter as soon as it becomes dull
• Keep the rotary cutter clean
• After six hours of use, remove the blade and remove the lint and fluff that has accumulated

To purchase a rotary cutter or order replacement blades, visit us at ShopScissors.com.

Top Kitchen Tools Used by the Pros

While not everyone can work as a professional chef or afford many of the high priced tools they employ while cooking, you can work on perfecting your techniques to achieve more professional results. This can be better accomplished by using certain kitchen tools that reduces preparation time and allows you to achieve better results. Here we have provided some of the top kitchen tools used by the pros.

Food processors. This is an extremely common kitchen tool that can really be used as a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to completing kitchen tasks. While this tool was originally intended for chipping and grating, it is also the perfect choice for pureeing and mixing.

Stand mixer. This is another tool commonly used by professional chefs and is an indispensable tool in kitchens that regularly offer deserts or any other type of baked goods. If you are considering purchasing a stand mixer, try to buy the best one you can afford and make sure you fully understand how it works and follow the instructions for operation. While large mixers are used in professional kitchens, smaller stand mixers work well and are appropriate for in-home use.

Kitchen Shears. While an extremely simple tool, it is invaluable in the kitchen. Kitchen shears are great for chopping or mincing herbs, cutting meat or cleaning chicken, as they are faster and more efficient than a knife.

High quality pots and pans. Obviously it would be hard to accomplish anything in the kitchen without pots and pans. However, low quality pots and pans can affect the end product, changing the flavor of your food or causing your dish to burn. Purchase the highest quality pans you can afford as well as a dutch oven and a deep dish pot.

Barbeque Grill. Purchase a gas or charcoal grill based on your personal preference. Some chefs prefer gas while others claim charcoal results in a better flavor.

Choosing the Best Hunting Knife

For avid hunters, it is important to choose the best hunting knife, as there are a number of different factors that affect your level of satisfaction with the knife. While some features are selected based on personal preference, there are other things to consider in making sure your knife is appropriate for your specific recreational activities.

The type of knife

There are two main styles of hunting knives, fixed blade or folding, each offering its own unique benefits and challenges. Which you choose will have to do with the type of hunting you plan on using it for, how you like to carry it, and whether you want to have it accessible to both hands.

Folding knives usually have a feature that allows you to open them with one hand using a small thumb lever or a hole in the blade that you can put your thumb into, allowing the blade to be usable by both hands and increases the hunter’s mobility. These knives also have a locking feature for safety and are typically smaller in size, fitting neatly into the pocket. These knives, great for everyday use, are generally not the best choice for larger game or survival techniques because of their smaller size.

Fixed blade knives, because they don’t have a hinge, are generally stronger and more appropriate for larger game and deep woods camping. This knife is carried in a belt, leg boot, or sometimes lower arm sheath.

The Handle

There are many choices for what type of handle to select. Traditional choices, like wood, bone, or even leather, may not be the best choice for multi-function hunting, since they can become slippery and result in an unsafe grip and serious injuries. Rubber and composite material offer a safer grip and are very durable.

For more information or to order a hunting knife, visit us at ShopScissors.com.

Utility Knifes: 3 Must Haves for Package Opening

In today’s world, everything comes tightly packaged in sturdy containers with plastic wrap and hard-to-snap cords. For just a regular knife, cutting through that type of packaging can yield challenging. Here we have provided a list of the top three cutting tools that are useful in any home or office to quickly cut through packaging material.

Packaging cutting. This knife, also known as a box cutter, has a retractable or snap-off razor blade and is used to cut open carton boxes. It is outfitted with a rectangular handle that holds the razor blade when it is in retracted for safety. It also allows the user to adjust the handle and limit blade exposure so he can only expose the amount of blade necessary for cutting.

Fixed blade utility knife. Knives with one fixed blade are designed to suit particular applications. Light duty utility blade allow you to cut with a high degree of accuracy and control, whereas heavy duty fixed blades are intended for multipurpose cutting applications.

Multi blade utility knife. These cutting tools feature 10 utility blades stored inside the chamber.

For more information or to order a utility knife, visit us at LabelValue.com.

Feature Friday: Floral Cutters

For this week’s Feature Friday product we selected the floral cutter. Whether you are considering purchasing them as a gift for the gardener in your life, for your own home, or to trim flowers for an upcoming event, you will have no complaints about this pair of floral cutters.

The Clauss 5 ¾” Multipurpose Floral and Stem Cutter has stainless steel blades with red plastic grips, an action spring, and one serrated blade to provide extra grip. It offers a latch to keep them safely closed when not in use.

This tool has all the power necessary for cutting thick stems or multiple wire floral stems up to 3/16” in thickness. They are even powerful enough to cut through heavy wooden branches.

One customer writes:

“I bought these to cut a huge order of flowers I had ordered online for my wedding. They cut every single flower cleanly and quickly, even the ones with really thick stems! No complaints about these, they work really well!”

For more information on these floral cutters, visit us at ShopScissors.com.