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What Are These Scissors Used For? (29 Types Explained)

There are so many different kinds of scissors that span multiple industries of use. Scissors are an essential tool for electrical work, haircutting, sewing, fishing, and dog grooming.

Let’s take a look at 29 different types of scissors and their uses:

1. What Are Adaptive Scissors?

Adaptive scissors are child-friendly safety scissors. Multiple kinds serve different functions, such as loop scissors for opening and closing, spring-loaded scissors for gripping, and push scissors, for tabletops. Adaptive scissors are most common in schools with young children and beginner crafts.

2. What Are Arc Scissors?

Arc haircutting scissors are a Japanese handcrafted brand with a slender design. They can cut both wet and dry hair, and are thin and very sharp. Each pair has a unique serial number and patent markings made from Japanese steel factories. They cost roughly ~$500+ per pair.

3. What Are Buttonhole Scissors?

Buttonhole scissors are used primarily in clothing-making. Buttonhole scissors can be used in place of a seam ripper, cutting holes without stretching or fraying fabric. Adjust the screw on the scissors hinge to measure the length of the hole you want to cut to maintain consistency.

4. What Are Blunt Scissors?

Blunt usually means “not sharp,” but some scissors have “blunt” or rounded edges in their design. Surgical scissors are considered “blunted” with their two-rounded blades at the tip. Children’s scissors are considered “blunt” when referring to their lack of sharpness.

5. What Are Blending Scissors?

Used in haircutting, blending scissors (also known as texturizing or thinning shears) are used to blend hair to give it more volume and texture. Blending hair prevents a boring straight cut to give hair a fuller look. Blender scissors have a straight blade and teeth blade to accomplish this.

6. What Are Braid Scissors?

Braid scissors are used to cut fishing wire. Good, sharp braid scissors can cut through mono, fluorocarbon, and braid fishing lines. They are made of stainless steel and protected from moisture to prevent corrosion. These can be used to make fly fishing lures and other fishing tools.

7. What Are Barber Scissors?

Designed to cut hair, barber scissors (also known as hairdressing shears) are long, straight-blade scissors. Some barber scissors have a swivel thumb grip, allowing hairdressers to change the direction of a cut instantly. These scissors are about 5-7 inches in length and are used only to cut hair.

8. What Are Chunker Scissors?

Chunker scissors are used in dog grooming and are thick, toothy models designed to create texture and finish a cut. These scissors are heavy, thick, and are used on fluffy dog breeds like shelties or collies. These scissors can be used on any part of a dog to create texture and give a soft finish.

9. What Are Decoupage Scissors?

Decoupage scissors are used in decoupage crafting projects. They are generally very small and sharp, used to cut tiny patterns, lace, and pop-out designs. They may have double-beveled blades, are made of steel, and are lightweight. Decoupage scissors are used for small 3D-style, delicate cutouts.

10. What Are Dissecting Scissors?

Dissecting scissors have a curved blade used to separate difficult tissue. They are more precise than most operating scissors. Surgeons and scientists use dissecting scissors to differentiate tissues from one another to study or repair the very small tissue in a person or animal’s body.

11. What Are Electricians Scissors Used For?

Electrician’s scissors are used to cut wires. Most scissors should never be used to cut wire, but electricians’ scissors can cut cables safely without damaging the scissors. The blades are micro-serrated and made from carbon steel. Never cut a live wire, even with an electrician’s scissors.

12. What Are Ergonomic Scissors?

Ergonomic scissors prevent fatigue, hand-cramping, and other wrist or hand injuries. Sewers and hairstylists prefer ergonomic scissors for this reason. Off-set handle, swivel, and thumb rest designs allow users to comfortably grip their scissors and prevent injury or fatigue.

13. What Are Fringe Scissors?

Fringe scissors are made with multiple blades to cut into paper or fabric and create a “fringe” pattern. Usually made with five blades, fringe scissors create patterns and frayed edges much faster and more consistently than using a single pair over and over again.

14. What Are Floral Scissors?

Floral scissors are used by gardeners and florists to cut through stems of flowers and plants. Floral scissors cut stems without fraying or plugging the pathways in flowers that allow water and nutrients to flow into the stems. Floral scissors can be used for bouquets or trimming garden plants.

15. What Are Feathering Scissors?

Feathering scissors are used in hairstyling to thin hair and remove unwanted weight or volume. They also create texture and give hair a sleeker look. They consist of a teeth blade and a straight blade. Feathering scissors are used at the angle of hair growth to glide through hair and thin.

16. What Are Grooming Scissors?

Grooming scissors are used on pet grooming and styling. There are several different types of grooming scissors such as straight, blending scissors, curved, thinning, and chunkers. Grooming scissors cut back thick fur, style, and shape fur to prevent shedding and clean up a coat.

17. What Are Knife Edge Scissors?

Knife Edge scissors are extremely sharp and can cut through multiple strips of fabric at a time. They generally have a flat bottom blade and curved top blade to cut fabric from handle to tip. They are precision cutters and hold fabric flat due to their bend-handle designs.

18. What Are Lister Bandage Scissors?

Lister Bandage scissors are used to cut bandages off of patients, both humans and animals. Their blunted bottom blade makes contact safely with the skin of the patient, while the top blade cuts the bandage in a downward motion. This prevents cutting the person while removing a bandage.

19. What Are Layering Scissors?

Used by hairstylists, layering scissors, often confused with thinning scissors, are meant to boost volume. Layering gradually cuts sections of hair shorter than others to thicken the look of a hairstyle. Layering scissors sculpt hair by giving texture and volume to thinner or finer hairstyles.

20. What Are Thinning Scissors?

Thinning scissors are used by hairstylists to thin out very thick or heavy hair. Reducing the volume and shortening the hairstyle of thicker-haired clients gives relief from overwhelming and heavy hairstyles. Thinning scissors sculpt and cut at the same time, keeping texture but removing weight.

21. What Are Grape Scissors?

Grape scissors (shears) are used to cut grape stems and bunches. Used by aristocratic Europeans in the Regency and Victorian eras, grape scissors were kept at the dining table to prevent having to pull apart the fruit and potentially squish or ruin the grapes.

22. What Are Loop Scissors?

Loop scissors are a design of adaptive scissors meant for weak or small hands. Designed with a self-opening handle, loop scissors teach young children how to safely use scissors. They also help arthritic, weaker, or people going through physical therapy to open and close scissors.

23. What Are Maped Scissors?

Maped scissors are a brand of ergonomic children’s scissors with rounded tips and small blades. With a spring-assist design, Maped scissors are used in early learning classrooms and craft groups. They are safe enough not to cut skin, hair, or clothes. They also have adult scissor styles.

24. What Are Micro-Tip Scissors?

Micro-tip scissors are used in sewing for tiny and delicate cutting. They are often used in embroidery, applique, buttonhole cutting, and thread cutting. Micro-tip scissors have a very small tip that is sharp and delicate. They should not be used on thick or difficult materials.

25. What Are Offset Scissors?

Offset scissors are designed where the bulky finger holes of the handle are upside down. This means that the large ring or thumb handle usually placed on top, is actually on the bottom. This allows hairstylists to cut easier and with better posture without turning or lifting their scissors.

26. What Are Ribbon Scissors?

Ribbon scissors are very sharp and used to cut ribbons in crafting, floral arranging, or sewing projects. Made of stainless steel, ribbon scissors cut through ribbon and fabric easily and precisely. They can also cut some netting and even flower petals and leaves.

27. What Are Razor Scissors?

Razor scissors are hairdressing scissors used for quick, sharp, and controlled haircuts. They can be used on both wet and dry hair, razor scissors can blend a short or layered haircut. It is used to create a soft and light appearance to client hairstyles.

28. What Are Utility Scissors?

Utility scissors are used for most anything, able to cut through bandages, casts, drapery, and even tubing. They can also be used in cutting thermoplastics like mouthguards in dentistry. Utility scissors are angled like a wide V to cut through hard materials.

29. What Are Zig-Zag Scissors Used For?

Zig-zag scissors create patterns in paper and fabrics to create a zig-zag shape. Often called pinking shears, zig-zag scissors are toothed to create the pattern without having to move the handle back and forth many times. It saves time and creates texture in crafting projects.