It's Time to Cut It: Spring Cleaning

It looks like we're beginning to see light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Whew. It couldn't come a moment too soon. I have mended clothes, thrown away clutter, and played countless games of four square. By the way, I am the four square champ at my house. I've panicked, slowed down, regrouped and for a time accepted the slower pace of life that I'd vehemently rejected. Then came the shopping. Oh yes, I too caught the online shopping bug! (Don't act like it was just me).

I ordered glasses, clothes to replace the clothes I previously discarded & home goods. Thanks to online shopping I am now the proud owner of Crocs in an array of colors. It got so bad that one day I pulled into the driveway and the Amazon delivery guy was just sitting there waiting. He said he knew that I'd be pulling up soon so he just waited for me. Now that's shameful when the Amazon person knows your schedule. I decided that since I had several lists of items that needed to be replaced or upgraded for the business, time for emotional shopping was over. I began to get the shopping monkey off my back with the purchase of necessary supplies. And whoa, nelly what a discovery I made! In fact, it almost saddens me to say what I'm about to say. 

One day, I was looking online, for a pair of 12" cutting shears (scissors). Now for years, I've been a Gingher's girl. Gingher’s brand scissors were the only brand for me. They are excellent scissors. They offer good weight, their blades don't dull easily, and when treated with the respect they deserve, they last for many years. Right away, I of course put the Gingher scissors in my cart. But, I also saw a listing for a brand called Kai scissors. Now when I saw the listing for these Kai scissors I read the reviews and several quilters had commented about how they prefer these over their other favorite brands. Although I'm a tailor, I always trust a quilter, so I bought them. I'm fact, because I had never tried this brand before, I still ordered Gingher scissors at the same time just to be on the safe side. Two days later both pairs of scissors arrived. What I would soon learn about Kai scissors may have completely upended my relationship with Gingher. These bad boys are amazing! Here's why…

1. They are lightweight. In fact so lightweight that I thought they wouldn't be able to handle cutting thick fabrics and multiple layers of fabrics. Man was I wrong. The lightweight feature of these scissors is not a hindrance at all. I have been able to cut through multiple layers of thick fabric with ease which is great because my tailor in hands are sometimes a bit tired. I used to use spring loaded scissors by Fiskars for hand weary days. Fiskars are still good for tired hands if you're only cutting 1-2 layers at a time. Gingher scissors can definitely cut multiple layers with precision but they are also heavy which can lead to faster and fatigue. So in the area of weight vs cutting capabilities, it's Kai for the win.

2. The Length options. Both Kai and Gingher offer several sizes and styles of scissors and shears. However Kai brand offers over 30 sizes and styles of scissors and shears options which slightly exceeds Gingher offerings. 

3. Comfort. Every tailor I know, who uses Gingher scissors has fabric wrapped around the handles for protection against the steel wearing on their thumbs. Kai scissors have a plastic and rubber handle which is more gentle on your thumbs.

4. Maintenance. Kai scissors and shears have carbon blades. This means they stay sharp longer than traditional steel blades and thereby need less sharpening maintenance services. Carbon blades can also be sharpened to a finer edge than steel blades.

5. Price. When it comes to specialized tailoring supplies, generally, the supplies aren't very expensive, but there are quite a few inexpensive - moderately priced items that add up over time. Scissors are definitely on the higher end of the cost spectrum. Kai scissors surprisingly didn't cost more than the cost of Gingher scissors, of the same size. In fact I lucked out and caught the Kai scissors on sale for $8 less.

I still use my beloved Ginghers. It's hard to resist the allure of their silver shine and snipping noise they make with each cut. But, the improved overall experience with Kai scissors is undeniable. And, while I miss the snipping noise of fresh sharp bladed Gingher scissors, Kai scissors greatly make up for that loss with their precision and ease.

I once saw a meme on Facebook where a seamstress secured her scissors with a padlock so that no one would dare to cut paper with them. You do know paper dulls scissors right? Well as much as I got a good chuckle from that meme and thought it was a bit over the top, I too have put a padlock on my Kai scissors. If I could add a picture of a skull and crossbones I would do that as well. I'll always be a Gingher's girl at heart but I think Kai scissors might have to become my main squeeze. Make sure you follow this month's social media posts to learn a few things you may not know about different types of scissors, rotary cutters, their usage, and care tips. I look forward to talking to you again soon. 

Fashionably yours,

~Ms. In Stitches

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