It’s hard to imagine a time when scissors haven’t existed. Scissors are an important tool that many people use on a regular basis. The handy tool can be used for crafts, cutting coupons, paper, packages, and even in the kitchen. But when were they actually invented?
Scissors History
Scissors have actually existed for about 3000 to 4000 years. The earliest version of scissors was from Mesopotamia. They were made from bronze and were spring scissors. This style of scissors was popular until about the 16th Century
A predecessor of modern scissors with a pivoted point was invented by the Romans around 100 AD. These were commonly used throughout many countries like China, Japan, and Korea.
What are Scissors Made From?
Scissors are usually made of steel or other metals. You will most commonly see carbon steel or stainless steel used to make scissors. A lot of times the steel is plated with nickel or chromium which is used to prevent rusting. Handles for steel scissors are most commonly made from ABS plastic or other similar materials.
How are Scissors Made?
Scissors are made by first making each half of the blade. Most commonly for cheap scissors, a sheet of steel is stamped to form each half of the blade. Other scissors may used molten steel poured into a mold to form the blades. Another method used is called drop forging.
After the blades are made, they are usually trimmed and a hole is drilled in them for combining the blades together. The blades are then hardened by a process of heating and cooling them repeatedly until the blades have the desired characteristics.
The blades are sharpened through using a sanding belt or wheel. They are grinded and polished until the have the desired characteristics.
Handles that are made from plastic are commonly made from injection moulding. If the handle is metal it is often made from a similar process as the blades. The handles have a slot through which the blade is inserted and an adhesive is used to keep the handle attached to the blade.
To combine the two blades together a rivet or screw is usually used through the drilled hole to attach the two pieces together. At this point after the scissors are working correctly they are often inspected for quality and ready to be shipped out.
Conclusion
Scissors have existed for 3000 to 4000 years. Since they have existed for so long, we cannot pinpoint an exact date of their invention. Early scissors were spring loaded, but eventually pivoted scissors become the most dominant form of scissors. Nowadays you will see a wide range of scissors such as gardening scissors, kitchen scissors, hair cutting scissors, metalwork scissors, medical scissors, and sewing and craft scissors. Scissors have really come a long way.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scissors
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Scissors.html