Let's talk about scissors
Scissors for cutwork embroidery are a little more specialised than general embroidery scissors.
The quality of your scissors can make or break your cutwork. I have taught students who have turned up to cutwork classes with general embroidery scissors. With their chunky blades, they’re never going to get a good result, because they just can’t get in close enough to cut immediately next to the stitches. In Hardanger, that’s a sure fire way to get whiskers. If all you’re ever doing is cutting strands of embroidery floss or wool yarn, then general embroidery scissors are no problem.
However, when you’re doing cutwork (Hardanger, Portuguese whitework, richelieu, drawn thread work etc) better scissors will help you get a better result.
Some years ago I did a FlossTube episode on what I look for when choosing scissors for fine embroidery, particularly cutwork. (It’s a bit noisy in the background as next door were having their roof tiles replaced!)
When I did the video, it was before Dovo scissors had ceased production. When that happened, I changed my recommendation to Ringlock embroidery scissors. In the last little while, Dovo has gone back into limited production, and today I received my shipment of new Dovo Hardanger scissors.
So what scissors do I currently have in stock on the Vetty Creations website? Happily, I have a range for you to choose from at a range of price points! On the website, you’ll need to choose your shipping destination from the drop down menu to find the price including shipping that applies to you.
Dovo Hardanger AYA 3.5 inch / 9cm embroidery scissors
These are simply lovely scissors. The way I have most often described them is that using them is like cutting butter.
As shown in the circle in the image above, these scissors have a section shaved off the flat triangular side of each blade to make them thinner, thereby making them narrower and easier to pass between fabric threads. This is their point of difference from other scissors, and what makes them so good for fine cutwork.
Dovo 3.5 inch / 9cm Hardanger scissors with leather sheath. Made from hot-forged stainless steel by Dovo Solingen in Germany. Brushed satin finish. Sharp blades, fine points, narrow angle of blade, narrowest girth around the blades as you move away from the tip.
Purchase Dovo Hardanger scissors.
Premax Ringlock 3.75 inch / 9.5cm embroidery scissors
I used Premax Ringlock scissors for working all the samples in my book, “Hardanger Filling Stitches” and they were a pleasure to use. They were my choice of embroidery scissors when Dovo Hardanger scissors became unavailable.
While Dovo scissors are now back, these are still very lovely scissors, and at a lower price point. At 3.75in / 9.5cm long, these are slightly larger scissors than the other two, and as you can see in the photo further up the article of the three pairs together, the finger holes are just slightly larger also. The Ring Lock System means there is no screw joining the two blades.
Premax Ringlock 3.75 inch / 9.5cm scissors. Made from quality Italian steel by Premax in Italy. Brushed satin finish. Sharp blades, fine points, narrow angle of blade, narrow girth around the blades as you move away from the tip.
Purchase Premax Ringlock scissors.
Premax Stork 3.5 inch/ 9cm embroidery scissors
These are the perfect scissors for you if you require lovely scissors but at a lower price point than the ones above. While the blades have a larger girth (which is the distance/circumference around the blades) the further you get from the tip, as compared to the previous scissors, they still work wonderfully well for cutwork.
Premax stork 3.5 inch / 9cm scissors. Made from quality Italian steel by Premax in Italy. Brushed satin finish. Sharp blades, fine points, narrow angle of blade.
Purchase Premax Stork scissors.
To browse all the scissors, go to the Vetty Creations website. If you have questions about any of them, please don’t hesitate to ask. It is very easy to ask a question or leave a comment: just click on the button below!