To most of the population, scissors are for one thing only, and that is cutting. Scissors can cut paper, thin plastic, tin foil, fabric, fresh flower stalks, and so much more.
If they need to cut something, most people will grab the first available pair of scissors and cut whatever is needed, blissfully unaware of the fire and brimstone that would rain down on them if the family saw the sewer them using her favorite sewing scissors.
To someone who does dressmaking, embroidery, and quilting, the scissors are an essential tool and must remain sharp. To use her best quilting scissors to cut paper is to blunt them and do future sewing that bit more challenging.
Buying a good pair of scissors is an investment, and if properly taken care of, they can last for many years. Identifying the right type of scissors for your needs is essential as scissors have various unique characteristics to a particular style.
This guide will be looking at several scissors pairs and factors you should consider when purchasing.
Our Top 3 Recommendations – Quilting Scissors
“Following are the top three recommended products based on personal experience and customer feedback”
- Westcott Rag Snips Crafting and Quilting Scissors – (Premium Pick)
- Apliquick Small Microserrated Sewing Scissors – (Runners Up)
- Havel’s Sew Creative Quilting Scissors – (Editors’ Choice)
Top 5 Best Quilting Scissors Reviews
1. Westcott Rag Snips Crafting and Quilting Scissors
The first selection in our review of the top quilting scissors is the Westcott Rag Snips Crafting and Quilting Scissors. These are 5.5 inches (14cm) and built from Bonded Titanium. Westcott was the first company to introduce Titanium bonded scissors, which of course, are designed to stay sharper and longer.
The scissors were built with the professional sewer in mind, designed to remain comfortable to use when working all day. These scissors are classified as heavy-weight and can cut through heavy materials, Rag Quits, and Leather.
These scissors have been around since 2010 and have proven to be a great value, long-lasting product. Both left-handed and right-handed users can use scissors with equal comfort. These scissors are made by Westcott, an American brand that was founded in 1872.
The most important component of scissors is the blades. Westcott Rag Snips Crafting, and Quilting Scissors come with bonded Titanium blades, which are slightly serrated.
A serrated edge means less chance of the material fraying when cut, and the user can cut with greater accuracy. Titanium-bonded blades are approximately three times stronger than steel. The scissors also feature a wire-cutting notch for crafters.
The contoured handles have a soft grip that significantly improves comfort and is very welcome when you spend hours working. They are designed with an ergonomic shape that reduces fatigue.
Features at a glance
- Strong Titanium bonded steel.
- Sharp blades can cut through several layers of material and also cut leather.
- Slightly serrated edge to reduce fraying
- Suitable for left-hand use or right-hand use
- Bonus wire-cutting notch
- Sized – 5.5″
2. Apliquick Small Microserrated Sewing Scissors
These scissors from Apliquick are made in Spain. They are smaller scissors (4 inches) and perfect for those tasks which involve more precision. This style of scissors is used with small and tight edges. The scissors have a micro-serrated edge, which allows the scissors to hold small pieces of fabric. The scissors area is a useful addition to any sewing box.
The blades are shorter than others in this review and are more appropriate for confined spaces. They are micro-serrated so that when the material is cut, there is less chance of it fraying. The blades come to a sharp point for really precision work.
The handle is made from steel and is not ergonomically shaped, just two oval holes. The thin metal handle would make these scissors difficult to use for very long without the hand getting tired.
Features at a glance
- Small scissors for precision work with smaller pieces of material
- Pointed end to the scissor
- Lighter weight 4″ size
- Micro-serrated edge scissor usually outperforms similar scissors with a straight edge.
3. Havel’s Sew Creative 5-1/2-Inch Sewing Quilting Scissors
Hevel’s sewing was established in 1981, and the founders were Hal and Elsa Schmithorst. Elsa designed and patented many of the company’s scissor designs. Havel’s sewing is registered with the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating. The company is based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The President and CEO are Ms. Bev Crone since May 2015.
These scissors have a curved tip, which allows closer to the surface, working with extra precision. The bend is very different from the curve on rival products and is a gentler curve rather than a sudden curve. They are made from quality Japanese steel and feature edges that are doubly ground.
These are 5-1/2 ” scissors and come complete with a safety cap. These scissors feature pink plastic “comfort” grips. The scissors do not have a serrated edge. Users have remarked how very sharp these scissors are.
The blade is not serrated but is made from quality Japanese steel that has been double-ground. This has resulted in scissors that are very sharp at the time of delivery. The bad curves gently to an angle that makes it easy to work closely with the material in a precise way.
The top and bottom handles are almost identical, making the scissors suitable for both left and right-handed sewers. The handles come in a shocking pink color, making them easy to spot in a sewing bag.
Features at a glance
- Double Ground quality Japanese Blade
- The blade has a gentle curve.
- The blade is not serrated.
- Very sharp
- Comfortable handgrip
4. Threadnanny Quarter-inch Quilting Scissors
Have you ever tried to cut your fabric with the general household scissors that will have been used for cutting all sorts of things around the house, like paper, flower stalks, and goodness knows what else?
The humble scissors are so often ignored when listing the tools we need for dressmaking and quilting. Scissors are always there; we do not necessarily spend time thinking about them. There is nothing worse than a pair of scissors that just will not cut smoothly.
Generally speaking, the more you play, the better scissors you will get, and these Quarter-inch Quilting Scissors made of top-quality Japanese steel will cost more than you would pay for general household scissors in the local hardware store but will enhance your sewing experience a great deal. Despite being a quality manufacturer, Threadnanny has produced scissors at an affordable price and functionality that will allow you to work more professionally.
The top-quality Japanese steel used in the Threadnanny Quarter-inch Quilting Scissors is ideal for tackling those complex clips at intersections and will sail through the corner block cuts with ease. They make quarter-inch cuts so easy.
The handle is metal and not padded in any way. However, the metal has been shaped to provide an ergonomically designed grip. The light design of the handle can help to reduce fatigue with the hands.
Features at a glance
- Top-quality Japanese Steel
- Optimized blade for 1/4 ” cuts
- Ergonomic Designed Handle
- 5″ in length, 2″ in width
5. ThreadNanny 6-piece Quilting Scissors
Threadnanny is a distributor of high-quality machine embroidery accessories. The scissors are not made by Threadnanny but are under contract and then marketed using their brand. The company has been trading since 1999. Threadnanny is a trademark of Manki Trading LLC.
Threadnanny/Manki Trading LLC is based in Orlando, Florida. The majority of Menkl trading’s suppliers are in India, closely followed by China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Whoever actually makes Threadnanny scissors has received a warm welcome from the American sewing world and represents value for money. This set of six pairs of specialty scissors are suitable for General sewing, Embroidery, and Quilting. The scissors are made from top-quality German steel with a double-platted nickel surface. Scissors come in three sizes 4″, 5″, and 6″. The set comes with an included leather scissor case.
Note that chromium plating is decorative and will assist with fighting corrosion, but it will tarnish in time and is not as strong as Chromium-plated scissors.
One of the set’s scissors has a “Duck-Billed blade. This is a safety feature that will prevent the sewer from cutting the “base fabric” when doing applique work. This is easily done, and these scissors are a useful tool in any sewing box.”
The comprehensive collection comes with Duck Bill scissors, Fabric scissors Double Curved scissors, and six-inch blades. It also has Spring-action snippers (with a useful micro-serrated edge. It also arrives with General Embroidery scissors (4″) and a pair of Embroidery tweezers (6″).
The scissors all come with standard oval-shaped handles in thin material. Versatile but not ergonomically shaped for lengthy use.
Features at a glance
- The set is contained in an attractive leather case, for safety and care)
- 6-piece set for various sewing, embroidery, and quilting applications
- Complete set of embroidery tools
Are You Looking For Quilting Scissors? Here’s What You Need to Consider
In our reviews, we have seen several factors that can affect the scissors’ performance and should, therefore, be considered when making a purchase.
Getting just the right combination of features can result in you finding the perfect scissors for your needs.
Your Budget
As with most things, the price you pay will significantly affect the quality of materials in the product you buy.
With scissors, you should pay as much as will fit into your budget, and these days most of us have to be frugal. But remember that scissors, if taken care of, can last for many years.
What sort of blade and what materials should it be made of?
The blades in our reviewed scissors were made of various materials. Bonded Titanium is the strongest and most durable of all the blades we reviewed, followed by steel, whether plain or with Chromium or Nickel Plating. Chromium is preferable to Nickel as the latter will sometimes tarnish.
It would help if you also chose whether a serrated edge, micro-serrated edge or straight edge is best for your needs. Serrated-edge scissors have one blade with serrations that will cut the material so that there is less chance of fraying. The serrated edge scissors will also stop slippage of the fabric.
The Handle
Scissors used to have two metal loops, one on each blade simply. Over time, a more ergonomic design would make the scissors easier to use over longer sessions. Adding a softer material inside the loop shape also reduces stress on the fingers and can be much more comfortable. Some of the scissors reviewed have more complex handles than others.
The length of the blade
Sometimes jobs are easier with longer-bladed scissors, but these are not so suitable for work on more detailed fabric pieces where intricate cuts need to be made. Buyers should think carefully about what sort of work they plan to do, and possibly consider buying two pairs.
Specialist blades
Sometimes, the blade’s special shape is required, such as the Duck-Billed Blade, which protects your material from accidental cuts, or the curved blades that allow you to work closer to the fabric.
Keeping Scissors Sharp
Scissors differ from knives in that they are only sharpened on the inside, the side that touches the other blade. To sharpen the scissor use a sharpening stone with a grade of 100. If the scissors are blunt, you can use a more coarse stone with a rating of up to 400.
Beware, many authorities (including WikiHow) published that cutting tin foil will help to sharpen scissors. Fold the foil, so it is seven or eight layers thick, and then repeatedly cut the foil. This is not true, and this story has fooled a lot of people. Scissors are sharpened at an angle, and just cutting cannot sharpen them.
Sharpening a serrated edge scissor requires a DMT Serrated Knife Sharpener, which is used to sharpen each serration separately.
Armed with a clearer mind, retake a look at those reviews and see if any of them fit your requirements. Good hunting!