Scissors: ˈsi-zərz a cutting instrument having two blades whose cutting edges slide past each other
Here's another common household tool you may use everyday. Scissors, while they may seem simple, have a wide variety of uses, and countless adaptations to help us perform everyday work. Let's dive into the history of scissors to see what fun stories they have in store!
History of Scissors:
Mesopotamia: Our journey starts in Mesopotamia, some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. It is there we find the first recorded examples of scissors. You may have heard that Leonardo DaVinci invented them, but rest assured the first civilizations were well ahead of him in that discovery. The scissors used in Mesopotamia were not the ones your kindergarten teacher hands you. These scissors were spring loaded in a sense. They typically were made of two bronze blades with two handles, connected by a thin strip of bronze that was highly flexible allowing the blades to move. These types of scissors needed to be sharpened often, but was a vast improvement to using sharp stones for cutting things. It wasn't until the Roman empire do we see the emergence of the more modern adaptation of scissors.
The Romans: It is during the Roman empire that we find the first instances of more "modern" scissors. Around 100 A.D., the Romans took the idea of scissors and improved upon them. Instead of having a single strip of bronze that held the blades together, they moved the central point to the middle of the blades, similar to how scissors are made now. These new pivoted or cross bladed scissors took off. The idea spread from the Romans, all the way to China, Japan, and Korea. The Romans continued to make their scissors out of bronze and sometimes iron. Still, these blades needed sharpened regularly.
"Modern" Scissors: The idea of scissors swept across the globe, and in China, we find a craftsman whose business has survived dynasties, war, economic collapse and more purely because of their ability to make scissors. The Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Company began handcrafting scissors back in 1663 and is still around today! The business was one of the first to mix iron with bits of steel to give scissors more cutting strength. Using old swords-making processes, the company was able to advance the cutting power and give them more strength.
While it's hard to tell who exactly invented scissors, and subsequently changed human civilization in the process, there is a man who is credited with being the father of modern scissors. In 1761, Robert Hinchliffe, of England was the first person to mass produce scissors using steel. Hinchliffe used cast steel to make his scissors strong and pack plenty of cutting power without needing to be sharpened often.
A powerhouse in the scissor market today is the Fiskars brand. In 1694 Sweden controlled what is now Finland, and an ironworks factory was founded in the hamlet of Fiskars. That ironworks got a new owner in 1830 and began making scissors along with other utensils and items. That company would later go in in 1967 to introduce the first ever pair of plastic handled scissors, revolutionizing scissor manufacturing again.
Superstitious Scissors
As Michael Scott from The Office would say, "I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." Here are some fun superstitions about this object:
During the 9th month of a woman's pregnancy, it's believed if she places scissors under her pillow it will "cut the cord" and her baby will be born soon.
Don't hand your friend a pair of scissors! Place the scissors on another object and have them pick them up from there. You don't want to severe your friendship!
Magical Applications:
In the magical world, we have the Severing Charm. With the incantation Diffindo, you can accurately cut things with your wand. This charm was invented in the 1400's by seamstress Delfina Crimp. Previous charms tended to burn to tear, which wouldn't work for her fabrics, so instead she created this charm, which is still taught today!