You may not know but several products we think of as needlework tools also are commonly used by fly tiers. Some examples of this are Kreinik metallics and the Thread Zapper. Earlier this week I was looking for short scissors and I found these short scissors from Cuda. I was attracted to them for several reasons:
- big fingerholes
- short blades
- titanium
Cuda makes tools for fishing. These scissors have triple-bonded titanium blades for “world-class hardness, corrosion, and adhesive resistance” (from the product packaging). They come with a lifetime warranty. The scissors are made in the United States. In addition to these scissors, they make snips and longer shears.
Looking at the scissors, you’ll notice a couple of things that are different. First, the finger holes are a textured plastic coating. This is not padding per se, but will make the scissors more comfortable to use. You will also notice that on the inside from the finger holes to the rivet pivot-point, there is thick clear plastic. There are also small plastic tabs on the inside of each finger hole to keep the holes from banging into each other. The larger part of the clear plastic covers the ends of the blade and protects them from corrosion. It also attaches the fingerholes to the blades. This also makes the scissors, lighter than thicker than most sewing scissors the same size.
The blades are serrated, so they could also be used to cut metallics.
I used the scissors in my current project. The Cuda scissors cut threads nicely and cleanly. The larger finger holes were comfortable and the scissors were easy to use. I had no problems cutting threads into stitching lengths or in cutting off loose tails.
However, the blades are thicker than blades on almost all embroidery scissors. The effect of this was that it was hard to get under threads. In this project, I had to lift the tail from the Waste Knot in order to be able to cut it. It would not be able to be used to cut out stitching.
All in all, the Cuda micro scissors are good for cutting threads but are less useful as scissors for other embroidery tasks. Their very low price, about $4.00, means that they are worth having around to cut threads and act as you back-up scissors.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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