If you grew up with a parent who sews, you are probably familiar with being told to “never use fabric shears on paper” or something similar. Now you might be wondering why it’s so important, or if your mom was just being ridiculous. In this case, she wasn’t. It’s good to have fabric and crafting scissors.
Why are fabric scissors special?
The first thing that makes fabric shears special is that they are very sharp, much sharper than most other scissors. They are also made of materials that sharpen well so if they do dull, you can get them sharpened again. Most fabric shears are made from carbon steel, other types are stainless steel. They have beveled or serrated edges that make them sharper than typical scissors and they tend to have longer blades too. The combination of all these things allows fabric scissors to cut smoothly without making jagged lines or snagging on anything.
Why can’t I use fabric shears on paper or other materials?
The short answer is that they can dull the blades. They can also cause notches or nicks on your shears. Shears tend to be relatively expensive, so if you use it on paper you will need to get your fabric scissors sharpened more often or you may even have to get a new pair. Obviously avoiding these things would be the better option.
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