Maggie Fox has made it her business to sell high-quality scissors that are handcrafted by skilled artisans and mostly small businesses. In this episode of Sewing with Threads, she offers a glimpse into the world of these craftsmen and why it is worth investing in a heritage pair of scissors for yourself.

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Maggie has a background in marketing and during the pandemic created the e-commerce brand Ciselier, which specializes in luxury scissors. She talks about how she came up with the business idea, how she named it, and how its product offerings are different from the common, mass-produced scissors found in most homes today.

Best Scissor Qualities

She also explains several qualities consumers should look for when selecting a pair of scissors. Also, keep in mind: “You never want a pair of scissors with plastic handles,” she says. “Plastic handles, while comfortable, are actually an indication of poor quality.”

These days, Maggie explains, high-quality scissors are handmade mainly in four regions: Premana, Italy; Sheffield, England; Solingen, Germany; and locations in Japan. But the number of skilled artisans who can hand-craft a pair is dwindling.  “There are only 24 to 30 people on Earth who can make a pair of scissors,” she says.

In this episode, Maggie also tells whether it really is bad to cut paper with sewing scissors, whether you can sharpen scissors at home, and if it is true that dropping your scissors is as bad as you’ve heard.

Caring for Scissors

Plus, she discusses how to best care for scissors.

“A well-cared-for pair of scissors should last a lifetime,” Maggie says. “They’re simple, they’re well put together, they can be resharpened. That’s my hope, anyway, that we get away from this notion of disposable scissors that are four dollars each…”

Maggie mentions these scissors makers during the podcast, and her site even carries some of their products:

Fennek

Robuso

Ernest Wright

This video features Ernest Wright.

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This episode’s sponsor:

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