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The cutting-edge of cutting: How Japanese scissors have evolved (2018)
- Traubenfuchs 7y agoI don't want to use any of those scissors. I want slim, plain, metal-only scissors kind of like this: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001U57C50/ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001U57C50/ I hate plastic (grips), I hate uneven grip holes, I hate protruding elements, I hate uneven blades, I hate blunt blade tips, I hate safety features.
- me_me_me 7y agothen buy those https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001U57C50/ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001U57C50/ who cares about things you don't like?
- Razengan 7y agoDon’t you see? The things I do not like should not ever be made, or be talked about, unless it’s for me to pronounce my dislike and lack of need for them.
- klez 7y ago> he things I do not like should not ever be made [...] Wait, when did they say that? They only expressed their opinion on the kind of scissors they prefer to use and that they would never use them. I mean, yeah, it was not a great comment, but the reactions here (not only you, another commenter did the same) seem pretty off the charts for what it was.
- bryanrasmussen 7y agomaybe it's like the existence of Ikea, it is difficult for him to walk into a stationary store and buy what he likes because those other objects have crowded his favored scissors out of the market, in the same way I can't find a furniture store in my city that sells good looking furniture I don't have to build.
- criddell 7y agoBut then the existence of the internet means you have more choices now than ever before.
- masklinn 7y agoWhat stops you from getting exactly the scissors you link to? I love the "office" fiksars[0] because they're comfortable, and nobody could ever say that the "universals"[1] have safety features (even closed, the tip is sharp enough to penetrate skin if you're not careful). However I wouldn't mind TFA's Pencut for my backpack's kit, because being compact and not going through the bag's canvas (or through my hand as I'm rooting around the bag) due to naked sharp tips is in fact a useful feature. Doesn't hurt that the official ad copy pretty much brags about taking the scissors apart entirely[2] [0] https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001GAM06U/ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B001GAM06U/ [1] https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00ZS7I6P6/ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00ZS7I6P6/ [2] 4th picture in https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0030IMOBW/ https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0030IMOBW/
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- kweks 7y agoSounds like you could appreciate https://www.3claveles.com/3claveles_tienda/es/1003-tijeras https://www.3claveles.com/3claveles_tienda/es/1003-tijeras 3 Claveles - Spanish scissor company. Very simple, very elegant, very sharp. We use them industrially for horrible things (sending and cutting wire, rope, etc) and they keep an edge like nothing else.
- fmajid 7y agoThere are also the ludicrously expensive El Casco: http://www.el-casco.es/en/luxury-desk-accessories/scissors.html http://www.el-casco.es/en/luxury-desk-accessories/scissors.h...
- nextos 7y agoEl Casco is more of a luxury brand. Their non-luxury staplers, hole punchers and mechanical pencil sharpeners are fantastic, though.
- Ensorceled 7y agoDo you always go this far out of your way to tell people that you hate something they love or do you only do this for scissors or is it only on HN?
- fouc 7y agoIt's called progress. Perfectly good products fall to the wayside.
- magduf 7y agoYes, because they're replaced by superior products. Uneven grip holes are a good example here: your 4 fingers together are not nearly the same size as your thumb, so why wouldn't you want uneven grip holes to match this? Ergonomics are a lot better now than they were a century ago when this guy's favorite scissors were made. And rubberized grips help you hold the scissors more securely, so you don't slip and cut yourself (or make an inaccurate cut).
- stOneskull 7y agoi chop a lot of weed with my scissors and ergonomics are important
- vr46 7y agoHeh, I am a fan of Japanese stationary and I have a Pencut in my bag at all times. It's excellent. I also have a Sheffield-made pair from Ernest Wright in the kitchen. Horses for courses.
- edna314 7y agoWow, I didn’t even know I had a thing for scissors, but seems like I totally fell in love with the one that looks like a pen.
- Razengan 7y agoJapan has a knack for turning mundane stationery items into collectible pieces of art and creative engineering. Some nice YouTube show-and-tells got me fascinated with that subculture (yes, a legit subculture around stationery.)
- edanm 7y agoDo you have any specific YouTube videos to recommend?
- Razengan 7y agoJapanology’s https://youtu.be/pgPxgJMW5A8 https://youtu.be/pgPxgJMW5A8 and more in search.
- dcchambers 7y agoThey have an episode on scissors too! https://youtu.be/Gd_ySi7mjeE https://youtu.be/Gd_ySi7mjeE
- jdietrich 7y agoIMO these novel scissors don't really represent the achievements of Japanese scissor-making. The market for high-quality hairdressing and barbering scissors and tailoring shears is now almost completely dominated by Japanese manufacturers. There are two makers left in Sheffield (William Whitely and Ernest Wright), a handful remain in Solingen, but Japan has dozens of high-end scissor manufacturers. It's a remarkable niche success story, built on a careful combination of design innovation and traditional craftsmanship.
- hudibras 7y agoTo wit: https://www.mizutani-scissors.com/en/ https://www.mizutani-scissors.com/en/ If you're in the market for a $900 hair shear.
- wahnfrieden 7y ago30 min documentary that goes into these sort of artisanal scissors in Japan: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd_ySi7mjeE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd_ySi7mjeE
- Bayart 7y agoWell thank you, I know feel compelled to spend unnecessary amounts of money.
- jedimastert 7y agoThis video was that I thought the original link would be about. BEGIN Japanology is an incredible series.
- equalunique 7y agoCame here to post this.
- rasjani 7y agoWhile I have not tried many “brand” scissors, a Finnish Fiskars has really good ones.
- trymas 7y agoBegin Japanology - Scissors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd_ySi7mjeE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd_ySi7mjeE
- vanderZwan 7y agoThis part of the article: > There is another trend in Japan's scissors world, one in which new ideas are being applied to cutting performance. Cutting ability is not determined by sharp edges alone. Blade shape, the angle at which the blades come together and how the blades move against each other also significantly impact performance. ... immediately brought to mind proud Japanese designers doing their best to make scissors in the swordsmithing tradition of Japanese katana's and whatnot. Nine minutes and five seconds into your linked video[0] it actually mentions a former swordsmith-turned-scissormaker from the late 19th century who applied his understanding of sword making to make better blades. Oh Japan, how I love that reality is often better than the stereotypes about you <3 (also hate it when it's about a negative thing, but in this case it's great) [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd_ySi7mjeE&t=9m5s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd_ySi7mjeE&t=9m5s
- pimlottc 7y agoCool video, but there is something definitely weird going on with the audio; seems like some over-aggressive use of noise reduction.
- hudibras 7y agoI watched a TV program here in Japan a couple weeks ago where the panelists were all senior executives from stationery companies. The executives were asked about, in various categories (pens, paper, staplers, etc.), which of their competitors had the best product. For scissors, they all raved about the Plus Fitcut Curve (mentioned in the article). They are the best scissors you can buy for less than 10 dollars. https://www.amazon.com/Plus-Curve-Scissors-Large-35060/dp/B00KXFTIC8 https://www.amazon.com/Plus-Curve-Scissors-Large-35060/dp/B0...
- nihonde 7y agoI think the article mentions that these are made in Seki city, in Gifu prefecture. Seki is famous for knife makers and they have a really neat knife festival with a street market. If you’re into that kind of thing, it may be worth visiting. If nothing else, you can get a sense of how traditional Japan manifests in these little industrial enclaves in small town Japan.
- harisenbon 7y agoNote that if you don’t go during the festival, the downtown is pretty much dead. There is a nice knife shop that caters to tourists (刃物センター blade center) but the festival is definitely the best part of the year.
- magduf 7y agoThe big problem I see with being a tourist and going to this thing is that you'll have to pay to have your knife purchases shipped home (or pay a hefty checked-baggage fee), since you can't bring sharp blades in carry-on luggage.
- kilbuz 7y agoIn this hypothetical trip to Japan, with airfare, lodging, food, drink, local transportation, and luxury knife purchases (including duty), a 25 USD checked bag fee is 'hefty' and a 'big problem'?
- acl777 7y agoJapan being a world leader in scissors does not surprise me after listening to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History episode on Japan: https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-62-supernova-in-the-east-i/ https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-62-supern... Dan brought insight into Japan that I did not have, explaining that Japan is a society of extremes. For Japan to be world leader in anything the Japanese society sets their mind to does not surprise me at all now. (side note: I worked and lived in Japan for seven years and my wife is Japanese too. I thought I knew what Japanese people were, but Dan's explanation crystalized what being Japanese is for me.)
- derefr 7y agoI would more describe this as a natural extension of a large artisanal tradition of sword-makers—swords at one point being as common in Japan as guns are in America today, unlike most of Europe where the average personal-carry weapon was a knife. There were tons of swordsmiths around to fill all that demand (and no automation to let just a few swordsmiths fill it); and the descendants of all those sword-makers still have some of that knowledge, and nothing useful to do with it (there being only so much demand for decorative and ceremonial swords today to sustain a few swordsmiths.) So what do they turn their knowledge of swordsmithing to? Making tinier pieces of metal sharp using the same techniques. Like scissors. Or fountain-pen nibs. Or just using those skills to entertain, like this guy: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nek3wk/rice-kitchen-knife-kiwami-japan-youtube https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nek3wk/rice-kitchen-knife...
- samstave 7y agoYou both may like this video: “Making $35,000 bonsai scissors” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2XGwmRJi8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2XGwmRJi8
- sandworm101 7y agoThe legend of Japanese swordmaking is much overplayed. Swords were common, but swordmaking wasn't. Swords were far more valuable in japan due to the lack of some basic resources (metals). Japanese swords were therefore passed down rather than destroyed, as opposed to viking culture where swords were often buried. So a smaller pool of Japanese sword makers making a relatively small number of swords could supply a larger population. Japanese swords are also much softer than enthusiasts like to admit. They are very pure carbon+iron steel but that is limiting. Again, due to nature of the available resources, Japanese sword makers did not utilize other elements, impurities, that strengthen steel beyond what can be done with iron+carbon. And all that famous folding was not unique to Japan. The average viking sword demonstrates much the same level of craftsmanship, at least in terms of the actual steel. Japanese swords are certainly better looking but they were never the magical objects often portrayed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wootz_steel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wootz_steel "For reasons that are not entirely clear, but possibly because sources of ores containing trace amounts of tungsten and/or vanadium needed for its production were depleted, the process was lost to the middle-eastern metalsmiths around 1750. It has been eagerly sought by many since that time." https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/d/Damascus_steel.htm https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/d/Damasc...
- umanwizard 7y agoGenuinely curious, why are Japanese people cutting things so often that this became a thing? All I own is one absolute garbage pair of scissors, and I use them so rarely that it doesn’t really matter. I don’t think I’m an outlier, in the US.
- impendia 7y agoIt's not an isolated example. There is a perfectionist streak in Japanese culture, which you can observe if you study any of their traditional arts (karate, tea ceremony, etc.) This shows up in the quality of some of their consumer goods. As another example, there was a Japanese chalk company (Hagoromo) which has unfortunately gone out of business, but which built up a fanatical following among mathematicians. I am a mathematician myself, and I found their chalk to be noticeably superior to anything which I'd previously tried.
- wlesieutre 7y agoA South Korean company bought some of Hagamoro's machines and is making chalk branded as "Hagamoro Fulltouch". I haven't used it but I've heard it's still good. http://en.sejongmall.co.kr/category/full-touch%ED%83%84%EC%82%B0%EB%B6%84%ED%95%84/48/ http://en.sejongmall.co.kr/category/full-touch%ED%83%84%EC%8...
- impendia 7y agoYes! It is. Happily, the buyers have (more or less) maintained the quality of the original.
- derefr 7y agoIndividually-plastic-packaged fruit and veg in Japanese grocery stores’ produce sections might be one large difference in how many things some people might find themselves cutting through per day. Japan has never gotten on board with the whole “waste reduction” thing.
- magduf 7y ago
- kumarvvr 7y agoWhatever Japan does, it does extremely well. I bought a 0.1 mm nib size fountain pen in Japan last year. I expected it to be rough and unevenly release ink, considering how thin the nib is, but was pleasantly surprised at how good the pen was. It was a delight to use. It works smoother than my parker fountain pens, which I thought were pretty good.
- sonnyblarney 7y agoHave you tried a Sony product lately? [1] They are capable of 'world class' things, which is more than most nations can say, but like everything 'it depends'. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyCtaciiM8Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyCtaciiM8Y
- magduf 7y agoSony isn't really Japanese any more, it's a multinational corporation with operations in many places, including the US. This is like trying to claim that Ford cars are all-American (they aren't, they're largely made in Mexico, and they have a large European subsidiary too).
- tmd83 7y agoThere seems to be almost too many options with each having some features that I don't truly understand. What would everyone recommend for an all around usage for scissors and even for a knife? I often have problems with scissors not cutting things for whatever reason.
- challenger22 7y agoIf you have issues with fine cuts (like fishing line or tissue paper) the scissors on a victorinox swiss army knife work very well. Get a 91mm size knife for scissors that aren't laughably tiny, but only smallish. On the opposite side, tough items, like leather or pennies (!) can be cut with EMT shears.
- carterschonwald 7y agoSome of these are incredibly sharp! The titanium coated one they have in one picture (gold tinted blade) is one I got via jetpens.com and via an incident with them sliding along a plastic tab; I got my first stitches ever, 3 stitches from a cut adjacent a joint of the right pointer finger. (Fall 2018 at the tender age of 30. ) My recommendation: only use normal scissors on paper, for every thing else use a scissor with the grippy micro serrations for a safer / better time. In the kitchen the oxo brand scissors are great. For random plastic stuff like the dreaded plastic clamshell I take the nuclear route of using a compound action tin snips! Makes plastic or sheet metal cut like melted butter. And way safer ;)
- blacksmith_tb 7y agoOuch! Personally I consider all the TiNi coated scissors and knives to be basically a sham, the coating doesn't make the tool sharper, just harder to sharpen when it begins to dull. Though on scissors it may make the blades a little less likely to pick up adhesive from tape (I have seen some Japanese scissors with a PTFE coating for that too).
- carterschonwald 7y agoyeah, i think they're marketed mostly as "less likely to get glues stuck". Sure look pretty though! ;)
- malingo 7y agoI've always been impressed by these one-piece Japanese thread scissors: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WXIRPU0 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WXIRPU0 Very quick to grab with one hand and make a cut. No hinge; just elastic deformation of the steel.
- Obi_Juan_Kenobi 7y agoMy favorite part about thread snips like this is that I can actually use them; standard thread scissors have finger holes that are too small for many men to use.
- kazinator 7y agoSurprisingly absent: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=japanese+%22thread+scissors%22&t=h_&iax=images&ia=images https://duckduckgo.com/?q=japanese+%22thread+scissors%22&t=h...
- TedHerman 7y agoWorth mention: Craft Design Scissors https://www.shopkanso.com/products/craft-design-technology-scissors https://www.shopkanso.com/products/craft-design-technology-s...
- jwong_ 7y agoSide tangent - I was in a hotel channel surfing when I came across an NHK program called Japanology. They have a great episode on scissors here as mentioned several times in this thread. It's become my only regular source of tv for the past year since it's all very homey feeling. LUNCH ON is my favorite since half the show isn't even about lunch but just small businesses or municipal organizations.
- snvzz 7y agoA beautiful display of the consequences of kaizen[0]. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen
- veidr 7y agoI clicked through to this article because I recently bought some scissors from Amazon here in Japan. I didn't do any comparisons or anything, I just chose a cheap model from the first page of results. I am not like a heavy scissors user, I was just sick of not being able to find the scissors, so I wanted a couple extra around the house. And then they were delivered and I was like HOLY SHIT THESE SCISSORS ARE AMAZING!!!! And I quite literally told five or six people about these scissors, just because I was so astonished how well they cut things. I didn't know scissors went to this level. Sure enough, the kind I bought is referenced in the article (the one with pink handles in the photo). Nakabayashi's Hikigiri model. ¥432 at Amazon Japan (about $4.00). Amazing. https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00NATJ7R0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B00NATJ7R0/ref=ppx_yo_dt...
- j-conn 7y agoTried replacing “.co.jp” with “.com” and it worked, to my surprise. Price changes to $25.56 though (with “free shipping”) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NATJ7R0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NATJ7R0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b...
- jeandenis 7y agoI am going to drop this here at the risk of down voting: Japanese nail clippers are world class (much like their scissors). I've had the same pair, somehow, for 11 years. And to this day using them is delightful. Weird thing to say about clipping nails, but given the frequency of that activity, it's worth noting. So next time you're in Japan doing all of the culture, and sight seeing, and eating, spend 5m to go to a pharmacy and treat yourself.
- bayareanative 7y agoProTip: junky scissors can be sharpen by cutting aluminum foil.