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Yes. When you close scissors, you use your grip to push the blades together perpendicular to the direction of travel. This makes the blades closer to each other
by ianferrel 4y ago
Yes. When you close scissors, you use your grip to push the blades together perpendicular to the direction of travel. This makes the blades closer to each other so they slice.
You probably do this without thinking about it due to practice, but if you watch little kids try to use scissors, they'll sometimes end up with the paper just turning sideways and folding flat between the blades.
If you use the correct handed scissors, your natural grasp will cause this to happen fairly easily. If you use the wrong handed scissors, you have to push your thumb away from your palm at the same time you bring it closer to your fingers. Unnatural and uncomfortable.
- BugsJustFindMe 4y agoThis isn't it. The shape of the handle is orthogonal to whether a scissor is left or right handed. The real difference is in which blade half is on the bottom.
- ianferrel 4y agoRight, because which blade half is on the bottom affects which direction you need to apply force so the blades meet tightly. I didn't mention anything about the shape of the handle...
- BugsJustFindMe 4y agoWhat you described misunderstands or at least poorly describes the problem. > Right, because which blade half is on the bottom affects which direction you need to apply force so the blades meet tightly. That would violate Newton's Third Law of motion, so no. You don't have to apply force in any different direction if you put scissors with symmetric handles in the wrong hand. You will, however, end up tilting the scissors to the side so that you can see what you're doing. But that's not the same as needing to apply force any differently. It's a required sight issue not a required force issue. Anything else only comes from handle shape. If the scissors don't have ergonomically sloped handles, an ambidextrous person can comfortably cut with either hand if they don't look at what they're doing.
- tuhriel 4y agoIt definitely has also to do with the force applied. If the blades are setup for the other hand your default grip will puah the blades apart and you can get the paper between the blades Thats why as a lefty I had major issues with the cheap scissors (which had a ton of play on the hinge) we had in school, bit if you have a decently made scissor the issue is much less severe.
- BugsJustFindMe 4y agoSorry, what you're describing violates Newton's Third Law. The force applied by one side is equal and opposite to the force from the opposing side. Scissor blades, paper, and force don't care which side is up. Anything other than line of sight is 100% handle ergonomics, and scissors aren't required to have wrong-side-incompatible handles.
- BenjiWiebe 4y agoYou're thinking in the wrong axis.
- tuhriel 4y agoIf you open and close scissors the main force is up/down but based on the structure of the hand you also apply a sideways force which twists the blades left/right. Depending if the top blade (where your thumb goes in) this pushes the blades closer together, or a bit apart. And if the hinge has to much play, this is enough that the paper gets twisted between the scissors.
- ianferrel 4y agoThe sight issue is true (but in my opinion not the major difference). Have you watched little kids learn to use scissors? You really do need to apply force to bring the blades together or they won't cut well. You likely do this unconsciously. I didn't think about it until I was teaching my children how to cut with scissors and noticed that they would generally end up folding the paper were I could cut it (toddler scissors aren't very sharp, so it's even more important to push the blades together from the side).
- rvbissell 4y agoThe comment you replied to never mentions handles (their shape, or otherwise).
- whoooooo123 4y agoIsn't which blade half is on the bottom determined by which way you hold it?
- blep_ 4y agoIf you flip the scissors over, you also reverse the side each blade is on.
- moffkalast 4y agoTbf if the grip can alter the distance between the blades you need to recalibrate them by adjusting the middle screw (unless they're riveted in which case welp) that holds them together. Well maintained scissors ought to cut perfectly well in both hands.
- mort96 4y agoWhile this is true, most scissors I've used are pretty bad with that. Especially nail scissors, which I find odd, since you'll by definition use nail scissors with the wrong hand 50% of the time.
- matsemann 4y agoI agree with this being the issue. With a right handed scissor in my left hand, I feel like I have to "pull" with my thumb to keep the blades together. Same scissor in tje right hand, that instead is a slight push but that happens automatically as I do the cut motions.