The amazing invention story of scissors that dates back to ancient Egypt
There are certain household items that we often tend to take for granted, isn’t it? A pair of scissors is one among them. Imagine those moments of emergency when you need to open packets of food during a house party or cut a chart paper during the last hour of making your school project. What would you do if scissors didn’t exist? The very thought makes you uncomfortable, we are sure!
Ever wondered who you should thank for coming up with scissors? Is it really Leonardo da Vinci, the famous Renaissance artist who is often credited with inventing scissors as he is known to have used a pair for cutting canvas? The answer is no! As a matter of fact, this cutting instrument predates Vinci. Let us find out more!
Scissors originated in ancient Egypt
That’s right! The invention of scissors can be traced all the way back to ancient Egyptians as early as 1500 BC. Back then, it consisted of a single metal piece (preferably bronze) that was fashioned into two blades joined at the centre by a slim and flexible metal strip. The strip was such that it helped the blades to stay apart until they were squeezed by hand. Sounds quite familiar, isn’t it? Now, while each blade was called a scissor, the two were together called a pair of spring scissors. With time, the device became popular and eventually spread all across the world, especially Europe.
Romans invent cross-blade scissors
Fast forward to 100 AD, the Romans took the design of the Egyptians and modified it, giving birth to cross-blade scissors. They too used bronze (at times iron) but they adapted a far more convenient technique. All they did was take two blades and slid them past each other, crossways. The pivot was placed in between the tip and the handles (one on each blade) to make the blades suitable for cutting through any surface. Do you know what the real catch was? Unlike the ancient Egyptians who didn’t know how to maintain scissors, Romans knew that all they needed to do was sharpen the blades, regularly!
Birth of modern scissors
Until the 18th century, both the spring scissors as well as the cross-blade scissors were in circulation and competed with each other well. However, come 1761 and Robert Hinchliffe, a Sheffield-based (England) inventor introduced the world to the modern scissors. In fact, he was the first to use steel to produce scissors in bulk. Guess how this was made? By using hardened and polished cast steel. However, creating a bow seemed to be a challenge for him. This is when he made the shape into a solid and then drilled a hole. Following this, he filed the steel and made the space large enough to accommodate fingers. Within a decade, Hinchcliffe had established himself as a “fine scissor manufacturer.” Inspired by him, others too entered the business and in 1791, world’s first scissors company was set up. It was known as William Whiteley & Sons Limited. They bought the copyright from Hinchcliffe and patented the scissors. Guess what they were called? Pivoted scissors!
Over the century, many other kinds of scissors emerged but none so famous as the Hinchcliffe ones. However, the late 19th century saw another type of scissor which became quite a rage. These were called pinking shears and were invented by Washington-based inventor Louise Austin. They were especially favoured by tailors and barbers, thanks to their ability to ensure uniform cutting.
Today, scissors are mass-manufactured worldwide and the major players in scissor-making industry are China, Japan, Spain, France, Italy and UK.
Bonus fact: The term scissors is derived from the Old French word ‘cisoires’ meaning ‘shears.’