How Quality Scissors Improve Sewing Efficiency & Reduce Waste
Lee Wolff, the founder of Wolff Industries, built his expertise from the ground up, starting with Wolff’s Sewing Center in Michigan. His decades of experience in the industry led him to invent the Twice As Sharp scissors sharpener.
Today, Wolff Industries continues that legacy as a leader in the sewing industry, established over the last few decades as the top resource for finding the very best cutting solutions. We are your most trusted company for any scissors and sharpening needs, constantly innovating to stay ahead of the curve.
In this article, we discuss the value of using high-quality scissors for sewing and provide scissor recommendations for various sewing tasks and materials.
Why You Can’t Afford Cheap Sewing Scissors
In any professional application, using the correct tools is non-negotiable. For the sewing industry, this means selecting quality sewing scissors to ensure clean, precise cuts and prevent costly fabric fraying and mistakes.
While cheap scissors offer a marginal initial saving, they cost businesses much more in the long run due to their poor performance and high rates of material waste.
Investing in high-quality sewing shears not only improves your bottom line but also significantly enhances the lives of your employees. Superior tools allow the operator to complete cutting tasks smoothly and efficiently, substantially reducing hand fatigue and the potential for injury.
The Science Behind a Superior Blade: Steel & Hardness
The foundation of a great pair of scissors is the steel itself. Understanding what kind of steel your scissors are made of is essential for predicting how well they will hold an edge and how easily they can be resharpened.
The best way to measure steel hardness is the Rockwell Hardness Scale.
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The Sweet Spot: We prefer our professional sewing scissors to land in the high 50s to low 60s on the Rockwell scale. This is the ideal range that allows the blades to hold their edges best while remaining soft enough to resharpen easily.
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Examples: The Wolff brand typically tests at 58 on the Rockwell scale, while the KAI 7000 series, arguably one of the best lines of scissors for sewing applications, tests at 60.
Beyond the Blade: Ergonomic Design and Handle Fit
Good steel and sharp blades are only half the equation. The best sewing scissors feature smart, ergonomic designs built with the user's comfort and safety in mind.
Handles are an integral part of this design. If the space in the handle is too restrictive or too large when you are using the scissors, they are not the right fit. The scissors should feel like a seamless extension of your hand. The design and material of the handles must be ergonomic and safe for repeated use to prevent discomfort or injury.
We offer a diverse selection of scissors to fit virtually any need in the sewing industry. While the KAI 7000 series is an excellent starting point, we have many other options to recommend, depending on the job or the material needing to be cut.
Recommended Shears for Specific Sewing Materials
The key to efficiency is matching the cutting tool to the material. Here are our recommendations for conquering common sewing materials:
Cotton & Versatile Fabrics (Broadcloth, Muslin)
For standard polished blades that handle versatile cotton forms easily:
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For Slide Cuts on Large Bolts: Shears with longer blades are recommended:
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Good All-Around Hand Shears: Excellent choices for personal use:
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The Wolff 6287 or 6294
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When Short Blades are Needed: For intricate or quick cuts:
Denim and Thicker Materials
Denim, a thicker cotton with a twill weave, may require modified tools, depending on its thickness. We recommend the Wolff 775, which features:
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A micro-corrugated thumb blade that acts as a gripping agent.
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A high-leverage design for extra cutting power.
Note: We would not recommend corrugated shears for delicate materials like silk, which can easily tear when snagged by the micro-serrations.
Wool, Coarse Fabrics, and Heavy-Duty Cuts
For heavier, coarser materials like wool, consider these options:
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Long all-metal shears (the classic heavy-duty cutting instruments).
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Rotary Cutters (often effective for wool cutting):
Precision and Trimming
Trimming frayed ends or threads off any material can be frustrating with the wrong tools. Using large scissors for trimming is a surefire way to waste time. The best options have small blades, suited for tiny spaces and intricate cuts, while maintaining ergonomic qualities:
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Wolff 301-C thread clips: Made to slip neatly onto the third or fourth finger, these are incredibly comfortable.
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Other great options include the 546-SC, KAI N5100, or HC3046.
Specialized Blade Styles and Modifications
Custom modifications and specialized blade types offer tailored solutions for unique cutting challenges.
Safety and Utility Modifications
Whether you’re cutting cotton, silk, or polyester, certain modifications can improve safety and efficiency:
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Safety Tips: Provide peace of mind by eliminating accidental pokes and tears. The most common types are ball tips, blunt tips, and round blunt tips. Wolff Industries can add safety tips to almost any pair of shears upon request.
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Curved Blades: Allow you to cut and snip up close against rigid surfaces without poking and tearing your material. Some smaller scissors come standard with curved blades, and our team can custom-curve larger options like the Wolff 6287 or 6294 to the left or right.
Napping and Pinking Shears
Two styles critical to this discussion are napping and pinking shears:
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Napping (or Carpet) Shears (e.g., Wolff 770-DR): Used to trim raised tufts or fibers. The unique duckbill-shaped blade can be pressed flat onto the material, allowing the other blade to slice off unwanted material and level it out.
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Pinking Shears (e.g., KAI N5350): Provide a uniform, textured edge with their unique teeth, which is highly effective at minimizing the risk of fabric fraying.
Extend the Life of Your Investment: Scissors Sharpening Solutions
A quality pair of scissors is an investment, and proper maintenance is key to their longevity. All of the scissors mentioned in this article can be resharpened using Wolff Industries’ wide array of scissors sharpening machines.
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Professional Twice As Sharp: Recommended for most sewing scissors. This model comes with our Standard Sharpening Wheel and our Professional Honing Wheel. The sharpening wheel quickly creates a sharp, new bevel, and the honing wheel polishes the edge to the standard of high-end sewing shears. (The Standard and Industrial models also serve perfectly well if a cosmetic finish is not a concern.)
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Ookami Gold Package: For those looking for maximum capacity to handle more than just sewing scissors (e.g., pet grooming and barber shears). This model is the Twice As Sharp at max capacity, featuring the Ookami 800 grit diamond sharpening wheel and the Ookami Polishing Wheel.
Send Them to the Experts: Wolff Industries Sharpening Service
Sharpening scissors isn’t for everyone. If you prefer professional service, you can still keep your sewing shears in tip-top condition by sending them to us.
We will evaluate every aspect of their hardware, not just the blades, often restoring old scissors to virtually brand-new condition. We also have the ability to re-modify blades and to sharpen less common blades like pinking shears or scissors with curved blades.
Trust Wolff for High-Quality Sewing Scissors
We know that choosing the right tools is key to your success—and your comfort! Now that you know the secrets behind great cutting, from the ideal Rockwell hardness to ergonomic design, let us help you finish the job.
For decades, we've been the experts in sewing scissors and sharpening, and we're ready to put that knowledge to work for you. Find the perfect, reliable shears that your team will love to use.