Best fabric scissors: Ask the experts

Best fabric scissors: Ask the experts

Last week we found out which embroidery scissors experts in the field would recommend. Today we turn our attention to fabric shears; 3 renowned textile artists give us their opinions on the best scissors for precision cutting of material.


Cate Hursthouse - fabric shears recommendations

Cate Hursthouse recommends:

“For larger cutting jobs I rely on my Fiskars fabric shears.  They are stalwarts of my practice and have probably lasted me about 20 years now Woe betide anyone in the house who thinks these should be used to cut paper.”

Cate Hursthouse is a renowned textile artist, a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and has an MA in Contemporary Textiles from the University of Hertfordshire.


Cate Hursthouse - Fiskars fabric shears and embroidery scissors

Fiskars fabric shears

Fiskars set the standard in quality for fabric scissors and shears. Produced in Finland using top quality stainless steel, their classic orange handles have become their trademark.

Each finely tempered and faceted blade is ground and hardened for durability, giving a cut that is ultra-clean and acutely accurate. The patented handle design is famous for being very comfortable for long periods of use.

These highly ergonomic shears are capable of cutting through very thick fabrics and can handle multiple layers of material, cardboard, laminate, and even light metal – although if you want to keep them nice and sharp for use with textiles, allocate them for that one purpose only.

It’s testament to the Fiskars brand that over 1 billion pairs of these scissors have been sold worldwide!



More from Fiskars:

[ws_table id=”11″]


Sue Stone recommends Korbond scissors for cutting fabric

Sue Stone recommends:

“I use a left handed lightweight scissor by Korbond which is very comfortable to hold. I’ve tried all sorts of makes over the years and this is the one I like best.”

Sue Stone is an award-winning textile artist, chairperson of the prolific 62 Group, and mother of the creators of TextileArtist.org.


Korbond 9-inch Dressmaking Scissor

Favoured by professional dressmakers, fiber artists and hobbyists alike, what makes Korbond stand out is their patented soft grip handles, which provide ultimate ease and comfort of use, especially over extended periods of time.

Precision ground 9″ blades mean that these shears are perfect for achieving a detailed cut of fabrics and materials. and soft touch handles, is ideal for cutting fabrics and materials.



More from Korbond

[ws_table id=”12″]


Lindsay Taylor uses Fiskars fabric shearsLindsay Taylor recommends:

“I do have some old Fiskars scissors. I like the bright orange handle – easier to spot in the chaos I work in. Recently I bought a funky pair while exhibiting in France. They are by a company called Kelmscott Designs.com, based in Canada; their designs are fantastic. Mine are matt black and called Steweb.”

Lindsay Taylor creates 3D textile art by weaving natural hand-dyed fabrics into organic forms.


Which fabric shears or scissors would you recommend? And for which specific tasks? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sunday 02nd, April 2023 / 02:31

About the author

Joseph Pitcher is the son of textile artist Sue Stone. He is an actor and voice-over artist and has worked at the RSC, the National Theatre, West End theatres and several other leading regional venues across the UK. Find Joe on Google

View all articles by Joe

NEWSLETTER FOR TEXTILE & FIBER ARTISTS

JOIN A COMMUNITY OF 60,000 STITCHERS

Share in the creative secrets of the world's most celebrated embroidery artists.

And discover how to create breathtaking art with textiles and stitch.

All Inspiration. No Spam.

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter

29 comments on “Best fabric scissors: Ask the experts”

  1. Joanne says:

    I have always been a fan of fiskars scissors. I had a great pair that I bought for college and lasted me as my main fabric shears until last year…. When a thoughtless technician took them without asking and cut tape with them 🙁 I still haven’t forgiven him. The blades were longer and thinner than the current fiskars design. I bought a new pair but they are just not quite the same…. Still looking for the perfect replacement.

    • Ann-Maree says:

      have you tried sending them to Fiskar to get them fixed ?
      I have found dealing with them magic .

  2. Wendy says:

    I recommend Merchant and Mills scissors, both for embroidery and dressmaking.

  3. Adrienne says:

    I prefer Ginghers scissors.

  4. Sunnie says:

    Look for scissors with serrated edge blades. They hold all kinds of fabric in place as you cut, especially nice for very light weight fabrics. probably not easy to get sharpened…but mine have stayed sharp for years!

  5. jane says:

    I’m a long time Fisher’s fan.

  6. Arlene Franks says:

    I used Fiskars for years – then I tried a pair of Ginghers ….. MY Cadilac of scissors! For my hands – they are more comfortable and easier to work with …. my hands don’t tire or become painful as quickly as when I use other scissors. I still use my Fiskars occasionally but muchly prefer my Ginghers.

  7. Cathy Unwin says:

    Ernest Wright scissors are the BEST! Crafted with care in Sheffield, not mass produced.

    • Lesley Buckwell says:

      I totally agree with Cathy. Ernest Wright’s scissors are beautifully made, well balanced and cut well. It’s also good to buy from the craftsman who actually made the scissors! I love mine.

  8. leilani hagberg says:

    Cutco has superb scissors

  9. Mike says:

    I too have a pair of Ernest Wright Shears. Handmade in Sheffield from the finest high-carbon steel, they are a pleasure to use, and will last for a century or longer. My last pair of cheaper scissors were binned when one of the plastic handles came away. William Whiteley also make scissors of a similar quality.

  10. Marylou Statson says:

    After forty years of sewing, the absolute best scissors are Kai scissors!

  11. Sheila says:

    I believe William Whiteley actually supply the scissors for Merchant and Mills! Theyre handmade in Sheffield and one of the oldest scissormakers in the world, founded in 1760. Once I started using their scissors I never looked back – and have started hiding them from the rest of the family!!

  12. Marilyn says:

    Sheffield’s finest Ernest Wright scissors every time.

  13. Pitt Chao says:

    Thanks for your sharing. Electric Fabric Scissors, Various cutter blades are available and easily replaceable. Electric Sewing Scissors can be used for cutting cloth, card boards, leather, paper boxes, etc. For more information, please click on https://www.testextextile.com/product/electric-fabric-scissors-tf510/

  14. Barbara Wardell says:

    I have a pair of Fiskars bent handle scissors and the spring broke in 2 places. Where can I get a new spring?

  15. Daisy says:

    Use fiskars Everyday at work, perfect use for dressmaking, or general cutting like we do!

  16. Nice to know about the Fiskars fabric scissors which I used usually for fabric cutting, but I don’t know where they are made now I know about this information and many other things about Fiskars fabric Scissors.

  17. Helen Berlijn says:

    I have recently bought a pair of Zwilling dressmaker scissors and they would be one of the things I would rescue out of my house when on fire! They are the perfect thing.

  18. Janneke says:

    My Kai scissors are absulutely my favorite !!!.

  19. Margarita says:

    Hola, I don’t like Fiskars I recently bought Perfecto Scissors un Amazon. Muy buenas ,good very good, bit a little small.
    Margarita Morales

  20. chloe mauro-razafimanantsoa says:

    I have used Gingher scissors for decades, I own a variety: embroidery, dressmaking, etc. Since I discovered them when I was living in the US, I’ve not used another brand.

  21. best scissors in wich for local trailering

  22. David Johnny says:

    Hi there! I’m also working with scissors a lot, I use Gingher scissors for cutting the fabric!

  23. Really helpful discussion, now i can select a high-quality scissor for my next sewing projects

  24. Mary Gordon says:

    Fiskars fabric shears are really good, I bought one last year and it still works.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hello and welcome to TextileArtist.org

TextileArtist.org is a place for textile artists and art enthusiasts to be inspired, learn from the best, promote their work and communicate with like-minded creatives.

NEWSLETTER FOR TEXTILE & FIBER ARTISTS

JOIN A COMMUNITY OF 60,000 STITCHERS

Share in the creative secrets of the world's most celebrated embroidery artists.

And discover how to create breathtaking art with textiles and stitch.

All Inspiration. No Spam.

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter

What the artists say

"Textileartist.org is an invaluable resource. I am constantly sending students there and sharing it with other practitioners".

Nigel Cheney
Lecturer in Embroidered Textiles at NCAD

"The beauty of TextileArtist.org is that whenever you visit you'll discover something that you didn't already know".

Rachel Parker
Textile Study Group Graduate of the year 2012

"TextileArtist.org gives contemporary textile practice a voice; leading artists, useful guides and a forum for textiles".

Cas Holmes
Textile Artist and teacher

"This website is exactly what we need in the textiles world. A fantastic inspirational resource".

Carol Naylor
Textile and Embroidery Artist

  Get updates from TextileArtist.org via RSS or Email

Most Viewed