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Well-made high-carbon scissors are a joy to use and are indispensable in my shop for cutting paper patterns to shape, trimming veneer and 100 other tasks.
For years I used junky office scissors but finally got my hands on a pair of traditional hot-forged dress makers shears from Clauss. Despite their reasonable cost (less than $20), they are like wielding a custom tool. They are perfectly balanced, polished and properly ground. Oh, and they are made in Italy.
The Clauss are designed for a lifetime of use and can be easily disassembled for regrinding or repair. And the steel is fantastic. I have used these every day in the shop for more than three years and they are as sharp as they day I bought them.
You can buy Clauss shears from a variety of suppliers, including Amazon. This model is the 3318 and is the 8″ version, also available here.
— Christopher Schwarz
This entry kicks off this year’s gift guide. If you haven’t read my gift guides from past years, here’s the deal: I bought all this stuff with my own money and use it in my shop. I am not paid to promote any of these items. There are no affiliate links. I don’t receive any kickback if you purchase these items. In other word, this is unlike almost all the other “gift guides” out there.
If you’d like to read gift guides from past years, check this link.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
