Fiskars Premier No. 8 Easy Action Scissors - 10" Spring Action Fabric and Craft Scissors - Arts and Crafts - Orange/White

In a different class altogether from conventional scissors. I used to get hand cramps from repeatedly opening scissors. These fit my hands and work great. I often cut magnetic material .030" or .8mm thick. These scissors do the job cleanly and easily. If you have to put scissors down and pick them up again repeatedly, these will also save a lot of time otherwise spent adjusting your hand positioning each cycle. Seriously worth the money.

I've used Fiskar's spring-loaded shears for several years. I'm a sewing teacher and doll pattern-maker, which means I cut a lot of fabric! These shears are excellent for sewing, especially if you have arthritis in your hands, or are worried about repetitive strain injury. They're spring-loaded, which means they pop open on their own when you unlock them. All you have to do is close them to cut your fabric, and with every stroke, they'll re-open automatically. Easy peasy! (Just remember to lock them when you're done cutting, to avoid injury.)Just to be clear, these are fabric shears, not regular, everyday scissors. They're specially shaped for cutting fabric without lifting it off the table. The handles are slightly padded, so they're comfortable to hold, and the grip is wide enough that it doesn't pinch your fingers, the way some scissors do. I always recommend these shears to my students, and it's one way that I can judge how serious a student is about taking classes. If they're willing to pay a little extra for the "good" shears, I know they're dedicated. If not, they'll buy a cheap pair of shears, which are difficult to cut with.Last week, I borrowed one of my students' brand-new pair of shears to demonstrate proper cutting technique and was startled by how much easier they were to cut with than mine! Apparently, mine had grown dull and it happened so slowly, I didn't even notice. It would have been difficult to get to the shop to get them sharpened, so I simply ordered a new pair. It was the exact same Amazon listing as the first pair I bought several years ago, but the shears I received were different. Instead of being gray and black, with a small orange lock, they're bright orange and white, which is rather hideous. Even my students have commented on how ugly the new shears are! That's disappointing, especially since the photo in the description still shows the old gray and black version. (Or it did at the time of my purchase.)Even so, I cannot complain. These are excellent shears for cutting fabrics of all types, from heavy denim to fragile chiffon, and everything in between. I use them daily, and I will keep returning to buy them every time I need a new pair. I won't even consider other shears! I might even buy an extra pair to keep on hand in case anything happens to mine. They last a long time, too! I had my first pair of shears for at least seven years, without any problems. The only reason I replaced them is because they were growing dull. But if you have a sewing shop nearby, you can simply get yours sharpened once a year, and they'll last a lifetime!I was going to deduct a star for the awful color of my new pair, but that's superficial and I really shouldn't allow the color to bother me. All things considered, these are a GREAT pair of sewing shears! Spring-loaded, comfort grip, super sharp---all you could ask for in a pair of sewing shears. Five stars and highly recommended to anyone who sews, quilts, or needs to cut fabric for any reason. (Note: They aren't suitable for clipping, notching, or trimming seam allowances, or for clipping threads. They're just too large---you run the risk of accidentally cutting your main fabric. For jobs like that, I recommend a pair of 4-inch scissors, like the "lightweight embroidery scissors" made by Gingher.)

I recently purchased the Fiskars 9911 Softouch Multipurpose Scissors from Amazon. Due to my diagnosis of Lupus, using traditional scissors can tire out my hand and make it painful to cut whatever it is that I am working on (usually coupons, I admit it). After careful consideration, I decided to try this spring-loaded model.ConstructionThe Fiskars brand is almost always a high-quality product. These scissors are no exception; they are lightweight yet very durable. The "softouch" aspect to them is accurate; the grip is rubberized so that the scissors are comfortable to hold and use.In terms of sharpness, the blades of the scissors are extremely sharp and cut through both paper and plastic easily. I was able to quickly wrap a present by slicing through the wrapping paper with ease, not tearing or snagging any piece.UseThese scissors are easy to use, once you get used to them. Traditional scissors have both blades balanced to evenly rotate on the fulcrum point (the screw/weld in the middle of the blades). This means that the strength of the scissors, as well as the power of the cut, is determined by the hand strength of the user. This also means that for someone with arthritis in the hands, traditional scissors can result in pain after using them for a time.These spring-loaded scissors operate differently; only the top blade moves. When using these, you can rest the bottom of the scissors against your tabletop and "push" them forward across the surface of whatever it is that you are cutting. The spring-loaded lever action means you use much less strength to cut something than with a traditional pair of scissors. In addition, the softouch grip makes it more comfortable to use.The tricky part in using these scissors is learning to align the blades along the line that you wish to cut. In a traditional pair of scissors (at least for me), I used to open the blades and pull the piece of paper to the fulcrum point (where the blades intersected), resulting in a more precise cut along a designated line (such as with coupon pages). With the Fiskars 9911 Softouch Multi Purpose Scissors, it is not possible to pull the paper to the blade intersection; you have to start trimming further down the blade (I hope that this make sense, I am trying to explain this the best that I can!). This usually results in the cuts being "off" to one side or the other of the line by 1/8-to-1/4". Fortunately, it is easy to adjust to this and make precision cuts.OverallIf you need a durable pair of scissors which are comfortable to use, are sharp, and also lock closed (an added bonus that I forgot to mention above), then the Fiskars 9911 Softouch scissors are for you. For the price, they do what they are needed to do, and then some. For someone with arthritis, these scissors are a blessing. Consider these for either yourself or a gift for someone that uses scissors frequently (maybe a scrapbooker? coupon fanatic?). They will love you for them!