When I teach Hardanger and Portuguese Whitework I take my embroidery scissors around the class with me as I teach and demonstrate. Often students will discover that their embroidery scissors are just not up to the job of careful cutting threads next to stitching. They may be too big and chunky, or they may be too blunt. I am happy to let them use mine in class, and they discover the difference between good embroidery scissors and less-than-good ones.
The question is often asked of me, “What scissors do you recommend?” Good tools can make all the difference between frustration or an easy experience, and a bad or a good result. I have a few pairs of embroidery scissors, all of which I love to use, but they’re just not available anymore. So I set about to find the perfect scissors for any sort of counted cutwork, including Hardanger, drawn thread work, merezhka, Portuguese whitework, and Schwalm embroidery.
What am I looking for?
| Scissors with metal handles. Why? Because over the years I have had embroidery scissors with plastic handles, and sometimes these handles break. All it takes is a few drops on the floor. They rarely break right off, but they can get a little crack, right through. This means that every time you put your fingers into the holes, the crack opens up, then closes around your skin, pinching it. Ouch! Such a break doesn’t always happen, but I’ve had it happen enough to know that I want to avoid purchasing plastic handled embroidery scissors. Embroidery scissors with metal handles never have this problem. |
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| Sharp scissors. I would think that all scissors start off sharp, otherwise, what is the point? (Ooh, sorry, that’s not meant to be a pun!) Perhaps some blunt more quickly than others, perhaps it is all in the way they are treated. Treat your embroidery scissors nicely! They are not for cutting paper. They are not for cutting finger nails. They are not for cutting out large fabric shapes or pattern pieces. They are for cutting embroidery threads, and snipping fabric threads. Treat your embroidery scissors well, and they will stay sharp. |
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| Fine points. One of the main things we want to do with embroidery scissors when working cutwork is to slide the bottom blade under the required number of threads and then bring it back to the surface after that specific number of threads. This means if you slide it under two threads, you know you’re only cutting two threads. You cannot accidentally cut too far when you bring the blade back to the top of the fabric before cutting.However, to take the blade under threads AND bring it back to the front, those blades need to be as narrow as possible, to fit between the fabric threads. They need to have a small angle, AND they need to be thin. |
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| Let me show you what I mean.
Blade width. |
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| Blade angle. You can use a protractor to measure the angle of the blade points. The blades on these scissors have a lovely fine angle of 10 degrees. This means they are very tapered, which is exactly what we want. |
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| Blade point. The point of the blade itself is worth considering also. Is it very pointy? Is it blunt, which will make it harder to initially penetrate between the fabric threads? The pointier the blade point, the better. |
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| I do also have a few other criteria, such as that the price for the scissors should be reasonable for the quality. If I am going to invest in a quality pair of embroidery scissors to last me for all time, then I expect to pay a reasonable amount for them. I would also like them to be good quality steel, so they are less likely to rust. | |
| The ideal embroidery scissors for cutwork embroidery So, given that these are my criteria for the ideal pair of embroidery scissors for snipping fabric threads in cutwork embroidery, which scissors do I recommend?I have three recommendations. |
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| My first choice of embroidery scissors Dovo Hardanger scissors 3.5inch/9cm Made from hot-forged stainless steel in Germany. Dovo Hardanger scissors are recommended by Hardanger stitchers around the world. Ask on any Hardanger forum, and these are the scissors that are consistently recommended. These sharp embroidery scissors have have a blade point angle of approximately 10 degrees, measure 2mm width across both blades 8mm up the length of the blade, and have very pointy blade points. The Dovo Hardanger scissors are specifically designed for cutwork such as Hardanger embroidery. They have sharp, narrow, fine-pointed blades. These high quality embroidery scissors are available from Vetty Creations. |
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| My second choice of embroidery scissors Premax Embroidery scissors 2.75inch/7cm Edit: 2017 – I no longer recommend these scissors. The ones I have had most recently from the manufacturer were not as sharp, and the points weren’t as pointy. This feedback was passed on to the manufacturer, and they said that they would take it into consideration, but the subsequently manufactured ones were just as bad. If they improve, I will reinstate this recommendation, but for now, I will not recommend or sell them. If you cannot afford the Dovo Hardanger scissors, then these are my next recommendation. Made from precision hardened and tempered steel in Italy, these scissors are very petite. They have petite blades in pretty much every way (which fulfils my criteria very nicely!). If you have petite hands, then these are the perfect scissors for you. However, if you do not have petite hands, then these are not likely to fit your fingers. The finger holes measure 19 x 14mm (0.75 x 0.5in) at the widest points internally. If this is too small for your fingers, then I recommend the other scissors listed here. These sharp embroidery scissors have have a blade point angle of approximately 10 degrees, measure a smidgen more than 2mm width across both blades 8mm up the length of the blade, and have pointy blade points. The Premax 2.75inch embroidery scissors are guaranteed for life, by the manufacturer, against any failure arising from defective material or workmanship. These quality embroidery scissors are available from Vetty Creations. |
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| My third choice of embroidery scissors Premax Stork Embroidery scissors 3.5inch/9cm Made from precision hardened and tempered steel in Italy. These scissors are the traditional stork design. They have fine, narrow blades, a sharp point, and are lovely to work with. These sharp embroidery scissors have have a blade point angle of approximately 10 degrees, measure a smidgen more than 2mm width across both blades 8mm up the length of the blade, and have pointy blade points. The Premax 3.5inch stork embroidery scissors are guaranteed for life, by the manufacturer, against any failure arising from defective material or workmanship. These quality embroidery scissors are available from Vetty Creations. |
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Edited and updated to include Dovo Hardanger scissors, February 2017.
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
The dimensions you recommend, and the measuring points, are very helpful for comparing scissors we might find. Thanks.
Hi Yvette,
Have you tried the Dovo Hardanger scissors that Nordic Needle sells? I have been considering a pair, but I am not sure if they will be worth it or not. What’s your experience? Thanks!
Hi Monica, no I haven’t tried them. I actually am happy with all the scissors I have, but none of mine are available anymore. That was why I searched my local suppliers for great scissors that I could recommend to my customers and to students in my classes. So sorry, but I can’t make any other recommendations other than the ones I recommend in my post.
I like my Dovo curved blades for certain things but I much prefer my Premax overall!
Hi Yvette,
I have tried Dovo Hardanger scissors but my preference is the Solingen Filigree Embroidery Scissors. They run a little less than the Dovo’s but they have thinner loops and blades are very thin and cut to the point. I wanted to use the Dovo’s because they were specifically made for hardanger, which is what I do, however, the scissor feels overall heavier than the Filigrees.
Thanks for your input, Glenda. I’ll look out for those scissors. Of course, as I have not seen or tried them, I can’t comment on them myself!