What is the Best Pair of Embroidery Scissors?
My current favorite pair of embroidery scissors is the Gingher Lightweight Embroidery Scissors, but there are many different kinds and makers of embroidery scissors. The number of choices makes it hard to know which one is the best to order. Is it worth it to spend the extra $20 or $30 on a 'better' pair of embroidery scissors, or do the cheaper embroidery scissors work equally as well? I'm sorry to tell you that there is no 'best' pair of embroidery scissors, but I ordered sixteen embroidery scissors and ranked them from my favorite to least favorite, so at least you have a little more information before ordering. That way you don't have to randomly purchase one and hope for the best!
In order to better test the sixteen embroidery scissors I picked out, I also had two other people besides myself rank the scissors. I am fully aware that my favorite embroidery scissors may be someone else's least favorite, so I wanted to get the opinions of other people to see how their thoughts differed than mine.
My Picks
Above is the ranking of the sixteen different embroidery scissors that I tested. I knew the prices and about the different brands going into this experiment, so I factored in brand and price when deciding which ones I thought were the best/worst deal.
#1 - Gingher Lightweight Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $18
This is a pair of scissors that cuts very well all the way to the tip of the blades and there isn't much resistance between the blades when cutting with it. On some scissors, the friction between the blades creates a stiff/jumpy feeling when opening and closing the scissors, but these scissors don't have that problem, which creates a smooth cutting experience. The $18 for these scissors is very reasonable. Someone may not like these though if they are looking for fancy looking scissors.
*I ranked these scissors as a right-handed scissor user. I did have someone rank the scissors also taking into account cutting threads with their left hand. Results are shown later in this post.
#2 - Bohin Black Handle Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $20.32
I found these very comparable to the Gingher Lightweight Embroidery Scissors. I do like the feel and price of the Gingher Lightweight scissors a little better, but these Bohin scissors are very similar and still a good deal.
#3 - Bohin Heart Design Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $18.04
A great pair of scissors. They cut well and are a reasonable price. They are only in the number 3 spot because the cutting experience isn't quite as smooth as the first two (it is close though).
#4 - Dovo Hardanger Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price about $54
I love these scissors! They cut extremely well (so much so that they have an extremely satisfying snip sound when closed) and the cutting feels super smooth. For me, these are not ranked number one only because of the price. It is hard to justify over $50 for a pair of embroidery scissors, but they are worth it.
#5 - Victorian Embroidery Scissors in Silver - recommended retail price $14
Smooth cutting experience, and I like the look of these scissors. But, it isn't a name-brand pair of embroidery scissors. I recommend spending $4 more for a branded pair of scissors. Not that brand matters, but they hold their value better. Also, the shape of these scissors make them a little less comfortable to use than the scissors ranked higher.
#6 - Marquis Brushed Silver Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $16
Cut very well and have a smooth cutting experience. This is another non-branded pair of embroidery scissors, so like the #5 pick, I would recommend spending a few dollars more for a branded pair of scissors. Overall, these are comfortable to use.
#7 - Gingher Stork Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $21.50
These have more of a stiff cutting experience than all the scissors ranked higher. I do like the look of them, but I would rather cut threads with the scissors ranked higher because the resistance between the blades of this pair of scissors makes it a little harder to control exactly where you are cutting. They do cut well, and come with a sheath, which is a plus.
#8 - Gingher Large Handle Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $32.50
These scissors have a little more smooth cutting experience than the Gingher Stork Scissors, but not necessarily worth the extra cost UNLESS you like to have the large finger holes to more comfortably use embroidery scissors - then I would highly recommend these because most embroidery scissors seem to be made with tiny finger holes.
#9 - Bohin Stork Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $17.92
The Bohin Stork scissors cut well, but the ends of the blades have a very stiff cutting experience. If interested in the look of these scissors, I would recommend spending a few more dollars to get the Gingher Stork Embroidery Scissors - better cutting experience and comes with a sheath to cover the blades.
#10 - Pink Cotton Candy Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $8.50
These scissors have a very smooth cutting experience, and are a great price. These would be perfect as a pair of travel embroidery scissors. The only issue I have with these embroidery scissors is that they are lightweight, so sometimes if you are cutting six strands of embroidery floss near the tip of the blades, the blades will separate and not cut the threads. That isn't an issue if the floss is cut closer to the handles though.
#11 - DMC Peacock Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $8.10
These do cut fine, but the cutting experience isn't very smooth. If you are looking for a cheap embroidery scissors option, they do work fine. I personally would just save up some more money for a more expensive pair of embroidery scissors.
#12 - Bohin Gilt Handle Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $20.16
These cut well and have a fairly smooth cutting experience. The reason why these scissors got ranked fairly low is because the small finger holes aren't ideal for everyday use, but for specific purposes (maybe a pair of travel scissors?) these could be great.
#13 - Tudor Embroidery Scissor with Gold Handles - recommended retail price $12.90
These scissors have a pretty rough cutting experience to me, especially toward the ends of the blades. These are another one of the scissors that isn't branded. If price is the main factor in choosing a pair of scissors, I would choose one of the cheaper pairs of scissors that were ranked better above.
#14 - Imperial Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $12
Fairly rough cutting experience. The design looks nice, but similar to the tudor embroidery scissors (ranked #13) it isn't branded, so it probably won't hold much value. And if you are looking for a cheap option, I would recommend a cheaper one that I ranked better unless you are set on the design.
#15 - DMC Gold Handle Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $8.10
Feel very rough/jumpy/tight when trying to cut with them. So, not a smooth experience for cutting. They do cut okay, but there are other scissors that feel better to cut with.
#16 - Polka Dot Embroidery Scissors - recommended retail price $4.50
These actually do cut okay - occasionally they struggle near the tips of the blades. These currently are not sold on the Thread Maniac Designs website because the polka dot sheath that comes with the scissors is obviously created very cheaply (to be expected from the price), but as a customer, I would be upset to receive a product that has any part of it that looks cheap unless I fully knew what I was buying
Below are how two people ranked the sixteen pairs of embroidery scissors without knowing about the brands of the embroidery scissors or the cost of the scissors. Can you guess which embroidery scissors were their favorites?
Guest #1 Embroidery Scissors Picks - Tested with Left and Right Hand
For the embroidery scissors ranked #1 - #6, this person liked that the handles felt good when holding, and the scissors cut well both right and left handed. Overall, her favorite is the Dovo Hardanger Embroidery Scissors because of the overall feel and cutting ability of the scissors, but the Marquis Brushed Silver Embroidery Scissors came in close second. To her, the Bohin Black Handle Embroidery Scissors, Bohin Heart Design Embroidery Scissors, Tudor Embroidery Scissor with Gold Handles, and Gingher Stork Embroidery Scissors are all also great embroidery scissor options.
The Bohin Gilt Handle Embroidery Scissors was ranked #7 because of the small size of the finger holes even though it cuts well both right and left handed.
The DMC Peacock Embroidery Scissors and the DMC Gold Handle Embroidery Scissors are in the #8 and #9 spots because off their rougher cutting experience.
The Gingher Large Handle Embroidery Scissors and the Victorian Embroidery Scissors in Silver are in the #10 and #11 spots because of the ways the handles feel. They cut well, but the person I had test the scissors felt either the size or the shape of the handles may be uncomfortable to constantly use.
The Polka Dot Embroidery Scissors are in the #12 spot because it is obvious to see that it is a cheaper pair of scissors. Remember that when I had this person rate the scissors, she had no idea what the cost of any of these scissors are. She just rated them as if they were all the same price.
*LEFT HANDED PEOPLE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE NEXT SENTENCE!
The Bohin Stork Embroidery Scissors, Pink Cotton Candy Embroidery Scissors, Imperial Embroidery Scissors, and Gingher Lightweight Embroidery Scissors are in the #13 - #16 spots because they don't cut well for people who use their LEFT HAND to cut with scissors.
Guest #2 Embroidery Scissors Picks - Tested with Right Hand Only
There is already a lot of information on this page, so I will keep this last ranking of the embroidery scissors short. For the embroidery scissors ranked in the #1 through #9 spots, the person I had rank them felt they all cut well and cut smoothly. Her main factor in placing one over the other in these top spots was based upon how the handle of the scissors felt while using the scissors. Ultimately, her favorite to use because of cutting ability, smoothness of the blades while cutting, and handle feel was the Marquis Brushed Silver Embroidery Scissors.
All the scissors ranked lower than the #9 spot except the Bohin Gilt Handle Embroidery Scissors (ranked #12) were ranked low because the blades didn't smoothly glide against each other for a smooth cutting experience. The Bohin Gilt Handle Embroidery Scissors was ranked in the bottom half because of the size of the finger holes, not because of the way it cut.
Final Thoughts on Picking A Pair of Embroidery Scissors
Too often when shopping for accessories, we blindly choose one and hope for the best. Usually when purchasing both in-store and online, we can't actually test the products. When shopping online, there is nothing to touch, and when shopping in-store, the products usually are contained by packaging. We assume the more expensive option is better, but that isn't always the case.
I hope this post at least gave a little knowledge about a few good pairs of embroidery scissors to purchase. There are many more to test, but at least this is a start. Hopefully this allowed you to see how people's opinions on scissors can vary based upon their personal preferences, and this can help show that not all scissors made by the same brand perform the same.
If you have a current favorite pair of embroidery scissors, feel free to leave a comment below with the name/brand of it.
As always, thanks for reading!
~Lindsey
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