Sheffield has been England’s center of iron smelting for almost a thousand years, evolving into the steel industry for manufacturing cutlery, scissors, and knives. The discovery, in Sheffield, of the crucible steel manufacturing process in 1761 changed the availability of iron and steel tools radically. The Sheffield Directory listed only one maker of scissors and surgical instruments in 1774. By 1797, there were 87. Three out of five workers in the town were already working in the cutlery trades by the seventeenth century and, with technological advances, the entire region enjoyed a boom that lasted many generations. By the mid-19th century, about 60% of “cutlers” worked around the Sheffield region, which manufactured 90% of all British steel. By the mid-19th century, thousands of pairs were being produced each week. While the timelines aren’t all synchronous, the same historical sweep played out in other cities around the world, whether it was ancient iron working or steelmaking and the manufacture of scissors. Sheffield – like Solingen in Germany, Premana in Italy, and other centers of blade manufacture – grew up around rivers to provide power (later replaced by steam) and deposits of iron ore (for forging) and coal (for firing the forges). As with other cutlery-blade towns, a sharp decline took hold in the 20th century when the mass production of cheaper, low-quality scissors weighed on traditional makers. The cost of high-grade steel, as well as the need for highly skilled labor, put an enormous strain on these companies. Today, in a city of almost 600,000, there are just two remaining Sheffield firms committed to making quality, craft scissors by hand and keeping the connection alive with the past: Ernest Wright is one of them.

This small workshop is putting its dedication only towards scissors, 17 different models they sell in total, not more. But these are all one of a kind regarding their performance in their related field. After being in contact with the wonderful people at Ernest Wright, we figured out the Turton scissors to be the best scissors if a household would only own one pair of scissors for several tasks like cutting packaging, paper, but also for use in the kitchen. (The Kurtrite model would be performance wise the same, but in this case I prefer the traditional aesthetics of the Kurtrite)

What makes this pair so special in comparison with mass-produced scissors? "Normal" scissors are stamped out of a stainless steel sheet. Ernest Wright scissors are drop-forged. The advantage of forging is that it improves the strength of the metal by aligning and stretching the grain structure. A forged part will be stronger than a stamped piece of metal. Once forged, the pair of scissors will be subject to numerous stages of cutting, grinding, and then painstakingly marrying together the two blades. It is this last step that makes the biggest difference to mass-produced scissors. There is a dedicated job only for this task: The "putter-togetherer." The title is proudly given to the holder of a five-year-to-fully-apprenticed skill set and trade. Every putter brings their own touch to scissors-making; their own ingenuity. It’s only through keen focus and discipline that the craftsmen can take their paths to arrive at the same perfect pattern of scissors or shears; the same level of performance. The blades of a pair of scissors are curved, so they always make contact regardless of the position they’re in. This way, there’s always an equal amount of pressure to ensure an even and straight cut. A little tweak here, a little nudge there – it’s all about fine margins and deep knowledge. The hammering in of the curve is where the putter-togetherer works his magic. For even though no two blades are ever 100% the same, he’ll make each pair cut to equal perfection and last you a lifetime.

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