Thread Snips vs. Scissors – What are the Differences?  

Last Updated on March 14, 2024

Discover Thread Snips vs. Scissors differences and their uses here: Thread snips and scissors have their own advantages, disadvantages, and differences. That makes them better suited for certain tasks – Let’s examine these two tools in greater detail.!

A Brief History of Scissors

Historians have come to the conclusion that scissors were used more than three and a half thousand years ago, but not for sewing and needlework, but for shearing sheep.

Ancient scissors were made from a single piece of metal: just such a copy was found during excavations in Egypt. Scientists attributed the find to the 16th century BC.

It is still unknown who exactly came up with the idea of ​​​​connecting two blades and making comfortable, movable handles like modern models. There are facts that this happened in the 8th century AD in the Middle East.

Leonardo da Vinci also played an important role in the creation of functional scissors. He gave them their final form. In the manuscripts of the great Leonardo, they found a drawing confirming this fact.

Thread Snips – What Are Thread Snips Used for?

There is a tool for seemingly simplest purposes. It is called “Thread Snips”, The spring-return mechanism makes this “baby” simple and easy to use. It fits completely in the palm of your hand. But be careful: it is very sharp!

Thread snips are small shears with two blades that meet like scissors but with less than an inch of cutting edge between them. The blades are curved so that they cut fabric as close as possible and can get into hard-to-reach places when making delicate cuts. Thread Snips come in both right and left-handed versions to suit your preference.

These scissors are useful for quilting, ripping, removing running stitches and will especially please those who do not have a sewing machine with an automatic thread trimming function.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Thread Snips

Advantages

Thread Snips provide a clean, and precise cut for delicate materials like silk and satin. The curved blades are ideal for trimming seams or making small embroidery cuts in hemlines. They are also comfortable to hold in your hands due to the lightweight design, so you won’t get bored too quickly from prolonged use!

Disadvantages

With such a short blade length, thread snips have different cutting power than scissors. Plus, because of the curvature of the blades, it can be difficult to trim away excess fabric all at once – instead, only small sections can be taken away with each pass.

Sewing Scissors – What Are the Uses of Scissors?

Sewing scissors allow larger sections to be trimmed. Many types of sewing scissors are used these days – including tailor scissors, cutting scissors, Zigzag scissors, Scissors for needlework, Utility scissors for sewing, household scissors (which typically come with one angled blade), pinking shears (with jagged edges), etc.

Here, discussing some common types of sewing scissors including its characteristics and uses:

1. Tailor’s Scissors

Tailor’s Scissors have straight sharp blades of universal length and an easily recognizable handle. The bottom ring is slightly bigger than the top, accommodating your four fingers, when working with heavy materials.

They are convenient for making notches, aligning the edge of the mannequin, etc. We recommend that you use them only for their intended purpose and do not use them for cutting paper.

2. Cutting Scissors

These scissors are close to the tailor scissors, but there is a small difference. Cutting scissors are designed for cutting fabrics. Therefore, they have longer blades than tailor’s scissors and more pointed ends.

The longer the scissors, the thicker the fabric they are designed for. The average length of the cutting scissors is 22-30 cm (the maximum reaches 40 cm).

For tailor’s scissors, this length rarely exceeds 23 cm. Also, in some models of cutting scissors, the handle is located at a different angle. If you draw a conditional straight line from the tips of the blades, then it will pass strictly along the lower (large) ring.

The design allows you to focus on the work surface while cutting overall fabrics so that the master’s hand does not get tired.

The angle of the handle and blades is different in the tailor’s scissors. The ability to cut the fabric as a zigzag is another difference between tailor’s scissors and cutting scissors.

If you try to make a zigzag cut with a cutting tool, something else will be needed because of the large length of the blades. And the tailors will be able to do it quickly and accurately, thanks to the zigzag notches on the blade. This material processing technique is used when sewing coats, denim, and sports and tourist equipment.

In short, why cutting scissors is different from tailoring scissors:

3. Zigzag Scissors With Serrated Blades

Zigzag scissors can cut fabrics of different densities, leather, vinyl, jeans, and even cardboard. But if you plan to use them only for sewing, then you should refuse to cut paper with them so as not to dull the blades prematurely.

Because the teeth are tightly closed, the fabric will not wrinkle, and even if a serrated cut is formed, the threads will not shed.

4. Scissors for Needlework

Needlewomen are our creative natures. Therefore they prefer to use beautiful tools that create a special creative mood in their work.

Needlework scissors like Hisuper offer special and Premium series made of stainless steel, which provides high wear resistance and strength for crafting and patchwork.

The needlework scissors’ thin, sharp tips allow you to make precise cuts. Also well-polished surface gives a pleasant tactile sensation and does not leave nicks on the fabric.

5. Embroidery Scissors

An embroidery scissor is a little tool with a thin, curved blade that is extremely sharp and precise for any embroidery project. With their help, you can cut the thread in places that are hard to reach with large straight scissors.

6. Paper Scissors

As previously said, each scissors serves a specific purpose. For paper too! Having them in the house will save your tailor’s scissors and do any work with paper pleasant and quality.

Stationery scissors are useful for needlewomen for cutting patterns to cardboard. To avoid mixing them with others, try to choose scissors for different jobs with different handle colors.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Scissors

Advantages

Scissors offer considerable cutting power compared with thread snips. Due to their larger blade length, they are ideal for pattern or sewing alterations on heavier fabrics such as denim and upholstery!

Moreover, many designs and types of scissors make cutting through slippery materials easier, preventing threads from unraveling along seams.

Disadvantages

As the blades do not have a curve like thread snips, it is not possible to get those fine detail cuts without fraying. Furthermore, using scissors rather than thread snips might require more time.

Thread Snips vs. Scissors – Difference Between Thread Snips and Scissors

The main difference between thread snips and scissors is, Thread snips have curved, pointed blades that are used to trim small thread bits, while scissors are versatile tools for cutting fabric layers and larger thread pieces. They can be used for a variety of tasks, including cutting through multiple layers of fabric or trimming larger pieces of thread.

What Scissors Are Best for Snipping Threads?

When it comes to snipping threads, many different types of scissors can do the job. For snipping threads, you want to look for scissors that are sharp, small, and comfortable.

Look for scissors specifically made for threading and sewing; these will be sharp enough to quickly cut through even the thickest of threads. If you need to cut thicker or tougher threads, try using pinking shears or specialty scissors designed for the tailor’s use.

These will be sharper and more precise than traditional scissors. Another option is embroidery scissors, which have small, delicate blades designed specifically for sneezing threads in tight spots.

Conclusion

Depending on what crafts you frequently undertake at home or in your workspace will determine which might be better suited to you—thread snips dominate fine detail work while regular cutting scissors prove more suitable if speed on larger jobs is required.

So, choosing between thread snips and scissors has a lot do with personal preference and requirements depending on type of fabric used too!

Malinda Bailey

“I like to turn a piece of string into something that I can wear.” I am dedicated to sharing knowledge on the necessary sewing equipment in The Sewing Stuffs.