jpthequilter

I was traveling and had a new pair of yellow handled Fiskars for my sewing projects. I was visiting my cousins on their farm in the Netherlands. I found my cousin cheerfully and gleefully using them for cutting up heavy canvas bags for some use with his dairy cows. He said to me: "Are these yours? They are the only sharp scissors we have in this house! They cut so well!"
I looked at him and laughed and said: "If that is the case, you had better keep them."
I went to the weekly open air market and got another pair, which I kept well hidden in the bottom of my luggage or rolled in my sewing out of sight.

jpthequilter

I think that your American sisters would be interested to find out that you have 220 volts in all of your house circuits.
I was freaked out when I found that out! 220v running about in extension cords! The metal in the wires is thinner though, which probably cut through quickly enough to save him. He was very lucky.

Sienna's GiGi

My boss used mine to cut zip ties off of a footlocker.

Annya

Dh used mine to cut a greasy rubber tube for his lawn mower. I now have another better pair and they DO NOT leave my sewing room. I do NOT take them out of there either.

Annya

I do the same and marked my old rotary cutter with paper so no one would use my good ones for other than the fabric they are meant for.

nycquilter

I have memories of my mom yelling "not my good scissors"! hmm, fast forward 30 years and my daughter will tell you I raised her the same way--"Don't you dare touch my good scissors!" even the dogs know they are tempting fate to even look at my good scissors! so, no bad incidents in my household.

Pepita

My Dad told a story from his father. That the worst punishment he ever got as a kid was when he used his father's tools, and didn't put them away. (His father was a carriage maker) I got the impression from my Dad that he got similar treatment from his Dad over using his tools.

My point is this: Tools that you use are cared for and made to work at their best. When others use those tools they need to understand their importance, use, and care. And we need to understand that NO ONE needs to touch our tools unless we really know they respect the value of the tool
My daughter doesn't understand my unwillingness to have her using my Berninia. (I also have a mechanical sewing machine she can use.)

shnnn

My scissors are covered in wax - my son used them to cut the plastic wrap off a smelly wax tart (soft wax even) --
he is not going to touch them again (until next time I'm sure) -- but now -- how do I get the sticky wax off!?

DaylilyDawn

You can get the wax off with hot boiling water to melt the wax. Put a pot the scissors will fit in on a low burner and gently heat the water only if your scissors do not have plastic handles. as the wax melts it will float on the water Pour the water and melted wax through a paper towel, or coffee filter, the water goes through but the wax stops on the paper towel or filter. Then take your scissors out of the pot and lay them on a paper towel to drain and cool.

When my kids were small I told them if they touched my sewing scissors, they would be dead. I have a pair of Wiss scissors that I have had for over 25 years I have had them sharpened only one time during that period and I still use them.My Ginghers stay in the case with my sewing machine and no one messes with my machine unless they ask permission from me first.

kateyb

Once when my kids were little my scissors didn't work right and they had a big nick in them. (I did dressmaking then). I knew someone had cut wire with them. I'm a redhead with a temper -needless to say no one admitted doing it but I had my suspicions. 12 years later my youngest son admitted he was the culprit. "Mom, you were so mad I thought you would kill me." It would have been a close call.
Now they are all grown and when visiting ask where the paper scissors are.