Everybody needs a good set of scissors/shears in their toolbox. I always keep around a pair of these EMT utility-style scissors, and you owe it to yourself to get a set. Any EMT or first-responder is familiar with these — they’re meant to quickly cut through fabric to get at wounds. The side benefit: They’re so tough, they’ll cut through most anything you can throw at ’em. I’ve used ’em to cut thin metal as well as to snip off extra lengths of wire — a great all-around tool.
EMT/utility/bandage scissors are great because they’re cheap and tough, and if you do end up ruining them, you’re only out a few bucks. They’re made of stamped stainless steel with serrated blades and solid molded plastic handles. A long handle-to-blade ratio means great leverage for cutting through nearly anything. If you’ve ever used the “good scissors” in an unprescribed manner and gotten an earful, these are the guys to reach for. A set of 5 can set you back as little as $10.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
6 Responses to All-Purpose Scissors That Everybody Needs
Leave a Reply to Todd Cancel reply
Toolmonger on Flickr
While these seem like a generic commodity their is a variance in the quality. The pair I (over) spent $10 on are still tight an continue to work great, the cheap pairs I’ve bought all have loose hinges and cut like c**p.
Scote makes a good point.
That being said, they are available at
http://www.countycomm.com/shear.htm
for a bit under three clams.
I have a pair of these in my tool box and use them all the time!
I have had the same pair of shears for 18 years (I am a ER doc so they get used and abused a lot) and they still cut pennies, and soft cotton bandages easily. They still look like new (once I clean off the plaster and fibreglass resin). I use them at home for just about everything too.
I would echo Scote – I paid $18 for mine in 1989, but the $5 ones the department buys are useless after only a few months.
I’ve had luck getting a few of these on various clearance racks, and while I’m pretty sure they’re not the $18 surgical variety, they do hold up pretty well. A pair in the first aid kit and a pair in the toolbox, and so far they’ve held up fine.
These are sometimes called ‘crash scissors’ from their use in emergency rescue operations.