The Sewing Place

Tools of the Trade => The Haberdashery => Topic started by: Ellabella on February 04, 2019, 19:48:40 PM

Title: Pinking shears
Post by: Ellabella on February 04, 2019, 19:48:40 PM

I'm going to buy some new pinking shears and wonder which makes you peeps might recommend.

I'm looking to buy a decent pair, my old ones are so stiff they are a pain to use.

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: sewingj on February 04, 2019, 20:05:16 PM

I've got some Fiskars ones which I'm happy with. I think they were about £30. My old ones seized up completely - needed 2 hands to open them!

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: b15erk on February 05, 2019, 09:20:35 AM

I have some Fiskars (I think) which are a bit temperamental if I'm honest, and they sometimes lock.

I also have some very old ones which would cut butter if it was hot....

Sorry, not much help.

Jessie

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: jintie on February 05, 2019, 15:05:49 PM

To get a pinking edge on fabric, I use a rotary cutter, with a wavy blade.
(To sharpen my blades, I run them manually thro approx four layers of aluminium foil).
Hope this helps.

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: WendyW on February 05, 2019, 21:57:05 PM

I've got Fiskars, too. Never had any trouble with them, but haven't used them a lot either.

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: toileandtrouble on February 05, 2019, 22:57:39 PM

Threads magazine suggests pinking as a way to trim clip and finish seam allowances all in one.  Has anyone tried this?

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: Greybird on February 06, 2019, 07:58:36 AM

@toileandtrouble - that's what I used to do years ago when I only had my grandmother's handcrank straight stitch machine. Fine on cottons (not many synthetic fabrics then), hard going with thicker fabrics and not very successful with things that fray a lot.

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: toileandtrouble on February 06, 2019, 10:03:13 AM

Thanks!  I did wonder.

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: So Chic on February 06, 2019, 12:34:10 PM

I have a very old pair bought in John Lewis but hardly ever use them and wouldn't miss them if they got lost.

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: SewRuthieSews on February 06, 2019, 16:10:02 PM

I have some I got online. They don't have a brand on them but have pink and purple squidgy handles which are nice to hold.
I quite like to do quick bunting by cutting traingles out with them and stitching it to ribbon.

Title: Re: Pinking shears
Post by: BrendaP on February 06, 2019, 17:26:59 PM

Quote from: So Chic on February 06, 2019, 12:34:10 PM

I have a very old pair bought in John Lewis but hardly ever use them and wouldn't miss them if they got lost.

I once had a pair, very stiff and not often used.  They did get lost many years ago and I don't miss them!

As Greybird said, they were used when all machines were straight stitch, and only good for fabrics that didn't fray badly.  Since I've had a decent overlocker I don't make many plain seams which need the edges finished but when I do I finish those edges with a 3 thread overlock.

The only other sort of thing I can think of for possibly using pinking shears is little circles of gingham to make pretty jam jar covers!