Dressing scissors

As some of you may know, many fly-dressers prefer to "palm" their scissors. This of course also increases fly-dressing speed, ( if you want to), and is more convenient, as you don't have to waste time scrabbling about on your bench looking for them or even picking them up and putting them down again.

I was never really satisfied with the various "palming" scissors and snips which are available, but there is no doubt that palming scissors saves a lot of time and messing on, so I sat down and studied the problem a little more.

The ones I have used here, are cheap "spring" iris scissors which I bought at a flea market for 2 Euros. One might of course modify higher quality scissors, but these are perfectly adequate. They cut very precisely right to the very fine tips and are easy to sharpen with a diamond file or similar. I have been using the scissors in the photo for a couple of years now, and only sharpened them lightly once.

QUOTE FROM EZE-LAP http://www.eze-lap.com/sharpen.htm

Sharpening Scissors

To Sharpen Scissors:

1. Use a felt-tipped pen to put ink on the anvil surface of each blade. The anvil surfaces are the ground areas on the blades. They are usually not as shiny as the rest of the blade surface, and they face each other.

2. Open the scissors and place one point on a pad of paper at the edge of a table. (The pad simply protects the table.)

3. Rub the EZE-LAP over the inked anvil surface with circular motion, using moderate pressure. The metal will glisten as you proceed. Continue until you have removed all the ink from the surface. Do not use the EZE-LAP on any surface except the anvil surface. The last dozen strokes should be performed with reduced pressure to give a smooth finish.

4. Repeat step 3, working on the other blade.

5. Open and close the scissors rapidly as if you were cutting paper. This action removes tiny metal splinters created in the sharpening process.

UNQUOTE

The "Anvil surfaces are the outside beveled edges of the scissors where the scissor jaws come together. Of course one may use this method to sharpen any scissors. Diamond nail files also work very well if you don't have a diamond file or stone, and even carborundum paper wrapped around a lolly stick works fine. BE GENTLE! Only light to moderate pressure is needed, only a little metal needs to be removed from the bevel to give a very very sharp edge. When finished sharpening, cut a piece of aluminium foil with the scissors. This will remove any burrs and further increase the edge. It is important to maintain the same angle as the original bevel when sharpening!

Unmodified, the scissors look like this;
http://www.indigo.com/tools/gphtools...-scissors.html

They are available in a range of types, as shown above, and also with the blades at various angles. I have used angled scissors here. These proved better than the straight type. Of course, you may use any type which suits you, straight, curved etc. One very major advantage of the angled scissors, is that you can't stick them in your eye when lifting your whisky glass! ( Seriously, they are easier to use, and don't seem to "get in the way" like straight scissors).

The modifications are very simple, and a scan shows them. The spring is simply disengaged, and the leg bent ( use round pliers )to fit around your finger;

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/9905/sciss1xv3.jpg

After modification, these scissors sit perfectly in the hand, are very unobtrusive in comparison to other solutions, are practically weightless, very precise and easy to use, and one may still pick up other tools or scissors for cutting wire etc if desired, shown here in the "normal" position when working:

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8696/sciss2dm4.jpg
And yet again, while using heavier scissors for other work;

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/6339/sciss3dq4.jpg

You may of course get scissors like these at various prices, up to several hundred dollars!;
http://www.harvardapparatus.com/weba..._N_37916_37917

But I would advise these at 5.95:
http://www.hookhack.com/tyingtools.html

( Spring scissors, fourth in the top row)

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/0...issors-4-.html

I have found the angled scissors are however definitely better if you can find them, but this is a personal matter and depends on "how you hold your hands" when fly-dressing! :) You may prefer the straight scissors.

TL
MC