Been looking for larger shears

[Victoria Quinn]

Victoria,

That pair of Wiss shears (the 14 inch pair) are a good buy at the price and they look like they have plenty of blade on them so they should last until any great grand kids you may have if they are looked after. I use the same sized pair for my own cutting.

I was able to get them to come down on the price on the Equity 14" shears, so I picked them up.  Fingers crossed they'll be at least as good as they appear.  It would have been really cool if they were badged Wiss, but the bolt didn't look too gnarled, so that's a plus.  I don't know too much about evaluating blades, but I do know to stay away from anything that has bolts that look like someone used a pipe wrench to adjust them.

[hutch--]

Something I have found with a variety of old shears is that in the 1920s and 1930s Wiss did job lots for other companies in the US and the only difference was the brand on the shear bolt. The pair you have may in fact be made by Wiss.

[Steelmillal]

You are correct, Sir. Equity was a Wiss lower end brand made in their same New Jersey facilities. Same forging dies. That heir told me in email threads I need to try to find again.

[hutch--]

Here is a pair of Keencutter shears that are identical to a Wiss pair I own. I don't think anyone knew what they were and they turned up for peanuts in really good condition, I scrubbed them up and they came out like new.

[Victoria Quinn]

Simply stunning.  I love it.  Mine should be here Tuesday (fingers crossed).  I should find out if I get the Ridgley paperhangers (advertised as leather shears) up for auction tonight.  With any luck, that should be the last of the really big stuff.  Then I can start upgrading my smaller cutting tools with some nicer pieces.

[Victoria Quinn]

Well I got my shears today, other than a gouge in the thumb rest, the shears seem in decent shape.  A little wriggle in the blade (maybe 1/64"), but nothing you can't course correct with a little finger tension.  It's just enough to waiver between folding fabric and mashing the blades together.  I'm sure they'll tighten up with a bit of TLC.  I have a nice full range of motion without adjusting my grip to get them opened up fully.  The blades seem fairly sharp, and I'm happy with them. 

The only real gripe I "could" have is that they're 13 1/2" rather than 14".     but what's a half inch when you're stepping up from 8".  They feel as nimble as a sports car.  I have a feeling they're going to carve up some corners going round the patterns once I get them a tune-up.  Side note; after seeing several of these shears, I am starting to wonder how on earth people are taking chunks out of these handles...  "Blade guy... you sharpen the other end."   

[Schneiderfrei]

Beauty,

They look proper.  And, 13 1/2 vs 14 inch, no worries.

The blade wiggle might need a touch up by an old time expert when you find one.

G

[Steelmillal]

RUBBISH! Absolute rubbish!! You were swindled by a first rate Yankee carpet-bagger.. Take 'em off your hands for 20$...and I'm being generous...

...the knurl is quite nice still...that's good for showing not never being reefed on...I can almost hear the collector disease mumble "more, must have more" ...20$!! final offer...

[Victoria Quinn]

The blade wiggle might need a touch up by an old time expert when you find one.

G

I'm can't wait to see them in fighting shape.  Finding the right person to touch them up might take some time, but it'll be at the top of my list.

RUBBISH! Absolute rubbish!! You were swindled by a first rate Yankee carpet-bagger.. Take 'em off your hands for 20$...and I'm being generous...

...the knurl is quite nice still...that's good for showing not never being reefed on...I can almost hear the collector disease mumble "more, must have more" ...20$!! final offer...

Not a bad $50 set.  I don't think I'd feel right about passing them on.  I used them on a set of PJs for a friend and they really speed up the process.  As for collectors disease, can't say I've been hit with that one yet.  The useful tool disease is a bug do I have.  I have kind of had my eyes on a couple Ernest Wright scissors and the William Whiteley tailors board scissors... but with their prices, its going to be a stretch before I can afford to try them. 

[hutch--]

Victoria,

You should be able to see the size stamped on the back of the inside face of the hinge. Open them up and on one of the faces you should see a number stamped. They look like a pair of #7 which are originally 14 inch. They may have been shortened over time but they look like a good pair.

The ones with the large round lock nut are the best as they are the easiest to adjust. They usually use a set screw with a slot so if you loosen it you should be able to pull the hinge apart. Good idea to clean everything the use any heavy grease on the sliding faces and they magically smooth up. You clean any excess off once you have put them back together.

[Victoria Quinn]

Victoria,

You should be able to see the size stamped on the back of the inside face of the hinge. Open them up and on one of the faces you should see a number stamped. They look like a pair of #7 which are originally 14 inch. They may have been shortened over time but they look like a good pair.

The ones with the large round lock nut are the best as they are the easiest to adjust. They usually use a set screw with a slot so if you loosen it you should be able to pull the hinge apart. Good idea to clean everything the use any heavy grease on the sliding faces and they magically smooth up. You clean any excess off once you have put them back together.

It's kind of tough to tell.  I read 33.  But it means nothing to me, I looked them up and only found Wiss catalogs with the closest number being 3N and 3 1/2N which would put them at 12-12 1/2 inches.  But I don't see how that could be, unless I am reading the tape measure wrong, or they grew.  My best guess is that they might have had a different numbering sequence for the Equity line.  I measured out the cut at 6 5/8" and the overall length to 13 1/2".

Oh and I found out today that the knurl unscrews pretty easy.  I checked the (what appeared to be overtightened set screw) and found out the the set screw was not seized in there as it appeared.  Set screw only looked all bunged up, it took zero effort to back it out, and then the knurl spun right off by hand.  These shears look more and more promising every day.

[Steelmillal]

Dry humor never types well. Those'll do fine, Ma'am. Have a caution on the Whitely, though, they look small in hand like a J.Wiss #1 long since sold to another collector. Enjoy carving up the cloth.

https://www.yankodesign.com/2017/11/18/the-250-year-old-scissor-gets-an-upgrade/

[Victoria Quinn]

Dry humor never types well. Those'll do fine, Ma'am. Have a caution on the Whitely, though, they look small in hand like a J.Wiss #1 long since sold to another collector. Enjoy carving up the cloth.

https://www.yankodesign.com/2017/11/18/the-250-year-old-scissor-gets-an-upgrade/

Yeah, I don't buy into the "Gee-Wiz" finishes.  I mean, what happens when the coating is scuffed?  Would they  turn to crap?  How's the steel underneath?  Is the steel quality inferior and rely on the Teflon or Ceramic to maintain cutting performance?  Too iffy.  I like tried and true "steel" in my tools.  And I'm sure that someone is going to be offended somewhere, but that Exo Gold looks like a "Cheese-Wiz" finish.  I'm not a fan of the Ceramic Gold, or the Black Teflon.  There's an elegance in a natural steel finish that can't be duplicated, or "improved" upon.  Nickel is a nice metal finish, chrome "can" be done tastefully...  but teflon and ceramic will always look cheap to me.

I'd love to try a pair of the Ernest Wright 13" bolts.  But I'll just say that all their scissors look outstanding.  I wouldn't turn any of them away.

[Schneiderfrei]

That's my view Victoria, I barely touch up the exterior at all.  I do wish I had the expertise of Hutch, but the steel is the deal.

My main disappointment  was a pair of 14 inch Wisss blades that were for pick up about 40 mins drive from me.  They weren't expensive, but at the suggestion of a friend who is a toolmaker, I soaked them in weak vinegar for a couple of days.  Unfortunately that was enough to eat out all the years of honeycombed rust within the steel.  When I cleaned them up they were just steel sponge, really useless. An interesting learning experience.  They would not have lasted long even with the rust left in.

[hutch--]

That is one of the NO NOs with old shears, never soak them in anything that attacks rust or you will end up with a mess that looks like a sponge.


Victoria, this is a pair of Wiss 7n that show where the size stamp is.