Sally’s Blog: A Very Sad, Old Pair of Shears.
I stumbled upon these poor, downtrodden shears on eBay. Instantly I recognised them for what they were, and without hesitation, so I bought them for a small fee. Here at William Whiteleys, our factory houses skilled craftsmen who possess the knack for reviving even the most battered scissors, provided they haven’t reached the point of no return. Determined, they set to work, endeavoring to breathe new life into these forlorn tools.
In the images above, you will see just how different the shears look after a working over by our craftsmen!
These shears have endured a severe loss of blade material due to excessive sharpening, rendering them incapable of cutting. These shears are a type called “Lined blades.” This entailed the cutting portion of the blade being constructed from hardened steel, while the thicker part (known as the back) was rolled onto the hardened steel. Subsequently, the hardened steel received a skilful grinding, honing its edge to perfection. This type of shear is often identifiable by the emblem hammered into the blade “Wilkinson’s Lined Blades.” (pictured below) If you look closely at the image you can see the line where the two metals join!
Such is the bond between cutters and their shears that the notion of retiring them and acquiring new ones becomes unfathomable. We received an intriguing letter from a solicitor at one point, expressing dismay at our inability to resurrect their cherished shears! However, it became clear that the accumulated re-sharpenings had ground all the hardened steel, rendering restoration impossible. Once this was carefully re-explained, there were no more threatening letters!
Follow us on social media to find out our latest updates:
Facebook
