Why are embroidery scissors shaped like storks?
Why are embroidery scissors shaped like storks?
Have you ever been into a haberdashery shop and wondered why embroidery scissors are shaped like storks? Why are storks the bird of choice? What about parrot embroidery scissors or eagle embroidery scissors? What makes storks so special, even we have dedicated a pair of scissors to them?
The National Museum of American History has uncovered a very specific pair of stork scissors, once belonging to midwife Rosa Bonfante from Sicily, Italy. The stork scissors, a part of her midwifery kit, were not actually scissors, but a clamp for the umbilical cord of the baby.
The West Virginia Friends of Midwives group also uncovered that the beaks were offset rather than straight, and rounded instead of sharp with dull blades. In addition, that midwives often did needlework in their spare time whilst waiting for things to progress in the delivery room.
As a result, midwives often kept their medical tools alongside their sewing kits meaning their stork clamps often got mixed in with their sewing kit contents. As time passed, the stork umbilical cord clamp evolved to the stork embroidery scissor we know and love today.
Fancy your own pair of stork embroidery scissors? Fortunately, we have our own! To find out more and to purchase, please click here.
