Scissor Bags & Sheep Scissors in the Nomadic Tradition
Front Cover
An image of the front cover of the book, showing the title, author's name, and detail of a pair of sheep scissors on textile.
Name/Title
Scissor Bags & Sheep Scissors in the Nomadic TraditionEntry/Object ID
2025.1.8Tags
scissors, end-pivot, sheath, history, designDescription
A comprehensive review of scissor bags and end-pivot scissors used in the shearing of sheep across a wide geographical area. End-pivot scissors are a style of implement made from two separate knives, joined by a pivot which may be fixed permanently to one knife or, occasionally, to both knives. They evolved from the earliest methods of obtaining wool from sheep - ie, plucking during natural moulting seasons in old breeds - via combs, flint scrapers, and then knives which appear during the Iron Age. The joining of two knives made the process more effective. They were possibly in use during the Iron Age, and are still used today in some regions. End-pivot scissors vary greatly in weight and length (which could be due to the hand size of the user, personal preference, regional styles, and/or specific purpose). The pivots can be made of wood (which is easy to replace) or metal (which is longer lasting). The book touches on sharpening techniques, the use of decorative marks and inscriptions, and step by step instructions for their use; it then looks at the various methods of storing and containing the scissors, and discusses different styles of scissor bags. It is noted that one issue with identifying end-pivot scissors in the archaeological record is that if the pivot becomes detached, they could be mistaken for two separate knives, so there could be many more in museum collections worldwide than we know about.Cataloged By
studygroup@scissornet.orgCategory
Book, History