Fiskars. My mother in law is a quilter and she swears by them

Look at Heritage Cutlery. They are the best

Gingher. You will know the quality when you first use them, and 20 years later you will still be happy with the money spent.

Will have a look. Thank you!

Will have a look. Thank you!

Will have a look. Thanks!

Gingher

LDH. New company, family-owned and they are pretty.

Gingher is the answer. You will pass them to your kids. I have my grandma's and they are still perfect.

I work in fashion and I use Kai 7000-series Professional. They use a lot of carbon in their steel, making it harder and are able to get a much more acute angle to the edge, which makes it seem sharper for longer.

My sharpener always remarks on how great the steel is on these when I bring them in for sharpening, once a year. If you don’t use them often, I can see them lasting you with no need for sharpening.

They are also much lighter than the big tailors shears, which I prefer since I use my scissors in fittings and for draping, instead of just for cutting. And the tolerances are much, much tighter than the typical dressmakers shears. They’re just awesome.

Keep in mind that whatever you end up getting, keep them only for fabrics. Cutting paper will dull the edge on softer steels, and be careful not to cut into any pins.

Also, if you’re quickly cutting a few layers at a time, I’d recommend a rotary cutter. The Eastman Chickadee is great, we have one that is like 40 years old. Brushes get replaced every few years, blades every now and then (it has a built in sharpener) and the cord has been accidentally cut and electrical-taped back together a half dozen times.

Thanks so much! I was wondering what Kai was like. I saw them in a few reputable shops, but I wasn't sure what they were like.

I'm only an occasional sewer, but I do enough to get pissed off with how poorly my current scissors cut!

I probably can't justify a rotary cutter but will definitely look into the Kai!

Yep! My wife has had a pair of these for about 45 years.

Look for U.K. scissors makers Ernest Wright and William Whiteley. Their scissors really are built for a lifetime.

Love mine! On year two with them, haven't taken them to the sharpener yet.

Thanks I'll have a look!

You've presented a golden opportunity for me to ask this question: do you have any left handed colleagues who you happen to know their brand preference?

I looked at Kai, and they only change the handle mold on their left handed models. This means the blades aren't reversed, which in turn means the actual cut is taking place behind/under the blade from where the cutter is positioned. It just makes it a bit more difficult to be precise.

The only left handed cutters and sewers I know have adapted to using their right hands for cutting, using what’s available.

However, what you’re asking for is “True Left Handed” or “Reverse Bladed” dressmaking shears.

I’m pretty sure Kai reverses the blades on their left handed versions, at least they do of the higher end models (7000-series Professional models). Here’s a quick Amazon search of some 10”er’s

Hard agree. I keep one in my sewing box and one in my sewing table. They are solid and keep an edge for a long time. If you're in the states, get them with a Joann's coupon.