In this Cool Tools video review we’re going to take a look at a new pair of classic kitchen shears. These are made by Wiss, they’re Italian made and run about $30. And by using the link in the description to pick them up on Amazon you help support my videos and the Cool Tools blog.

These are all-metal, multi-purpose kitchen scissors. I remember growing up with a pair like these in our kitchen. They’ve got a serious heft to them. This particular design has been made under the Wiss brand since the 1930s. And part of the appeal has always been the extra features they crammed in. This section here works as a bottle opener. Above that you have this nubby section meant for twisting off small lids. It can also work as a nut cracker or crab cracker. There’s a flat section on the handle that can be used as a small hammer. And this little protrusion on the top is supposedly used for unsealing ball jars, or generally unsealing lids that are vacuumed tight. Also, unlike the ones I grew up with, these include a deep notch on the blade that’s perfect for cutting rope, or bundles of stems, without them slipping down the blade. And because there’s a removable screw here, there’s no reason you can’t take these apart to wash them if you use them on food or something messy. It also means you can tension them up easily if they get loose.

Now, the downside for these from my time with them is that the extra weight compared the other scissors in my house makes me a little nervous about dropping them. If these drop on your hardwood wood floor or your foot — you’re going to be crying.

Also, the paint on the handle started to chip after just lightweight use. I see 50 year old versions of these on eBay where the paint has held on — so chalk that up to they just don’t make them like they used to. If you can find an old pair and restore them, that might be the best way to go. But even then, an all-metal handle isn’t super comfortable no matter what the paint looks like.

-- Donald Bell 03/17/18