How a Solingen Scissor Is Made – And How to Spot a Good One

A nail scissor looks simple. Two blades, one screw. That is what most people think.

But more than 80 separate steps go into a genuine pair of Solingen scissors. Many of them by hand. And you can feel the difference between a cheap pair and a good one within the first second.

Here you will learn how these scissors are made – and how to check a good pair yourself.

Why Solingen?

Solingen calls itself the “City of Blades”. The yellow town sign says so with pride – and the city has earned the name.

The first guilds for hardeners and grinders were founded here more than 600 years ago. Small workshops and family businesses used the water power of the river Wupper and its tributaries to drive their grindstones. Over the centuries every trade connected with the blade settled in one place: forging, hardening, grinding, assembling.

That is why the name still carries weight today. Solingen is a protected mark of origin. Not every pair of scissors with a shiny surface is allowed to bear it. In our shop you will therefore find only tested nail scissors from Solingen.

From steel bar to blade

1. The smith selects the steel.
This is the first decision about quality. The rule of thumb: the higher the carbon content of the steel, the greater the hardness that can be achieved – and with it the sharpness of the cut.

2. Forging.
The steel bars are cut to match the size of the scissors and pressed into their first shape in a die – a kind of template. This creates the two halves of the scissors.

3. The right twist.
Before hardening, the two halves – known in the trade as Oberbeck and Unterbeck – are given the right twist. They may only touch along the upper cutting edge, the so-called Wate. It is precisely this minimal twist that later makes the scissors cut instead of crush. The countersunk hole and the thread for the connecting screw are made in the same step.

4. Hardening.
The scissor halves are heated to around 850 degrees for several minutes and then quenched in water or oil. After that the steel is very hard – but also so brittle that the scissors could shatter if dropped.

5. Tempering.
The blades therefore go back into an oven briefly, at about 250 degrees. The stress leaves the steel and it becomes resilient again. Hard, but not brittle – that is exactly the balance a good pair of scissors needs.

6. Grinding and polishing.
Now the scissors take on their shape and shine. The rough grind is refined on the Pliestbock, a large wooden wheel coated with emery. Every surface of the blades is smoothed in the process.

7. The maker's mark.
The stamp is applied with a hand press. In a true workshop this too is still done by hand.

The decisive moment: “nailing”

The two matching halves go into the assembly machine, then the screw is turned into the thread. In the trade this step is called “nailing” – even though a screw has long since replaced the nail.

Then comes a small trick no machine does well: a light blow with a hammer upsets the screw very slightly so that it spreads in the thread and holds properly. Too tight – the scissors are stiff. Too loose – they will never cut cleanly.

After that come the fine grinding of the pivot and the final adjustment by hand. Experienced fitters tap the blades with a copper hammer until the action is right. A little like a piano tuner searching for the right note.

Machines can do a great deal. This part still belongs to the human hand.

5 quick tests for a good pair of scissors

You can check most of this in less than a minute.

• 1. Open the scissors and look at the inner face. The inside of the blade must be concave, that is slightly curved inwards. This hollow grind reduces friction and stops the scissors from jamming as they cut.
• 2. Close the scissors and hold them up to the light. There must be a fine gap between Oberbeck and Unterbeck that you can see through. This gap is intentional.
• 3. Open and close them slowly. The two halves always meet at a single point only. As they close, this cutting point travels forward – all the way to the tip. That travelling point is the cut.
• 4. Look at the joint: screw or rivet? Good scissors have a screw joint. It can be adjusted and allows servicing such as regrinding. Riveted scissors are usually throwaway goods.
• 5. Always try them before you buy. You should feel an even, smooth action – and, most important, a clean cut right up to the tip. Many cheap scissors still cut reasonably well in the middle and fail exactly where it matters.

How a good pair of scissors stays good

• Wipe them dry after every use. Moisture in the pivot is the greatest enemy.
• Now and then a tiny drop of oil on the screw joint keeps the action light.
• Use nail scissors for nails only and cuticle scissors for skin only. Paper and adhesive tape ruin a fine edge very quickly.
• Never force a stiff pair of scissors. Usually the screw needs adjusting – not more pressure.
• Good scissors can be reground. That is exactly why they are worth buying.

Solingen craftsmanship – to this day

One example: the Dreiturm workshop (J. A. Schmidt & Söhne) in Solingen has been making scissors for almost 200 years. Around 90 different types of scissors are still assembled and finally inspected there by hand. We carry the complete Dreiturm range.

These are exactly the products we select. Scissors you buy once, use for years – and have reground instead of replacing.

Discover our Solingen scissors at nagelzange.de:

• Nail scissors – for fingernails and toenails
• Cuticle scissors – for cuticles and fine work
• Beard scissors – precision for beard care
• All products by Dreiturm Solingen