Dovo Paper Scissors

Made in a city where quality craftsmanship is literally enforced by law, these scissors are hot-forged and cast from carefully tested, stainless high carbon steel. They’re light, easy to wield, and hold their sharp edge longer, existing in intentioned opposition to flimsy, cold-forged convenience store varieties.

As Massimiliano Mandel argued in his lyrically specific history, Scissors, most objects lose their functionality when they become aesthetically pleasing. But, said Mandel, “beautiful scissors also manage to be useful.”

While these scissors’ modern sleekness is nowhere near as extravagant as a Victorian piece, they are as elegant as they are functional.

Sharpness is important for all scissors, but especially for paper scissors. They don’t have the brawn to gnaw through things like kitchen scissors, and paper will simply slide between the blades of a dull pair. If paper scissors aren't sharp enough to make a smooth, clean cut, then they're little more than decoration.  

With Dovo scissors, its origin is more than just a name. Solingen has been known as the “City of Blades” since the Medieval age, when blades referred to swords and daggers rather than kitchen knives and razors. To preserve their reputation, the city issued a decree in 1938 that made it illegal for anything to bear the name “Solingen” unless it meets key quality standards. Among its many requirements, the decree commands hardness of metal, quality in manufacture and assembly, and craftsmanship of finish.

Dovo’s craftsmen work to meet and exceed Solingen’s already high standards. The company – one among only five to bear the Solingen stamp – has earned its right to freely identify with the city’s endearingly entrenched and stringent local pride. 

Quality scissors should maintain their full sharpness for at least a year after purchase and any necessary sharpening or repair should be done by a professional. While Dovo scissors can certainly be shipped to the factory in Solingen, Germany for care or repair, it is more economical to use a respected local service.

If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, Dovo recommends Ross Cutlery. Ross strives to sharpen knives and scissors so the edge lasts longer than they did after their original purchase. An occasional drop of household oil between the blades near the joining screw also helps keep the scissors functioning properly. 

The scissors that work best are the ones built for the task. Tailor shears are longer and more robust to make drawn-out cuts through heavy fabrics. Poultry scissors comes apart so you can wash the fat and guts off them. Scissors like these, that are meant for cutting paper, are lithe and sharp, medium-sized, and with fine tips and narrower blades.

The manufacture is a multi-step, hands-on project that starts with a cropped sheet of steel. These metal silhouettes of scissors are carefully formed and hardened, before being ground and sharpened to an edge, then finished with a good buff and polish.

Scissors by Massimiliano Mandel, The Mad Samplar Book Company
Some Bits From the History of Scissors, The Nonist
Scissors and Superstitions, Uncommon Scissors
Scissor Writing, Hand Christian Andersen’s Paper Cuts in the Royal Library

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