SHEARS, Scissors: Maker and Age?

We bought these in auction. They are a decent size (9-1/2" x 3-1/2"). Stamped in the handle on one side is "AK", the other side I cannot read. Curiously, the exterior edges of the shears appear to be a secondary tool. The edges are nearly sharp, so they may have had a use as well.

Any ideas on AK other than Alaska or assault rifle? Clues as to the other impression? And AGE....they are hand forged, and look a couple of hundred years old. Your thoughts? TIA!

 

the handles are made similar to some gardening shears.
& I have seen large pointy scissors used as fighting weapons.

 

They could be for leather work, use the outer edges to score a line, use the shears to cut along that line. They should be meaty enough to cut clothing leather if not for saddlery work.

Rather than stamping out the two sides in one strike each side has been hand forged, therefore I suspect they are probably 100 years old or so. There is a wide fudge factor in this, this sort of tool changes little over a couple of centuries till we get to modern mass production.

 

Not much help but the second mark looks like AK to me as well as the first.

 

They are definitely hearty enough to cut leather. I like the scoring thought.

 

"Traditional Chinese" scissors,they have been made with the same design for the last 3 centuries.

 

Hard to find another like them.....they may have collectible appeal to tool folks !

forged iron..1800's.....

 

So Holly Blue, what does traditional Chinese mean? They aren't Chinese because of the AK. What are you meaning by the phrase?

 

Google it

 

I did, thanks. These aren't Chinese and are much heftier than the replicas. I'll have to disagree although I can see where you're coming from. Thanks

 

Tailors' shears, similar to one at top of pic

http://www.batemans.com/lot.php?lot=121347

 

after working in men's wear for 10 years, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with that assessment .
The bottom of at least one blade needs to have a flat surface to glide along the table while cutting.

 

I'm studying different-looking tools that people say are tailors' shears, I admit my knowledge of these doesn't cut it.

http://www.cutlery-shop.com/scissor...s/klaassolingentailorsshearskissingcranes.php

 

My grandmother was a professional dressmaker for 40 years. They don't look like no clothing shears I've ever seen! And she had them made by one of the best companies in the world!

 

I'm wondering if some of the European examples of TS had two blades that were similar, like this Belgian specimen

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Pai...ars-Scissors-Quality-Heavy-Duty-/172219795466

 

Those still have that required flat outer edge..............

here's the flat edge with angled handle you look for in a quality pair of heavy fabric shears..

 

That's the kind which my grandmother used for decades. I still have them in my room. Made in the USA, to boot! (In NJ, in case anybody's wondering).

The sharp point is for piercing fabric, when cutting from the inside, out. The flat edge on the bottom is so that you can glide it smoothly along the cutting-table when slicing fabric, otherwise you'd have your scissors jiggling up and down all the time, throwing you off the line.

 

and the angle of the handle is so the shears can lay straight down on the table, making it easy to follow the cutting pattern.

 

I'm guessing the specialized tailors' shears were invented maybe early 19th c. OP's shears may date back to the 18th C. Or before. This museum in Rotterdam has the largest collection of antique scissors, some dating back to the Vikings. They'd be able to put a date on OP's shears but assigning a purpose for the style is tough because the first commercial product catalogs date from the 19th C.

http://www.boijmans.nl/nl/255/bezoekinformatie#bPKcfTkuBma0zrk4.97

 

Except for the length of the blades, they almost look like a custom made pair of sheet metal shears.........

educational comparison: