SHEARS, Scissors: Maker and Age?

Well almost.
But cutting any metal requires long handles with short heavy blades...to get the leverage .



So , I don't think we're there yet !

 

The reason I mentioned leather is that I have seen similar at the local Walsall Leather Museum.
The midlands town of Walsall used to be the British centre for saddlery and lorrinry. Possibly the only leather museum in the country, they still have a few craftsman leather workers demonstrating the old techniques.

 

Great information everyone! Thanks for the interesting discussion. My husband thinks 18th century and I'm guessing AK are the initials of the maker. I'm still very curious about the sharp outer edges and how the use of them will probably explain that. Happy Sunday!

 

I'm starting to think the blades are made for a purposed I've yet to discern .

I'm stymied ...

That said.....Studio....I would have bought them also....they're beautiful !

 

@afantiques: "lorrinry" I'm unfamiliar with this term and nothing comes up when I google it....clearly associated with leather and leather work. Help? TA

 

@komokwa, I too think the use is the biggest mystery

 

Lorinery (it would help if I did not mis-spell it) is bits of horse tack.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worshipful_Company_of_Loriners

 

well the bots picked them up yesterday , so they're on Google now......maybe some tool guy will spy them and come up with the straight dope !!!

 

I'm thinking 1800's.........1700's sounds too early to me.

 

Fascinating info Af!!!! Thanks!!

 

I'm assuming the museum in Rotterdam knows how to accurately date their shears. One thing I noted in their brief descriptions was that they seemed to assign earlier dates to shears that had what I'll call the bent pigtail handles like OP's. Each blade was of course forged separately, complete with a long, pointed, tapering pig tail. Then each half was re-heated on the pigtail end so the pigtail could be bent into the final handle form. The "AK" cartouche is a somewhat primitive trade marking, especially when compared to the detailed, extensive marks on some of the 19th C. Examples you can find.

 

Hello there! Ok I’ve got two guesses. First is that they could be butcher’s shears, I’ve seen them like this with the sharp edge on the back of the blade which functions like a knife. This allows you to trim and cut/slice without changing tools. My second guess is probably wrong but it’s how I would use them: glassblowing shears. The symmetry suggests they’re not fabric shears. Symmetry is common with glassblowing shears as is other geometry that these have. The shortness of the handles and the length of the blade allow for a nice wide opening with minimal effort. They may be used or may have been used in glass making to cut imperfections out of large gathers of glass or to snip trails in the casting process. Are they for sale? I’d love to make an offer!

 

My best guess is either

A. Most likely Butchers scissors.
B. Possibly leather scissors.

First notice how the blades are not angled. That rules out uses in fabric cutting. Next, notice the blades are very heavy duty, but are not set to far behind the handles. That states that the items that were being cuts were tough, or thick, but not hard. That rules out any use in any metalsmiths shop. Now this brings us to the most distinct feature of the scissors, the back running blade. I'm not sure what that was used for. It may have even been a modification made after it's original production. As for era, you can see scissors like this being made all throughout the 1800s, so pinpointing the age is going to be difficult.

 

Awesome! Thanks so much