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This is my time I think that I have posted a question. i hope I am in the right section.
I purchased the Tim Holtz scissors for cutting out rubber stamps and the mounting that goes on the back. These are the scissors with the big red handles.
I was wondering if there are any other left handers out there who have bought these scissors and are having trouble using them.
I have found that they will not cut through the rubber unless I hold them right handed (being left handed this is very hard and slow work). Does anyone know of alternatives to these for left handers.
I have found i have to use scalpel to cut, then scissors in right hand to trim, which is quite dicey, considering I am left handed.
I've not tried them, but I simply don't buy right-handed scissors anymore. About all I can use righty scissors effectively for is snipping thread or yarn strands.
Yeah all my other scissors are for left handers and I dont know why I didn't think of it at the time. I suppose it was having just received some stamps and backing i just automatically bought the recommended scissors for the job. Hopefully Tim Holtz will come out with some scissors for us lefties. Meanwhile I will just need to avoid stamps that need cutting out. Thanks ladies
I have many pairs of Kai Scissors - they were marketed to cut rubber stamps - the look ambidextrous to me, they have two oval like handles and fairly short blade - do a search for Kai Scissors and you will find the site - the Kai 5626 are the rubber cutting ones and I also have a pair of KAI 5160 - they are pricy on this page, but I am sure some industry people sell them - Try Jim @ Cicusstamps, or even Viva Las Vegas Stamps I'd be happy to send mine out for a test if you'd like to see how they feel email me StampinDiva@yahoo dot com & lemme know
Thanks for that info on the Kai scissors I will look into them. Thank you so much for offering to let me try your scissors but I'm in Australia so I couldn't ask you to do that. But your kind offer is very very appreciated.
I have many pairs of Kai Scissors - they were marketed to cut rubber stamps - the look ambidextrous to me, they have two oval like handles and fairly short blade
I've seen the Kai scissors. The handles are designed for both hands to fit comfortably, but unfortunately the blade edges are right-handed. If they were edged for left-handers, you probably would have contacted the company because they would have seemed defective to you.
Scissors have overlapping blades, so they aren't symmetric. The blade that is on top always forms the same diagonal regardless of orientation. For right-handed scissors held in the right hand, the thumb blade is closer to the user's body, so that the natural tendency of the right hand is to force the cutting blades together. That's how you know if a pair of scissors is right handed. (besides the fact that lefty scissors are almost always labelled) If right-handed scissors are held in the left hand, the natural tendency of the left hand would be to force the cutting blades laterally apart. That can cause a lot of hand fatigue and strain for leftys. I have a big problem with that, myself. Left handed scissors work for us the same way right handed scissors work for you. Also, with right-handed scissors held by the right-hand, the cutting edge is visible. If you use them with the left hand, however, the cutting edge of the scissors is behind the top blade, and so you can't see what is being cut. I find that especially problematic when I am doing fine cutting work.
When I first unpacked all my scissors after I moved to Canada, you should have seen the look on my 13 year old stepdaughter's face when she tried to cut with my scissors. Priceless!
Thanks again everyone for your suggestions. I know what you mean about the cutting, its so funny watching someone try to use left handers scissors when they are right handed. Its a shame more businesses don't take being left handed more seriously when it comes to designing things.
I am left handed and love my Tim Holtz scissors! I love them so much I use them for everything, not just crafting. They take a lot of abuse. I have no problem using them with my left hand. I will say though, growing up I could never use lefty scissors. I could never get them to work. I always preferred to use right handed scissors with my left hand. Weird right?
Not really. I've known lefties that do better with blades on the wrong side. Life would be a lot easier and cheaper for me if I were one of them. Still, I'd pay 2-3x the MSRP of the TH scissors to get a left-handed version.
I am a righty, but I buy a lot of uncut rubber and don't use scissors at all. I have a lovely and inexpensive hot knife from Walnut Hollow and this works really well. You can change the blades when they get gunked up, any standard blade will do, and it cuts through everything.
sometimes, for left handers; the scissor just needs to be turned around when cutting left handed. However, I just use my scissors, when cutting rubber, left or right handed; not that hard to learn to do
__________________ Carolyn
my avatar: (such desparation), Dear God, if you can't make me thin; make my
friends fat"
Tim Holtz scissors
I'd be happy to send mine out for a test if you'd like to see how they feel 
