On my birthday I gave myself a pair of scissors from the Japanese brand Kai. I’ve always had crappy sewing scissors, which is one of the reason I use rotary cutters for pretty much anything. But while I love my cutters, there are instances when a pair of scissors is superior, so I was curious to see how much better a good pair of scissors would actually be. I was recommended the Kai brand by the shop owner of the local fabric store and when I tried them out – and I was shocked how good they were! Now that I’ve used my Kai sewing shears for over a month I feel confident do a review and answer questions regarding this high end brand.
So what makes Kai scissors so special?
According the their website the Kai sewing scissors are made of “heavy-duty, high-carbon stainless steel which allows these shears to be sharpened at a steeper angle, and also allows them to maintain their cut-life and durability over time”. Pretty big words, but I think they stand up to those promises and the best way I can describe the feeling is cutting through butter. Everything feels so easy, yet precise. Another bonus is that you can cut just a tiny snippet with them, which makes Kai scissors perfect for making notches.
Which size should I buy?
They come in several different sizes and ideally, I think you should try before you buy. Bigger scissors might feel better when you tackle heavy fabrics and projects like coats, but if your hands are small (like mine) large scissors might be too big to handle. This was the case for me, when I tried the larger model, it was just hard to control since I couldn’t get a good grip. So ended up picking the smaller 7230 version which is 9 inches (Amazon affiliate link).
How much to the scissors cost?
On Kai’s US site they cost from $60 to $100 depending on size. You can find them a bit cheaper on Amazon (Amazon affiliate link). I paid 799 Swedish kronas, which is a bit more than the US price.
How often do they need to be sharpened?
Not very often according to the people I spoke to before my purchase. A fabric shop assistant said she had hers for 1.5 years and they were still working great without any sharpening, and she sews a lot. But sooner or later they will need to be professionally sharpened, so that’s an additional cost and hassle to factor in. Luckily I can leave my pair in the stores where I bought them and they will send to the sharpening company.
Do Kai scissors work for knits too?
Yes! They work great, even for stubborn poly/lycra jerseys.
Do they make them for left-handed folks too?
Yup. Some sizes are available with a left grip, like this model.
So if you have some money to spare and want to take your cutting to another level I highly recommend investing in a pair of Kai Scissors!
