Cutting paper with a scissors

[Daij]

My missus caught me cutting paper with her hairdressing scissors the other day and went beserk on the basis that "cutting paper with a hairdressing scissors will blunt the scissors". This makes absolutely no sense at all - scissors are much harder than paper - how can paper blunt scissors?
I have spoken to a few people since and get the same responses
1. All females say that paper blunts scissors
2. All men say 'Impossible'.
Does anyone know the correct answer? Is it scientifically possible for paper to blunt a hairdressing scissors? Somehow I can't see it - or am I missing something?

[maggiebee]

I've always been told that cutting paper blunts scissors but I've absolutely no idea why.

[tenrec]

I have always been told that it would make scizzors blunt so would love to know the answer too.

[albaqwerty]

Yep, you're missing something.
1. It;s HER hairdressing scissors.
2. Keep your hands off them.
3. Be nice to her, especially if she cuts your hair.

[ChuckFickens]

Because paper (and ink if it's printed on) contains other, very hard, stuff, such as calcium carbonate, clay, titanium oxide (newspaper ink has silicon carbide in it)

[annadomino]

Woe betide ANYONE who uses my embroidery or decoupage scissors !

[rowanwitch]

My ex used my dressmaking shears for cutting wallpaper... I had to have them professionally sharpened and reset yes ..they had been blunted... not sure how it happens but I have sewing scissors, kitchen scissors, hair scissors, nail scissors, paper shears, garden scissors, nurses scissors (sharp sharp, sharp blunt and bandage) and lots of cheap everyday ones

[tenrec]

Oooh Chuck you are so clever, I love you!

[sinderella]

paper does blunt scissors
1. paper contains calciums and carbonates which blunts scissors
2.they are less expensive then wood fillers which is why they use them
3.they keep the paper hard when wet
4.THEY ARE NOT YOUR SCISSORS SO KEEP YOUR MITTS OFF!

[sidkid]

Have heard "a scissors" used by Americans...no reason for us to say it though....

[pdust]

so in rock paper scissors if someone has scissors and someone has paper then the paper person should win maybe ;)

[ChuckFickens]

"so in rock paper scissors if someone has scissors and someone has paper then the paper person should win maybe ;)"

Eventually.

[sidkid]

oops the expression I heard was " a scissor" - it was during Curb Your Enthusiasm.

[rowanwitch]

Technically I suppose they should

[pdust]

im going for paper every time in future

i do remember getting told off loads as a kid for using my mams scissors to cut stuff out.....

[vulcan]

I regularly sharpen my scissors by cutting sandpaper. If the hard grit sharpens them then why does the hard stuff contained in paper blunt them ?

[Jonathan-Joe]

There are cutting products sold as "self sharpening", I don't know how they work. But, surely, anything else that's sharp will eventually be blunted with use.

[Daij]

Thanks to you all

[chakka35]

My experience (pace my mother and certain ladies) is that cutting paper sharpens scissors slightly because the rough content of the paper grinds the steel. It depends on the paper: the rougher the better.

Even my wife now recognises that an excellent way to sharpen scissors is to cut sandpaper with them. Now it's not a case of her keeping her dressmaking scissors away from me, but of my keeping my sandpaper away from her!

[penadragon]

Paper is made of wood and it's the very small bits of wood in the paper that cause the damage. At least that's what my science teacher said