The first scissors in history appeared more than 3,500 years ago. This tool is designed for cutting relatively thin materials. Modern scissors consist of two blades that converge at an angle and are connected by a pivot.

In ancient Egypt, scissors began to be used as early as the 1500s BCE. At that time, this item was a single piece of metal with two blades, which were controlled by a metal strip. The tool was most commonly made of bronze. Due to active trade, it quickly spread beyond Egypt to other countries.

In the 1st century CE, the Romans modified the Egyptian design of scissors. They managed to create pivoting and intersecting blades. In this form, these products became much more similar to their modern counterparts. There is a legend that Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors, but archaeological finds do not support this.

Similar household items have been found in Ancient Greece. According to scientists, the first scissors were made for shearing sheep.

Over time, the scissors have undergone many changes. Craftsmen used various materials for their manufacture, including steel, silver, and iron.

Specialized tools were also created for specific purposes and professions. Some were for medicine, others for livestock, and still others for hairdressing. According to one legend, manicure scissors were created in the Middle East. They were designed by a jeweler for the wife of a wealthy shah, earning him the title of the first sage.

Certain tools, such as knives, swords, axes, and tongs, were more commonly used by men, and these items less frequently had the status of works of art. Scissors, often considered a feminine attribute, were crafted in a corresponding style. In the fourteenth century, a potential suitor who sent a “love box” to a lady of high rank would always include scissors in a leather sheath. It was in this century that scissors began to take on the appearance they have retained throughout subsequent history.