Scissors
Adeeb Ahmed
Writing for Engineering
City College of New York
Julianne Davidow, Instructor
3/4/22
Table of Contents
Introduction
Body of the Scissor
Function of the Scissor
Conclusion
References
Introduction
Scissors are something many people use in their daily lives for basic tasks or chores, but not many are familiar with how it works or where this object comes from. Although there is no specific person known to have first created it, the overall understanding of historians is that the scissors first originated in Ancient Egypt around 1500 B.C. Being made centuries 
ago, the first concept of scissors were pretty different from what we see today. It consisted of two bronze blades that had to be squeezed together in order to be able to cut an object 
properly, similar to how tongs are used. The original design can be more comparable to shears. This design was used for a while, until the Romans appeared and brought a look to it which is much more familiar to modern day scissors. In their new and improved model, they took two pieces of sharpened metal and joined them together with a screw. This design was soon noticed and adapted by the rest of the world. Many other civilizations such as China would see the use of device much more frequently. Scissors are extremely handy objects that can be used in many ways. There are a variety of different scissors with the same design that can function in various ways. Scissors with sharper blades for example, can be used to cut metal, meat, and other things that need something stronger. Scissors with a lighter blade on the other hand can be used for cutting paper, threads, and other crafts work, usually targeted more towards children. The scissor might seem like a simple object, but with its rich history and usefulness, it is truly a unique tool.
Body of the Scissor
At first glance the body of the scissor may seem very simple. Although, it fairly is, it still has some interesting mechanics that many people are not familiar with. 
The scissor can be divided into three main parts. The two handles used to cut the object, and the screw in the middle which allows it to move without coming apart. The two handles are placed together diagonally from each other so that each blade faces the opposite direction. After, a screw is placed in the middle so that each blade can rotate and meet in the middle, allowing the scissor to cut the intended object. Most scissors have handles at the end of each blade with finger holes. Some have it so that the handle and blade come apart, but most are built so that it is stuck together. The finger holes allow comfortability to the user while also allowing them to accurately cut objects. At the end of one of the handles, some scissors have a bump known as the “stopper” which stops the scissor from going to the outer direction instead of coming together, which can make it come off completely. Some scissors have the screw in the middle stuck in place while others allow it to come off manually, allowing the blades to come off makes it easier to sharpen and clean them, usually seen in kitchen knives more frequently. Although most scissors have the same parts, some have small differences.
Function of the Scissor
The function of the scissor is fairly simple, to cut an object. To use the scissor, the user must first place their fingers inside the finger holes if the scissor has them. If the scissor does not have them, they have to hold on to handle of each of the blade, which can be uncomfortable and hard to control. After this all they have to do is close their hand with their thumb on one end of the blade and usually their pointer and middle finger on the other. When doing this motion, the blades come together and cuts whatever is in between them.
Conclusion
Overall, the scissor might seem like an extremely simple device not worth talking about, but it has very interesting mechanics and history. Having originated in Ancient Egypt, it started off as two shears which needed to be brought together like tongs. Ancient Rome brought a more familiar twist to this by giving it smaller blades and making it easier to use. Based on the sharpness of the scissor, it can have different functions. Sharper blades can allow for the cutting of tougher objects such as meat and metal, while a lighter blade can be used for cutting paper and cloth. The scissor has three basic parts, the two blades, and the screw in the middle. Many take the scissor for granted, but it is a very useful tool that many use in their daily lives, and without it a lot of chores and tasks would prove to be much more difficult.
References
1. Inventions and Discoveries. (September 11, 2020), “Who Invented Scissors: When Were Scissors Invented.” Who Invented, Retrieved March 4, 2022,
https://www.whoinvent.com/who-invented-scissors/.
2. Conocimiento, Ventana al. (August 23, 2018), “Great Little Inventions: Scissors.” OpenMind, Retrieved March 4, 2022.
https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/technology/visionaries/great-little-inventionsscissors/.
Self-Reflection
This technical description assignment allowed me to achieve the course learning outcomes of this class. I was able to explore and analyze a variety of genres. When searching for an article to support and provide me with information regarding the history of scissors, there were plenty of genres I had to search through. Some were extremely long and informative, some were very simple and directed towards kids, and others had a balance which was directed towards a younger audience like me. Analyzing each of these articles allowed me to choose the best ones to use. Another learning outcome was developing strategies for reading, writing, collaborating, revising, and editing. When reading and searching for articles, I had to plan it out where I would skim through each one and write notes about them. After this, I looked at my notes and took the article which suited my paper the best. When it came to the writing part, I strategized it by separating each topic into categories and then putting the information into them. For example, I had sections for history, use, parts, etc. Using this information from the articles I put bullet points under. When I started the final draft, this helped me a lot as I had the information necessary right in front of me. In terms of collaborating, I had to work with my classmates. They revised my paper and I revised
theirs. In this process I genuinely got amazing feedback and help which improved my writing. My peers pointed out many grammatical errors, as well as things I could do better such as including more images or explaining things more thoroughly. Using their feedback, I edited my essay and revised it, making it much stronger than before. I was also able to practice the systematic application of citation conventions. For this assignment I was required to site my sources in APA format. Having no prior experience to this, I was fairly lost. However, after doing some research I learned the correct format of applying the citation and used it in my reference section. When locating research sources, I preferred to use sources from the internet over the library database. I had experience with the library database before, and although it is a great site, most of the material isn’t the most up to date, and for my topic I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I searched for my articles on the internet, and some things I looked for were information and to avoid bias. I made sure that the information was accurate by comparing it to other sources. I also had to ensure that there was no bias, by confirming that the writing was strictly informative and that there were no opinions or false information inside of the articles.
Some strategies I used to approach the writing assignment was planning ahead of time and starting a template to plan and get my ideas together. I have used this process before and so far, it has proven to work really well. When I got this assignment, I first started planning. I went over many ideas with myself and ultimately came to the conclusion of doing scissors. This was because it was a simple invention that almost everyone has used in their lives, yet many of us don’t know its history or how it really works. I figured this would be a very interesting topic to cover. Once I had my idea, I created a template for this project. In that template, I divided it up into sections that I needed to address in the paper, such as history, function, part, etc. In these sections I brainstormed and wrote down notes from the articles that I read. Once I was ready to do the final draft, the information was already laid out for me, which made it much easier to complete. This strategy is something I do not plan on changing so far as it seems to work well. Overall, these are the learning outcomes that I was able to achieve in the class, and the strategies that I used to complete this assignment.
