Best of the notions wall
The Best Scissors, as Voted by Our Customers
5 pairs · 7 min read
Ask ten quilters which scissors to buy and you'll get ten answers, most of them about a brand they inherited. So we did something different: we read every review our customers have left on every pair of scissors we sell, and let the results stand.
Five pairs made the cut — all in stock as of writing, all with a long enough track record to mean something. Under each one is what customers actually said, in their own words.
The short version
- Missouri Star 8″ Everyday Scissors (Amelia) — best all-purpose fabric pair, and our customers' clear favorite.
- Missouri Star 4.5″ Everyday Scissors (Elna) — best small pair for clipping, $9.95.
- Missouri Star 6″ Everyday Scissors (Lulla) — our best-rated pair, and the best travel size.
- Elan 8″ Dressmaker Scissors — classic bent-handle shears for garment sewing.
- Itty Bitty Scissors — $6.50 thread snips for the project bag.
- Ranked by verified customer reviews, not by our opinion.
Key Takeaways
- Buy by size, not by brand. Most quilters end up with three pairs: 8″ to cut, 6″ to travel, 4.5″ to clip.
- Our Everyday line swept the top three. Same steel in three sizes, and quilters rate all three nearly perfectly.
- Bent handles matter for garment sewing. The blade stays flat on the table instead of lifting fabric.
- Dedicate one pair to fabric only. The single most repeated tip across every scissors review we read.
- Cheap thread snips are worth it. The $6.50 pair gets mentioned as often as the $20 ones.
The 5 Best Scissors, Voted By Our Customers
Missouri Star 8" Everyday Scissors - Amelia
8-inch fabric shears in the Everyday line
★★★★½
$19.95
The pair our customers write about more than any other you can buy today. Reviewers keep them as their fabric-only scissors — the ones hidden from anyone who might cut paper.
Shop Amelia 8″Featured customer reviews
“Super sharp”
My favorite scissors by far! They are so sharp and I love how they feel in my hand. I especially like the cover that goes over the blade. I bought an extra pair for a quilt guild retreat prize. I'm sure the winner will love them.
— Connie Chiles
“Yes you do need these!”
Let’s be honest…when I ordered these scissors, did I need them? Of course not. But they were part of a matching set…. These scissors are amazing! They are sharp and sturdy and feel like they can cut through anything. They’ve replaced my trusty Fiskars as my new favorite.
— Wendy
“Very sharp”
These are the best scissors I’ve ever had. Clipping curves are very easy. I’m teaching my grandsons to sew and my leftie uses them as well without any problems. In fact, I’ve promised both my grandsons a pair.
— Terry Fredrickson
Missouri Star 4.5" Everyday Scissors - Elna
4.5-inch scissors for clipping and trimming
★★★★½
$9.95
The pair that lives in the sewing basket: clipping corners, trimming dog ears, snipping threads at the machine. At $9.95 reviewers buy two or three on purpose.
Shop Elna 4.5″Featured customer reviews
“Perfect for detailed work”
These are sharp to the very tip of the tip! I’ve never had a pair of scissors that could cut my detailed work like these.
— Angela
“The sharpest little pair of scissors”
Absolutely love these little scissors. They are very sharp, light weight and open and close easily. Beware! They have very pointy, sharp tips, which I have found to be extremely helpful but if I'm not careful, I might poke a whole in my work. I would buy these again if I needed to.
— Mary Stevenson
“LOVE LOVE LOVE”
These little scissors are the perfect size. I've even bought 3 more pairs so I always have one handy. They come with a little cover so I don't worry about tossing them in my purse or a project bag.
— Deb Bayne
Missouri Star 6" Everyday Scissors - Lulla
6-inch scissors, the travel size
★★★★½
$12.95
The best-rated scissors we sell, and almost nobody has a bad word for them. Six inches is the compromise size: big enough for real cutting, small enough for a project bag.
Shop Lulla 6″Featured customer reviews
“6" scissor-Lulla”
I was so impressed with this Scissor. I am a scissor snob and use only the best so wasn't sure I would even use this one but was I wrong, I just love it. It is comfortable in my hand and the point is very sharp.
— Donna Nason
“Missouri Star 6” Everyday Scissors”
These scissors have a sharp thin blade that made them perfect for cutting tags off of dining chair pads without cutting the fabric.
— Sharon Whiteley
“6 inch scissors”
I was pleasantly surprised at how extremely sharp these scissors are! They are sharper than my Dovo scissors and I am really happy. For the price they are very worth it. Thanks for a great pair of scissors. I plan to get a few more.
— Janet Gordon
Elan 8" Dressmaker Scissors
Classic bent-handle dressmaker shears
★★★★½
$20.95
The traditional bent-handle shape lets the blade run flat along the table instead of lifting the fabric. Reviewers consistently mention the weight feeling substantial rather than tinny.
Shop Elan 8″Featured customer reviews
“Renewed Quilters Hands!!!”
They compare very well to my 8 1/2" Ginghers in every way except they are much , much lighter!! I saw Jenny Doan using them on one of the Triple Play tutorials. She seemed so pleased with these for her hands &the arthritis that comes on with older well-used hands so I thought I would give them a try . So happy I did!!! Quilters are "29" Forever!!
— KimAnn Knopf
“So far so good....”
I bought these scissors since I have a tendency of leaving scissors in a different place than where I am working. I like them so far and so far they are sharp and lightweight.
— Monica Kehr
“Awesome scissors!!”
I LOVE these scissors!! I have many scissors in my sewing room-I have tried many brands and none compare to these! They are light and comfortable and very sharp! They are my new favorite scissors!!
— Pamela Tupta
Itty Bitty Scissors
Tiny thread snips for the project bag
★★★★½
$6.50
The impulse buy that ends up clipped to a bag for years. Reviewers keep them on a keychain, in a purse, in every project bag — and replace them the moment they go missing. They are tiny by design, so treat them as thread snips rather than fabric shears.
Shop Itty BittyFeatured customer reviews
“Scissors for the plane!”
These are great for travel or as a gift for someone that takes their projects to a class.
— Karen Ander
“Always handy and convenient”
I love these itty bitty scissors. I used them frequently over the past 18 months but recently lost them. Now I'm replacing them since I miss them so much. They are very handy as I don't always have other scissors nearby. I have it on my keychain so they are always close by! They save lots of time when I spy a random loose thread! I've also used them on paper & shrink wrap!
— JANICE
“Itty Bitty Scissors”
I wish I had bought more than just two of these. I put one on my Keychain and it has been very useful. People are amazed that they not only work but, at how well they work! I'm making up small grab-n-go sewing kits for my different projects. They're the perfect size for the little boxes! I need more!
— Ellen Curran
How These Five Compare
| Scissors | Size | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Star 8" Everyday Scissors - Amelia | 8" | $19.95 | Cutting yardage and precuts |
| Missouri Star 4.5" Everyday Scissors - Elna | 4.5" | $9.95 | Clipping corners, trimming threads |
| Missouri Star 6" Everyday Scissors - Lulla | 6" | $12.95 | Project bags and travel sewing |
| Elan 8" Dressmaker Scissors | 8" | $20.95 | Garment sewing and long cuts |
| Itty Bitty Scissors | 3.5" | $6.50 | Thread snips at the machine |
A tip from the notions wall: Two things kill fabric scissors: paper and pins. Label your fabric pair — a ribbon through the handle works — and never cut through a pin. One nick in the blade will chew fabric for the rest of the scissors' life. If your favorite pair has gone dull, most sewing machine dealers sharpen scissors for a few dollars.
One note: the pair our customers rave about most is the Titanium Scissors Set (3-piece). It's sold out as we publish, so we left it off rather than send you to an empty page. It usually comes back, as do the Everyday Scissors bundles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size scissors do I need for quilting?
Most quilters settle on 8″ for cutting fabric off the bolt or trimming large pieces, plus something in the 4″–6″ range for clipping seams, trimming dog ears and snipping threads. If you buy one pair, buy the 8″. If you buy two, add the 4.5″ — that's the combination our reviewers describe most often.
Do I still need scissors if I use a rotary cutter?
Yes. A rotary cutter and mat beat scissors for straight cuts and strip piecing, but you'll still reach for scissors to clip corners, trim points, cut appliqué shapes and snip threads at the machine. They're complementary tools, not competing ones.
What's the difference between scissors and shears?
Traditionally, shears are over 6″ with a bent handle and offset finger holes, designed to rest on the table while you cut long lengths. Scissors are smaller with symmetrical handles. For quilting, the practical difference is that bent-handle shears keep the fabric flat — which matters most when cutting yardage.
How do I keep fabric scissors sharp?
Only cut fabric with them, never cut over a pin, and store them closed and dry. Wipe the blades after cutting fusible or batting, since adhesive residue makes them drag. When they do dull, professional sharpening is usually cheaper than replacing a good pair.
Are Missouri Star Everyday Scissors good for left-handed quilters?
The handles are symmetrical so they work in either hand, but like most scissors the blade offset is set up for right-handed cutting, which makes following a marked line harder if you're left-handed. If that's you, look for scissors described as true left-handed — the blades are reversed, not just the handles.
How were these rankings decided?
By our customers. We read every approved review on every pair of scissors in the shop, kept the ones with a long enough track record to be meaningful, ranked them by how customers rated them, and removed anything out of stock. The quotes are customers' own words, trimmed for length only.