Tool Talk: Sajou Embroidery Scissors

Happy Monday all around!

This morning, a little Tool Talk! I love talking about needlework tools!

For those just discovering Needle ‘n Thread, occasionally I like to review tools and accessories for hand embroidery, to help you find those pleasant and useful little things that enhance your needlework experience.

Hopefully, these reviews give you an idea of what’s available on the market, where you can find it, the pros and cons of different tools, and sometimes, a comparison between other similar goods available.

Of course, you should definitely keep in mind that these are just my opinions about needlework tools that I’ve handled and used. I like them (or I wouldn’t be reviewing them) and think they’re worth passing on information about. But we all have our individual tastes and preferences, our needs and budgets – the reviews I write up are simply to add to your knowledge about needlework tools and accessories so that you can make well-informed and balanced decisions about your wants and needs for stitching.

So today, let’s take a look, up close, at Sajou embroidery scissors! We’ll look at the scissors, talk about pros and cons, I’ll share my experience with them so far, and tell you where you can find them.

Sajou is an embroidery house based in Versailles, France, originating in the 1800’s and enjoying a new revival in the past decades after being dormant for a while.

Sajour produces and packages all kinds of needlework goods, from threads to charts to books to kits to fabrics to scissors and other accessories. Their iconic packaging is enduring and endearing. It’s got a vintage French look and feel to it, and … well … I just love the colors!

They say packaging is everything. I don’t know if that’s exactly true, because when it boils down to it, do we actually keep the packaging or just what’s inside it? Still, if it were true, I think it would be true about Sajou’s packaging!

But, since we’re here to talk about scissors, let’s!

These particular scissors hail from Tres Chic Stitchery, located in Cleveland, OH. Tres Chic is the US distributor for scissors and other delectable goods from Sajou.

The one thing about Sajou’s scissors is that they make a visual statement. These particular scissors – they’re these Swan Scissors – are meant to look like mother-of-pearl handled scissors that have been a beautiful and serviceable element in ladies’ workbox for centuries.

Inspired by the mid-18th century Charles X period, the handles, though not real mother-of-pearl, carry the look off well! They are eye catchers!

They are, in short, pretty scissors. They’re the kind of scissors that are nice to have in a well-maintained, beautiful needlework workbox.

Sajou’s scissors are hand made in Nogent, France, an area with a long-standing reputation for fine scissor-making.

Besides being pretty, then, they also work! And that’s a good thing! I’m not a huge fan of decorative scissors that don’t work.

The fine, sharp blades snip threads nicely, just as they are intended to do.

Some Pros and Cons in a Nutshell

The pros for these are pretty obvious:

1. They’re really beautiful and artistically made. If you have a penchant for collecting handsome scissors, these are worthy additions to your collection. They’re the type of scissors to put on your Christmas wishlist!

2. They do their job – they cut threads! The blades are sharp and precise. They are meant to do the fine cutting required in needlework – snipping embroidery threads, cutting yarn in crochet or knitting, or cutting lace-making threads. And they do that well. They are not fabric scissors, though they could be used for some types of cutwork, if you’re working in small snips. I prefer shorter fine blades for cutting away fabric in any kind of cutwork stitching, but these would work.

And some cons:

1. The handles and finger holes are not particularly comfortable. You would not use these for any long term cutting – but that’s not what they’re made for, so that’s ok. They’re made for quick snipping. I have relatively small hands (though my fingers can be a bit pudgy!) and I find that the finger holes fit ok, but the delicacy of the carved handles make them a little fussy to hold, compared to the more rigorous scissors I’m used to.

2. Though the scissors work great mechanically, when opening and closing them, there is that slight hitch that you can feel. This is not unusual in many types of good scissors, and over time, it will most likely go away. But, comparing the mechanical movement of these scissors to, say, my brushed stainless steel Dovos and my Premax ring-lock embroidery scissors, the movement on these feels a little hesitant.

Not necessarily a con, the scissors are quite light weight. They have a delicate feel to them. They are the kind of scissors that you would be more conscious of being careful with.

Again, not a con – it’s good to be careful with your tools! But this is something you should be aware of. They feel light and delicate.

Where to Find Them

You can find Sajou scissors at locally owned, small needlework shops in your area or online, if you don’t have a needlework shop around.

If you’re looking for them online, you’ll find a vast selection of Sajou scissors available here at Tres Chic Stitchery, where shop owners can order them wholesale to carry locally, and where folks can also purchase them retail.

You’ll also find Sajou scissors available at some favorite online needlework shops. The French Needle carries Sajou scissors, and I believe you can find them through Needle in a Haystack, too.

And you can always ask your favorite shop if they carry them, if you don’t see them listed in their website inventory.

The folks at Tres Chic stitchery sent me these Sajou scissors so that I could see them and try them out. Keep an eye out for a give-away for these beauties! They’ll be passing out of my little paws and on to one of you in the near future.

In fact, with November well under way, I’m looking forward to running my pre-Christmas give-away series, A Stitcher’s Christmas, in just a few weeks. This is a series of needlework give-aways with some really beautiful prizes. The series starts after Thanksgiving and runs intermittently up to Christmas.

If you’re interested in seeing what this year’s series is all about, why not sign up for the Needle ‘n Thread newsletter so you don’t miss out?