Electric Scissor For Tufting, Do you need one?

December 4, 2022

Tools

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Electric Scissor For Tufting

Do you need one?

Let’s talk about a fancy alternative to an ancient tool. The scissor. Yes, scissors are a simple but essential tool for many crafts, hobbies, and DIY projects. Especially for tufting, it holds an exceptional place in the tufters’ hearts. So let’s talk about electric scissors or as known as rug carving scissors. But first, do you need one?

You don’t have to have an electric scissor for tufting, but it can be a useful tool for the tufting process. With an electric scissor, you can speed up the carving process and increase the overall quality of the cleaning/curving phase.

I asked the tufting community on Reddit about the Electric Scissors. Here is the poll result:

Reddit – Electric Scissor Popularity Poll

61 tufters voted in total, and only 11 of them stated that they are using electric scissors for tufting. Even though it is less than 20%, 23 people said that they are planning to buy one in the future. So it seems like electric scissors will become more and more popular in the future among the tufters.

Let’s go deep down to other details about them because I can not emphasize enough the importance of the curving process for finishing a rug.

Are there electric scissors?

Yes, it is possible to find automatic/electric scissors on the market. At first thought, it can sound unnecessary, even extra, but it can be more valuable than you think. You can find corded and cordless models, too; they mostly come with two batteries, so you don’t have to wait for the charging time.

The electric scissors are not new. They have been on the market for quite some time, but in the first days of this innovation, it was not worth using them for every task. They were slow, not so powerful, and way harder to find.

However, now you can easily add one to your toolbox for less than 50$.

Electric Scissor vs. Rotary Cutter

There are two different main types of cutters available to purchase. They are similar, and both of them can do quite a good job of cutting fabrics but not for all of the tasks.

Rotary cutters are circular-shaped sharp disks rotating around their axis and therefore cutting the object underneath. They are basically automatic pizza cutters.

Even though they can be beneficial in some cases, rotary cutters are not so suitable for tufting. The most important use of the electric scissor is for the carving process, and it is not quite possible to do carving with a rotary cutter.

Benefits of the electric scissor

Did I mention that one of the most important steps of all tufting steps is the carving/shaving process? If not, I’d like to repeat it. Once you are done with the tufting of a new rug piece, and it is ready, hanging on the frame, it is only halfway done.

Now you have spent a good amount of time shaving, making all the yarns stirps at the same height, carving between the different colors, and making the lines between them look clean. Check How Do You Get Clean Lines In Tufting to learn more about it.

And carving a large piece of rug for three hours is tiring, especially for your hand the most. Even though you don’t need to cut a solid material, making the same movement with your hand becomes exhausting. But with an electric scissor, you can carve your rug for hours without much of a problem.

The other issue I am not a big fan of with a regular scissor is finding the right angle for all the lines and rotating around the rug all the time. Because to carve and separate the lines between two different colors, you have to hold the scissor parallel to the line direction.

With an electric scissor, you can hold it in many different positions in your hand, so you don’t need to rotate around the rug all the time. Even only this fact can help to speed up the tufting process.

Do you need an electric scissor for tufting?

No, you don’t need it, but yes, it would be nice too. If you have a limited budget, I wouldn’t suggest you buy an electric scissor first. But if you have enough budget for it and would like to increase your productivity and speed and save your hand from getting super tired, why not try?

If you are not planning to buy one, you can achieve similar results with a rug clipper. You can use the corner of the clipper and carve with the pointy edge. But I need to say it is not so easy and comfortable to do that. You have to be super careful because it is so easy to touch somewhere else by mistake or carve deeper than you want. And once you cut so deep and have shorter yarns at that part, there is nothing much you can do to fix it.

In case you are more in the early days of your tufting journey, and you don’t have a rug shaving clipper either, You Can Use Hair Clippers To Shave and Curve A Rug. Learn more about Tufting Rug Shavers here, the carving and shaving process the most import step for the final look of the rug. There is no lousy rug; you only need to carve it more 🙂

Which one to buy?

Now comes the actual question, okay, but which one to buy? I suggest you check the cordless models because they are much more comfortable and easier to work with.

This one is an excellent option because of its flexibility and material quality. It has a premium price compared to other similar options in the market. One of the most significant differences between the different alternatives is the option to use it both with and without the cord.

It comes with two blades, a rechargeable battery, attaching plug, and a battery charging kit. The two blades have different thicknesses and cutting angles to make it easier to work with different materials.

Or you can prefer a cheaper option. Compared to its low price, it comes with two clades and two rechargeable batteries. So you don’t need to wait for the charging time, just plug the other one in and continue working. This model has two different blades for different materials too. Since you can use both for curving, you will have a spare one, just in case.

Electric Scissors are still not essential tools for tufting, but they can make your life easier and make the carving process more fun. If you start to get demotivated or bored because of the shaving part of the rug-making process, you can try to add a new toy to your tool list to keep you motivated. If you want to learn more about curving, feel free to check How Do You Get Clean Lines In Tufting.

*_{Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.}