Trauma shears: Inexpensive plastic and sheet metal cutter

Several years ago I needed about half a dozen tools for a series of workshops I was hosting. I needed a hand tool that could safely and easily shape plastic and thin sheet metal, but not break the bank. I found trauma shears at the local hardware store for a couple dollars each and bought every pair they had. Although I had misgivings about the price they worked great. I still have them and they all get constant use and abuse.

Sometimes called EMT or Paramedic scissors, they were originally designed for emergency responders to cut through seat belts, zippers, denim and leather. The rounded tip and bent handle made to safely cut along skin also make them useful for cutting along other surfaces without snags or jabs.

They’re somewhat famous for being shown cutting through a penny, which they’ll do without too much trouble. More practically they’ll cut sheet metal, wire, cable, plastic, cardboard, staples, rubber, foam, branches, and small bolts, to name a few. They’re the scissors I reach for when I don’t want to ruin my good scissors, and you’ll find them scattered throughout my workshop. They’re also great for opening plastic clamshell packages and I’ve tied them into bows on presents to help get into gifts. -- Steve Hoefer

Trauma Shears: about $3 a pair

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awjt

But DON’T cut pennies with them. After a few pennies, some of the serrations will start to dull and bend, and then the scissors won’t scizz correctly anymore. Sure, they’re only $3, but why ruin ‘em?
- bcsizemo
  
  I use my Cutco shears for cutting pennies, still works great after all these years.
  - ldobe
    
    Aaah, cutco. the most exploitative pyramid scheme I’ve ever been suckered into.
    
    It’s really awful actually. They say in the ads “work for college students, leads provided”
    
    of course for the first five weeks you have to use your own friends and family in order to prove that you’re “highly motivated” (ie willing to alienate everyone you know.) And if you don’t sell enough sets during that time you’re expected to keep using leads your scare up yourself. They implore you to try and contact any human you know and make as hard a pitch as you can.
    
    It’s despicable really. Cutco is a terrible company. The blades they sell might be worth the money (they’re very high quality as far as I can tell from my 5 year old set), but their deceptive recruitment strategies and high pressure methods are just the lowest level of scummy crud.
    
    They promise so much for students trying to make a few bucks, but they don’t make good on them if you aren’t willing to make everyone you know hate you for being a shill.
    - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002051913650 George Grey Cowie
      
      HFC, Cutco, again. I was so excited with my ‘mini” sample set, and my parents were enthusiastic with recollections of how well their Cutco knives worked and lasted so long. The next day, I walked into the sales office early, hoping to get an early start and ahead of the game. It was then that I overheard the managers talking together on how they would charge me for the entire sample set, and then charge the cost against all commissions I would make, which was not how they presented the deal. I stormed in and confronted them with their perfidy, which they tried to talk me out of by promising me the samples free, no charge even if I made no sales. I challenged them to repeat their offer to the entire sales class, which they refused to do. I quit. I stood outside the entrance telling all my classmate what the scam was all about. Most just did as I did and walked out after confronting the sales manangers.
      It was a hard lesson to learn, especially as I jumped right from the frying pan into the fire and went to work for an aluminum siding company. Another story another time.
      These look like good shears, and I’ll keep a few handy (house, garage, car, work).
    - bcsizemo
      
      Well now a days I just get a catalog in the mail about every 3 months and if I need anything I order from that.
      
      But yeah 99.9% of people aren’t cut out for direct sales like that.
      
      I know I worked for Vector Marketing, which distributed Cutco, so I have no idea how that plays into the sales setup.
      - Bottle Imp
        
        My first non temp job out of college was back office support for coupon sales people. 99.9999% of people aren’t cut out for direct sales. That office had two really successful people and a whole host of Gil Gundersons. I’ll spare you the pathos, but desperation was thick in the air.
big ryan

i use those for trimming fiberglass when im making surfboards, they are great
- ldobe
  
  I keep a pair of what I call “Swiss Army Scissors” in my car. They have a tempered stainless blade that’s serrated halfway up one side (but start out non-serrated for about 2cm at the tip), with a hook at the transition at the halfway mark. On the back side of the handle is a bottle opener on one half and a flathead screwdriver on the other. The tip of the blades fit into and can turn most of the phillips screws I’ve encountered.
  
  I mostly use them for cutting wire, turning screws and prying pull tabs (I’m a terrible nail biter). They got dull years ago, and are pretty much impossible to sharpen in any meaningful way.
  
  These trauma shears look like a great replacement for my beatup dull pair of scissors, and cost a lot less than an equivalent pair of the device I use.
Romana_Clef

Trauma shears were the only scissors in my house growing up, because my mother was a paramedic. Now I’m consumed by wondering if she bought new ones from the supplier or if she nicked old ones from the ambulances. Were my childhood craft projects dependent on something that had previously been used to cut the clothes off trauma victims? I am probably happier not knowing.
Antinous / Moderator

They’re normally referred to as bandage scissors. The bottom blade won’t cut the patient when you slide it under the bandage.
- awjt
  
  Nurse Ratchet knows a way to make sure the patient screams even when she’s using bandage scissors.
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    She can make the patient scream just by raising one eyebrow.
    - Sparg
      
      Louise Fletcher was so good for that part. I was attracted and repulsed by her. Was so happy to see her in Shameless US for a while.
Smash Martian

I use them for diving. A line-cutter that you only need one hand for is great. They last about a year or so until the center-rivet rusts through, but it’s cheap to replace them.
teknocholer

For non-medical uses, the little right-angle tab at the tip of the lower blade just gets in the way most of the time. I have ground the tabs off a few pair of these shears, making them more generally useful, but now Lee Valley Tools sells the same item sans tab.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=59398&cat=1,64488
- ryuthrowsstuff
  
  Those guys are great. All sorts of unexpected useful stuff. I got my mom one of these:
  
  http://www.leevalley.com/en/gifts/page.aspx?p=52770&cat=4,104,53214&ap=6
  
  For $30 it cuts as well as my $200 Japanese veg knife, and its more comfortable and easier to sharpen. My hand doesn’t fit the handle well enough or I’d have a couple for myself.
  
  They also seem to be the only place I’ve found that carry the sort of canvas tool rolls my grandfather used to carry his knives.
http://www.gyrofrog.com/ Gyrofrog

“Think of it! For fifty years…”
Hanglyman

Also popular with BDSM folks. They safely and quickly cut through ropes, latex, leather, giant alien eggs…
- Shelby Hays
  
  Yeah, I thought it was a little strange when I added them to my cart and got this…
noah django

there’s some in my kitchen drawer right now. I’ve probably had them for 15 years. confirmed for a cool tool.
willy359

According to Amazon, customers who bought this item also bought 50′ of black camping rope, several guides to Japanese bondage and a portable resuscitator. A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.
chgoliz

How do these scissors, or the Lee Valley modified version, work for lefties? They seem like they’d be more difficult than regular scissors, which aren’t perfect but at least are workable with the left hand.
- teknocholer
  
  They aren’t the most ergonomic of designs even for right-handers. I found them awkward, but I’ve got used to them.
  
  That being said, the handles are symmetrical, not sculpted specifically for right-handers, so I don’t think they’d be any more annoying for lefties than regular scissors.
  - chgoliz
    
    Thanks.
    
    It’s not about the shape of the finger holes, it’s how the physical mechanics work when the scissors are being operated by the other hand. It’s hard to explain. Some scissors literally won’t cut — or won’t cut well — because the pressure on the blades is backwards.
Marya

If you want to cut sheet metal and plastic, I really recommend these. They will easily cut through 22 AWG sheet.
Also, chicken bones, which is what I presume they are made for.

http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Chen-51-0220-Unlimited-Scissor/dp/B0000CFLH7
James Penrose

I just ordered a couple of pair via Amazon. These look like they are exactly what I need to cut up an old soft-sided suitcase so I can throw the *** thing out. (Zippers are totally shot and the thing is too big to stuff in my trash can and if I put it out separately, I’ll be charged more than two pair of the scissors cost.)