Rowenta irons

"John" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Sep 23, 4:05 pm, Pat in Virginia wrote:
Yes, that is true ... to the dismay of those who have
sweet memories of when Wiss and others made excellent
products.
Boy were we spoiled.

My grandmother gave me a pair of 8" Wiss dressmaker shears for my 12th
birthday. That was around-about a half century ago (shudder) and told me to
guard them with my life and take good care of them, there were no better for
a seamstress; I still have them and the zippered leather case they came in
and they still look like new. I happened to spot a shoe box of *old* Wiss
scissors at a garage sale a few years ago. One dollar for the whole ratty
shoe box full! I pointed out to the young woman selling them that she had a
gold mine there and did she realize just what they were. Her ignorant answer
was "they are just old scissors from my grandmother's basement". I snapped
those babies up in a heart beat. Not far from me, in Seattle, is a fellow
whose business is making custom designed surgical instruments and sharpening
surgical instruments. I became acquainted with him at a neighborhood garden
meeting-up. I took them to him and he knew *exactly* what they were. He
charged me $35 dollars to clean them up and sharpen the lot to like new
condition. Not a bad haul for a total of $36 dollars. I got 2 sizes of
pinking shears, 2 sizes of embroidery scissors, 3 sizes barber shears, 3
types of dressmaker shears, poultry shears and pruning
shears.............I'm going to be buried with them........along with my 40
year old Proctor Silex Steam & Dry Iron.

Two lessons here......keep your eyes pealed to find the good stuff and make
friends with those who appear to be old, eccentric people. This lovely,
interesting fellow now keeps all my scissors and knives sharpened for
cinnamon rolls, cookies, loaves of fresh bread and plant swaps

Val

On Sep 24, 4:05 pm, "Val" wrote:
"John" wrote in message

ps.com...

On Sep 23, 4:05 pm, Pat in Virginia wrote:
Yes, that is true ... to the dismay of those who have
sweet memories of when Wiss and others made excellent
products.
Boy were we spoiled.

My grandmother gave me a pair of 8" Wiss dressmaker shears for my 12th
birthday. That was around-about a half century ago (shudder) and told me to
guard them with my life and take good care of them, there were no better for
a seamstress; I still have them and the zippered leather case they came in
and they still look like new. I happened to spot a shoe box of *old* Wiss
scissors at a garage sale a few years ago. One dollar for the whole ratty
shoe box full! I pointed out to the young woman selling them that she had a
gold mine there and did she realize just what they were. Her ignorant answer
was "they are just old scissors from my grandmother's basement". I snapped
those babies up in a heart beat. Not far from me, in Seattle, is a fellow
whose business is making custom designed surgical instruments and sharpening
surgical instruments. I became acquainted with him at a neighborhood garden
meeting-up. I took them to him and he knew *exactly* what they were. He
charged me $35 dollars to clean them up and sharpen the lot to like new
condition. Not a bad haul for a total of $36 dollars. I got 2 sizes of
pinking shears, 2 sizes of embroidery scissors, 3 sizes barber shears, 3
types of dressmaker shears, poultry shears and pruning
shears.............I'm going to be buried with them........along with my 40
year old Proctor Silex Steam & Dry Iron.

Two lessons here......keep your eyes pealed to find the good stuff and make
friends with those who appear to be old, eccentric people. This lovely,
interesting fellow now keeps all my scissors and knives sharpened for
cinnamon rolls, cookies, loaves of fresh bread and plant swaps

Val

Seattle is where I grew up and where my Dad started out with Wiss
right after WWII. I acquired all of his collection of scissors and
yard cutlery when he died. Nobody else wanted any of them in our
family as none of them sews. I have multiples of pinking shears,
scolloped edge pinking shears, embroidery scissors, button hole
scissors, and every type of tailoring shear and scissors that were
then available. Nice stuff, although I also have some very nice Ginger
scissors that I prize also. If you keep the scissors sharp and only
use them for that which they were intended, they will be able to be
passed down to your grandchildren. Then they can appreciate them also.

John