Fiskars Classic scissors

A pair of orange handled, Classic, universal scissors manufactured by Fiskars, Finland. Injection moulded in orange coloured acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, Fiskars were the first manufacturer to produce plastic handled scissors in 1967. The basic design of the O-series handles already existed in metal tailor's scissors, originally in brass joined to iron cutting blades. High production costs led the company to commision industrial designer Olaf Backstrom to create a lower cost version in plastics. The sculptural, ergonomic form he created has only sightly altered over the years, the main alteration being the removal of the bumper between the handles. Widely copied, they are now recognised as a design classic and in 2003, the bright orange colour was officially registered as a trademark in Finland, protecting its use by Fiskars. It was a serendipitous choice as the original intention was for the scissors to be either black, red or green but the moulding machine had some orange coloured material left in it from a previous job and the operator chose to use this up to create an unrequested forth colour prototype. The company asked their staff to vote for their preferred choice which resulted in the orange being selected. Bright and easily located, the scissors are lightweight and fit comfortably in the hand. The precision blades are made of stainless steel and can be taken apart for cleaning by the removal of a screw.

etched: "FISKARS Stainless Finland" (blade)

AIBDC : 009559.1