Buddy's Folding: a scissor that folds in on itself
This scissor from Buddies is built from two halves that swivel around each other. Folded up, the points sit inside the plastic handle and the whole thing measures roughly 5.7 by 2.5 centimetres, small enough for a trouser pocket, a pouch or a bunch of keys. Swivel the halves apart and you have a scissor of about 10 centimetres with stainless steel blades.
The design is about as simple as it gets: no spring, no locking catch, just the pivot pin holding the two halves together. That keeps it light and leaves very little that can break. This is not a curved trimming scissor meant for hours of work, but a small tool for cutting something quickly: breaking down herbs, taking off a stem, opening a bag. The symmetrical shape means it cuts the same way in either hand.
What you use it for
- Folding: the points stay inside the handle in transit, so there is no loose sharp object rattling around your bag.
- On your keys: the hole in the handle takes a key ring or a carabiner.
- Breaking down herbs: snipping dry herbs over a bowl gives a finer result than fingers do, and it does not crush them.
- As a spare: useful as a second scissor next to a larger pair, for travelling or for the glovebox.
Looking after it
Dry herbs and resin leave a sticky film on the blades. Wipe them after use; where resin has built up, a cloth with a little cleaning alcohol usually shifts it. Store the scissor dry, because stainless steel copes well with moisture but the pivot pin turns stiffly once grit works into it. As with any sharp object, keep it away from children.
At Avalon Magic Plants
Next to this scissor Avalon Magic Plants stocks more tools for handling herbs, among them wooden and metal grinders, sifters, scales and storage jars. Everything ships in discreet packaging.
