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This article is from the Lefthanders FAQ, by Barry D. Benowitz b.benowitz@telesciences.com with numerous contributions by others.
09. What makes scissors right or left handed?
You can see the difference easily, by placing the scissors on
the table like this:
\ /
\/
/\
O O
For right-hand scissors, the part of the scissors lying `on top' at
the intersection of the two parts, will be the one from top-left
to bottom-right, whereas for left-hand scissors, the uppermost will
be the part from bottom-left to top-right. Turning the scissors around
or up-side down won't change this relationship.
Secondly the reason for this difference lies in the way the
scissors are opened and closed by your left or right hand. When you
close the scissors, the cutting edges close and the cutting edges
are pressed together because your fingers holding the scissors bend
and your thumb stretches. If the cutting edges are pushed away from
each other, the material being cut slides in between, and is definitely
not cut. This is what happens when you use a right-hand scissors
with your left hand.
Since your left hand is a mirrored version of your right hand,
your scissors should be `mirrored' as well. This is why the cutting
edges are made on the opposite side of each part, and the parts
are assembled just the opposite way, giving you perfect left-handed
scissors.
Thanks to: Jurgen van Engelen <jurgene@eeb.ele.tue.nl>
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