From kids in a kindergarten class to men and women styling the hair of their peers, scissors are used in many capacities. Not only are scissors used to cut hair and construction paper but scissors are also used to cut meat, trim plants and as a weapon.
A pair of scissors can be a very versatile tool and it is used in almost all cultures around the world. Now since we understand how useful scissors are in our lives, it is no surprise this tool has a great deal of symbolism. When you talk about things with symbolism, you’ve got a great subject to be tattooed on someone’s body.
People getting tattoos have a lot of choices and when someone chooses a pair of scissors to be tattooed, you can imagine it must have some significance to that person. There could be a lot of reasons for someone getting a scissors tattoo and we plan to talk about why that is. Whether it was from a dream or represents a hobby, the scissors tattoo is starting to become a pretty cool tattoo to have.
In this post, we are going to be talking about where the scissors came from and some of the history behind them. We will also talk about the symbolism attached to the scissors tattoo and what it means to the people getting them. Keep in mind that the scissors tattoo might represent something to one person and something completely different to the next, so we will talk about this and the different variations of this tattoo. By the end of this post, we hope you have a better understanding of the meaning of the scissors tattoo and that you might be a little closer to getting your own.
About Scissors
We can trace back scissors about three to four thousand years ago in Mesopotamia. What you saw back then were known as spring scissors and it was made of two blades made of bronze connected at a handle by a flexible, thin strip of bronze that is curved, and its purpose was to hold the blades in a position where they could be squeezed together and when you let go, they come back apart.
Until the 16th century, spring scissors were being used in Europe. However, The Romans invented pivoted scissors of iron or bronze around 100 AD. These scissors had blades that were pivoted at a point between the handles and the tips and they were probably the closest ancestor to what we know today of the modern-day pair of scissors.
Scissors Tattoo Meaning
If you ask someone with a pair of scissors tattooed on their body what the meaning is, you might get a different one from everyone you ask. As with most tattoos, many of the images that get tattooed have unique meaning to that person. However, there are some traits and symbolism attached to the scissors tattoo.
In terms of symbolism, there are a few things heard about. First of all, the scissors tattoo can represent cutting out the waste in our lives. Now that could mean different things to you. It could mean something general like cutting the non-essential things out of our lives but it might also be more specific. You might want to cut negative people or ideas out of your life. You might also want a clean cut from old relationships. The idea behind this symbolic image is to rid yourself of something that has been holding you back.
You might also get a tattoo of sharpening scissors which is said to symbolize better communication with everyone. To sharpen your tools is to improve that tool and for the most part, we are always trying to improve as people.
The scissors tattoo meaning might be more obvious than that. Maybe you enjoy cutting hair or maybe you are a cook and use scissors to cut meat and herbs. The symbolism of the scissors tattoo can be very obvious, or it can be something a lot deeper.
Scissors Tattoo Variations
Some of the above explanations talk about the meaning of the scissors tattoo when the scissors are displayed on their own. However, you can get really creative with the scissors tattoo and add images that might make sense or even have it tattooed in a different style to change the meaning of the tattoo. Below are a few examples of different scissors tattoos that we like, and the symbolism attached to them.
Traditional Scissors Tattoo
A pair of scissors is a popular tattoo to have done in an American Traditional style. You might be asking yourself why this image is often tattooed in the traditional style. This is one of those examples when you have to ask the person. However, the American traditional style was made famous by Sailor Jerry and many of his tattoos are very simple images with attachments to sailing the open sea.
The scissors might not have a direct connection with the sea, but they might also represent cutting ties with what you know as your normal life. When at sea, sailors could be gone for months at a time, so it makes sense that they would want to forget about their ideas of family and home for a little while to make it easier to get through their work.
Scissors and Comb Tattoo
Scissors and comb tattoos will usually represent someone in the profession of hair. Many associate a pair of scissors with cutting hair so when you see a tattoo of a pair of scissors paired with a comb, barber’s pole or any salon item, you can assume this person is in the profession of making people beautiful by cutting that mop.
Scissors Cutting Ribbon Tattoo
The cutting of a ribbon can have a great deal of symbolism depending on what the ribbon looks like. When paired with the cancer ribbon, the scissors tattoo represents the fight against cancer. Many people are fighting this battle every day, so someone involved in the fight or having experienced losing a loved one might also have this tattoo.
You might also see a ribbon being cut like a grand opening. This tattoo symbolizes a new outlook on life or a new chapter. When you have a grand opening, that place is open for business or they are about to break ground so in a spiritual sense, this tattoo means the same thing.