Where are the green scissors?

Where are the green scissors? That was a question frequently heard in my home when I was growing up. The scissors seemed to be in constant demand. There is still a bit of green on the scissors but at one time they were obviously green. The green colour and the sound they made when the parts struck each other are things that stick in my mind.

My mother had a good pair of scissors for her sewing projects but the green scissors were the workhorses in our home. My parents used them to trim linoleum when installing new floor coverings. They were probably used when putting new covers on our kitchen chairs. I used them in school projects. The blades were perpetually dull and the two halves of the scissors fit together loosely. This was not a quality pair of scissors but that meant they could be used for anything without being concerned about causing any damage to them.

As a small child these scissors became very familiar to me but as I grew older I became fascinated with them when my father showed me the special features. On one of the handles there was a flat projection that could be used as a screwdriver. There was a small built-up area that served as a hammer. Teeth between the blades allowed the scissors to act as pliers or perhaps a nut cracker. There was even a bottle opener. The scissors were so tough they could be used as a prying tool.

The old green scissors are well over 60 years old now and I have had them since I moved away from home. The logo, "Clauss" stamped on the metal is the same logo the company that manufactured them uses today. It gave me a good feeling to use the scissors to install flooring in my home just as my parents had done in theirs. I think my parents never knew where they went. I suppose I took them as a comforting reminder of home. When my youngest daughter left home to start out on her own I noticed certain things were missing. I thought of the old green scissors and just smiled to myself, pleased that she cared enough to want a few reminders of home.