I was skeptical of these wee, portable scissors. I thought they looked too cute to be practical. But of course one can be both, and the Raymay Pencut Scissors are pretty great, when it comes to it. They're not for any complex or heavy-duty crafting, but as a compact carry-along for some on-the-go trimming, they're pretty great.
When all folded up, they look like a thick pen or highlighter. There's a plastic body and a cap with a clip. The plastic isn't super strong and the clip is pretty bendy, but it works fine for clipping to a case pocket or notebook cover. Under the cap are the scissor blades. The cap keeps them nice and secure and covered so they can't do any damage to other stationery during transport.
Along the body of the "pen" are small sliding plastic pieces that glide along a track that pushes out two flexible plastic cords (like jelly bracelets--remember those???) that form the handholds. It's a pretty slick transformation, and it's decidedly fidgety in a good way. With those loops pushed out, the scissors work just like any scissors.
On the opposite side of each handgrip is a plastic cover that can be snapped off and placed on the sliding track on the other side to switch the scissors from right-handed to left-handed, so they can work for either handedness. It's a very clever and creative design and it surprised me with its versatility.
The blades are nice and sharp and cut paper cleanly with no smooshing or tearing. They also worked great on yarn and sticker paper. I wouldn't use them on anything like thick cardboard or plastic packaging, but for basic craft needs, they'll do nicely. They come in a variety of colors, including a few premium varieties. This basic variety is priced at $8.25, which is quite reasonable considering the complexity of the design. I suspect it's the materials that are keeping the cost low. I like the design enough that I'd actually be curious about a pair made from stronger stuff.
These would be great for students or anyone who needs to fit a lot of supplies in a case. Its slim profile makes it ideal for travel. They'd even fit in a knitting needle or crochet hook case, for yarn crafters. If you need scissors that can roam, these are definitely worth picking up.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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