The three great schools of ikebana each have their own scissors, and each scissors tells you something about how the school understands the work. Koryu - the name means, roughly, the old current - is among the most ancient, founded in the Edo period, and it works from a philosophy of naturalism: the arrangement as something found rather than imposed. The scissors that carry its name have a handle called tsuru, the crane, a large looped form that sits close to the blade. It is a grip of exceptional control, the hand positioned near the point of action, nothing wasted between intention and cut. These are made in Sanjo, in Niigata Prefecture, where metalworking has been practised since the seventeenth century and where the particular combination of hard winters and inherited skill still produces tools of uncommon quality. The steel is S58C black carbon - a high-carbon alloy that takes and holds an edge cleanly, honest and unadorned. The blades are short relative to the shank, which is long; this proportion makes the scissors forgiving for those new to the form while still offering the precision that experienced practitioners require. At 185g they are substantial. You feel them in the hand. Handmade in Sanjo, Niigata. S58C black carbon steel. Length 170mm, blade 45mm.
