People have been left scratching their heads over the purpose of the metal teeth on kitchen scissors – as many share ways they’ve used them when cooking
It’s something you store in your kitchen cutlery drawer – but most people have no idea why they’re been designed in a certain way. People have been scratching their heads over the purpose of the metal teeth on kitchen scissors – with many social media users questioning their intended use.
On Reddit’s ‘What is this thing’ thread, one user simply asked: “Metal teeth on the handle of my scissors?” Commenting on the post, users shared their thoughts on what they could be used for – with many offering different ideas.
One user said: “These started on cooking sheers, they are for griping bones on poultry and breaking bones if need be.”
Another user added: “In my opinion, I’ve always considered the bone cutting portion of kitchen shears to be the half-circle cutout on one blade (this holds the bone in place while the sharp blade cuts it), not these teeth in the handle.
“The area of their focus is a bottle opener/nut-cracker.”
A third user said: “I always thought they were nut crackers and it always made me wonder why would you want to crush a nut with a sharp pair of scissors.”
One more user added: “Just a clamping/cracking/opening tool. It’s multipurpose. or at least it it for me.”
Another user said: “I have seen them advertised as jar openers, bottle openers, and poultry shears (bone breaking). So most people in here are right.”
One more user said: “It’s to break open seafood with a hard shell, example:crab legs. You crack the shell with them to make it easier to use the scissor part to cut it fully open.”
According to Insight Kitchen Knife, the metal teeth have several uses – including gripping, breaking and cracking.
A statement reads: “The metal teeth on kitchen scissors are serrations or gripping edges integrated into one blade or along the inner surface of the scissor blades.
“Sometimes referred to as a gripper, breaker, or nutcracker feature, these small teeth provide a non-slip grip on tough, slippery, or irregularly shaped food items.
“Unlike smooth blades which rely solely on cutting action, these metal teeth help the scissors grip and hold food securely while cutting, tear through tougher textures, crack shells or bones, and function as a built-in nutcracker or bottle opener.
“The presence of metal teeth makes the scissors more versatile and efficient for kitchen tasks that involve more than just slicing through soft ingredients.”