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Cut With Attraction, Repel With Force
90% Magnetic Scissors is an awesome tool for folks who go snip-snip all day. The scissor-head houses power-magnets in their internal seam, which uses the repel action to cut an easy snip. A good thing is that you can change the poles at the flick of a button, to keep the blades locked into place. Apparently 90% of the force used for cutting is sourced from the magnetic power, and 10% comes from your end. Easy cut-cut I say!
Designers: Sang-in Lee & Yun-je Sung
42 Comments »
mf says
smart idea, I would like to see it realized
kevin says
very like my frirend idea, What you conutry?
but this device is work.
paul says
How do you come up with the 90% number? It seems to me that any magnet that would fit in the handle of a scissor would not be powerful enough to create the action you are describing. While a nice concept, it seems practically unfeasible,
Garret says
The force required to change the orientation of the magnet is, by definition, equal to the force that the magnet exerts on the one in the other half of the handle. You cannot extract energy from a system like this.
Interesting thought, but entirely unfeasible.
bob says
How is 90% of the the cutting force come from the magnets i they are PUSHING THE HANDLES APART? It might make it easier to open the blades but it will make it harder to close them (and make the cut).
You can't just get free energy from magnets.
Sevren Flowers says
wish i could buy a pair of those.
Jenson Nash says
I like the look but too many pinch points. In agreement with Bob…we try to reduce applied forces and not increase them.
Not enough material for the TPE overmould and the upper handle looks very thin…!
Catherine says
I don't understand how these work. Like the concept but I can't see how they work. But then I did struggle with physics!
Joshua Bardwell says
This is a classic example of over-engineering something to "solve" a problem that doesn't exist. Really? Do most of you have such problems with regular old scissors?
GreasyPig says
But isn't our squeezing power already higher than our unsqueezing power? (the same way that an alligator's jaws are stronger closing than opening, which is why you can hold a gator's jaws closed)…. However strong it would clamp the scissors closed is just gonna make it that much harder to get the scissors open again.
How about a gear in the scissors that turns the magnets when it gets to the closed position, thereby helping you open it? Hell I'm not even sure I'm not missing yet another crucial step here.
Orthorim says
How does this provide any additional cutting force? If the handles snap shut (mode 1), the blades snap shut too – that's how scissors work.
If the handles repel, so do the blades. So the magnets would oppose your cutting force. And that's before you take into account that magnets aren't going to be strong enough, unless they're electro magnets – I don't see a wire.
the pirate Neckbeard says
If the scissor movement is powered by magnets why bother with the standard scissor design at all? Having your fingers in the standard loops will just cause unwanted resistance to the movement unless you move perfectly along with the repulsion/attraction forces.
Just have a single “handle” loop or whatever and have the magnets built into the blades, perhaps with a small toggle device for changing the polarity at will.
Not a bad idea but poor execution. They’re not thinking “outside the box” enough. And yes, I want to hit myself for referring to ‘outside the box’ thinking
mf says
smart idea, I would like to see it realized
guitarguru102 says
The magnets don't opperate the scissors – they merely "attract" to keep them closed when finished, and "repel" during normal operation to assist in opening them. In other words, these are no different than spring-loaded shears with a latch.
As others have mentioned, 90% of the work is NOT expended in *opening* the scissors (though it may reduce exertion on weaker muscles of the hand). And any force created to assist in opening them must be overcome each time they are closed – meaning a net gain of 0. Always.
kevin says
very like my frirend idea, What you conutry?
but this device is work.
guitarguru102 says
Ahh, the 90% figure simply comes from the design of the handles (see first image).
paul says
How do you come up with the 90% number? It seems to me that any magnet that would fit in the handle of a scissor would not be powerful enough to create the action you are describing. While a nice concept, it seems practically unfeasible,
Garret says
The force required to change the orientation of the magnet is, by definition, equal to the force that the magnet exerts on the one in the other half of the handle. You cannot extract energy from a system like this.
Interesting thought, but entirely unfeasible.
bob says
How is 90% of the the cutting force come from the magnets i they are PUSHING THE HANDLES APART? It might make it easier to open the blades but it will make it harder to close them (and make the cut).
You can't just get free energy from magnets.
Sevren Flowers says
wish i could buy a pair of those.
Jenson Nash says
I like the look but too many pinch points. In agreement with Bob…we try to reduce applied forces and not increase them.
Not enough material for the TPE overmould and the upper handle looks very thin…!
Catherine says
I don't understand how these work. Like the concept but I can't see how they work. But then I did struggle with physics!
Joshua Bardwell says
This is a classic example of over-engineering something to “solve” a problem that doesn't exist. Really? Do most of you have such problems with regular old scissors?
GreasyPig says
But isn't our squeezing power already higher than our unsqueezing power? (the same way that an alligator's jaws are stronger closing than opening, which is why you can hold a gator's jaws closed)…. However strong it would clamp the scissors closed is just gonna make it that much harder to get the scissors open again.
How about a gear in the scissors that turns the magnets when it gets to the closed position, thereby helping you open it? Hell I'm not even sure I'm not missing yet another crucial step here.
Orthorim says
How does this provide any additional cutting force? If the handles snap shut (mode 1), the blades snap shut too – that's how scissors work.
If the handles repel, so do the blades. So the magnets would oppose your cutting force. And that's before you take into account that magnets aren't going to be strong enough, unless they're electro magnets – I don't see a wire.
the pirate Neckbeard says
If the scissor movement is powered by magnets why bother with the standard scissor design at all? Having your fingers in the standard loops will just cause unwanted resistance to the movement unless you move perfectly along with the repulsion/attraction forces.
Just have a single “handle” loop or whatever and have the magnets built into the blades, perhaps with a small toggle device for changing the polarity at will.
Not a bad idea but poor execution. They’re not thinking “outside the box” enough. And yes, I want to hit myself for referring to ‘outside the box’ thinking
guitarguru102 says
The magnets don't opperate the scissors – they merely “attract” to keep them closed when finished, and “repel” during normal operation to assist in opening them. In other words, these are no different than spring-loaded shears with a latch.
As others have mentioned, 90% of the work is NOT expended in *opening* the scissors (though it may reduce exertion on weaker muscles of the hand). And any force created to assist in opening them must be overcome each time they are closed – meaning a net gain of 0. Always.
guitarguru102 says
Ahh, the 90% figure simply comes from the design of the handles (see first image).
Zacka says
does it mean you have to flick the switch for each cutting action?
flicking on and off to cut a length of paper sounds pretty horrible
Melch says
That's what I thought first too, but normally when cutting the force needed to open scissors over and over again is the hardest on your muscles cos your hands are made for gripping. When cutting a length of paper you have to sqeeze a bit harder to fight the magnetic repelling, but that's not that bad because gripping is easier for your hands, but when opening the scissors again the magnetics repel the scissors. Thus you need less energy to open it but more to close it, also the magnets make it impossible to close it fully but you don't really fully close it when cutting a lenght . Personally I'm not sure if it's added value, I guess a prototype would be needed to test if it's any good.
can't remember says
Beautifully designed, style & concept
Ntalinis Panos says
That's Very smart….beautiful design and , I guess ergonomic too..
Ntalianis Panos says
beautiful design and I guess very ergonomic too… That's a good idea
Kiwi says
Very good concept and aesthetic aspect, love it!
kevin says
I love it . a nice design
kevin says
I love it . a nice design
hannah says
I love it!! i think you have very smart insight !
hannah says
I love it!! i think you have very smart insight !
Marky O Reilly says
It looks very pretty but the magnet aspect seems pointless
Marky O Reilly says
It looks very pretty but the magnet aspect seems pointless
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