10-1/2 inch Gold Plated Presentation Shears
To be engraved and used at a ribbon cutting. I bought this pair in the early 1970s when gold was $44/ounce.
10N - "N" Heavy Pattern
15 1/2" full length, 8 inch cut with Wiss Simplex Shear Bolt (allowing them to be taken apart for removing lint and dust).
This appears to have been restored with new paint. It was sold on the UK eBay for $59, but shipping to the US would have doubled that.
27 - 7" Dressmakers Bent Trimmers
I bought this pair as these are a good example of the workmanship during the period 1963-1976 when these were made. The packaging is some sort of pegboard holder. The 12 lovely pictures were taken by the eBay seller.
3 Nail Nippers
In my brother's collection.
5N Tailor Shears
I thought this seller did a nice job with the many pictures.
ATT Roller Shears
US Patent 1,757,173 was assigned to ATT. J Wiss made some of these for them. The patent calls this a Combined Cutter and Pressure Roller Device
Issued: May 6, 1930. See patent.
Cowhide Nail Set
In my brother's collection.
Embroidery
These were so lovely that I bought them. Later I found them on Page 34 of the 1912 catalog.
Embroidery Scissor
When this passed through eBay in May 2011, I did not have any old catalogs. I thought that this must have been Italian made, but not so labeled. In later years anything ornate was made over there. So I didn't bid. Now I find it in my 1912 catalog on page 34.
FH-1 Flower Holding Shears
The first of the flower holding shears. This pair is in my collection. It needs to be cleaned up and then photographed by me. The set screw is used to hold the shears in the closed position.
FH-2 Flower Holding Shears
The second in the progression of flower holding shears. It also came nickel plated. It can be seen in the 1934 catalog on page 65 and in the 1937 catalog on page 44. It was made up until the release of the FH-3 in 1948. No flower holding shears appears in the 1930 catalog.
FH-3 Flower Holding Shears
Norman F Wiss Jr had this one copied from a design of Clauss Shears'. It was probably released in June 1948, based on the date on the instructions that were included with it. It had about a year overlap with the FH-4. It was gone by September 1954. It could only cut lightweight branches, and it could have been expensive to make.
FH-4 Flower Holding Shears
Both of these pairs are rare. The gold plated is one of two that Norman Wiss at the time had plated. Note the chrome one has a rivet. The rivet was only used for its first few months of manufacture. After that a Philips screw was used. The shear was designed by Norman F Wiss Jr and a product developer in Florham Park, NJ. The product's introductory flyer is dated September 1952. The first instructions sheet is dated August 1952. The style remained unchanged into 1978. In 1977 and 1978 they were sold by True Temper. They looked the same. In the 1950s they were shipped in a box with a folded insert. Later they were shipped in a blister pack. These two are in a family collection.
FS-4 Folding Scissors
This is in my brother's collection, hence photographed here.
GS-3 Sweetheart Set
I have this set pictured in December ads for 1957-1959. Ad copy: Lovely heart-shaped case adapted from a unique French design with two essentials of sewing—7" dressmakers' shears and 5" sewing-embroidery scissors. Colors: Nile Green, Caribbean Blue, Tapestry Red, Primrose Yellow, Sahara Tan, or Ivory. It retailed for $9.95 at the time. It remained in the catalog through to 1976. At the end colors were reduced to R-Holiday Red, P-Shocking Pink, B-Como Blue, Y-Tropic Yellow. And the suggested retail price was up to $23.95. Pictured here is Sahara Tan.
Leather Buttonhole Cutter
This buttonholer was patented by Bauer in 1872 under Patent 129,309. It appears in all catalogs up to the 1941 one. The identical shears also appears on eBay with a Heinisch label. Knowing the factory, I would assume that this was actually made by someone else.
On the 1941 catalog page, and earlier catalogs, it appears with the Wiss cloud logo. No shears with this logo have ever appeared on eBay. Apparently this was edited onto the catalog photo in about 1912 and used thereafter. In no catalog was this ever marketed as being for leather, but for leather is what they are used for these days.
These frequently appear on eBay. Not all are complete. The one pictured here is probably the nicest one I have seen pass through. It promptly sold for its $45 buy-it-now price.
One passed through with two brass cylinders. The cylinders are different lengths. Another had a double leaf spring. And one had a coil spring. These variants are included as the last pictures on this page.
Model 605
These have such lovely curves. And the photographer took nice pictures. So I kept the pictures. It is a very early pair. I did not bid.
Model 729 9" Bent Trimmers for Heavy Fabrics
These were specially designed with extra sharp knife-edge blade to cut easily. Set-Easy pivot permits user to adjust shears to personal cutting preference. See October 1974 cut sheet.
Silver Plated Pinking Shears
I have no idea why such an item exists. Pairs passed through in January 2008 and December 2009.
Stork Embroidery Scissor
This was a popular style over the years. Based on the sleeve these were definitely made after 1943, and probably before 1948. This would appear to be old enough that it was made by J Wiss. In later years these were made in Italy.