Cutting negatives.....

Adrian Bacon · Jul 22, 2019

I use a regular plain pair of scissors that I bought for the purpose. They live in the darkroom and aren’t used for anything else. If I remember correctly, I bought them at my local Target store for $5-6. They’re the Fiskars office scissors. They work just fine.

With film, you’re cutting essentially a thin sheet of plastic, so pretty much any pair would work as long as they’re sharp and long enough that you can make your cut with one clip. I cut a fair amount of 120 in addition to 135, so the office sized scissors work great.

BAC1967 · Jul 22, 2019

I use an old Griswold 35mm film splicer that I picked up for $3. It doesn't have the pegs for aligning the sprocket holes so I can put the cut right where I need it. I do have one with the pegs and it works with some cameras like my old Barack Leicas. For scissors I use the blunt end children's scissors so I don't accidentally poke a hole in my film changing bag.

MattKing · Jul 22, 2019

If you are left handed and hold the scissors in your left hand, you will want to use left hand scissors.

AgX · Jul 22, 2019

Instead of using the first at hand children pair of scissors that might be more a toy than a tool, one can take a serious pair of scissors of right length and grind round the points.

CMoore · Jul 22, 2019

jnantz said:
I use chrome sheers 5-finger-discounted from my mom's sewing basket. Very few things I dislike more than cutting negatives; I'd rather eat 40 hard boiled eggs, and dig ditches on a hot day in a chain gang.

Any big scissors will do unless they are dull.

Yeah... you and me both.

etn said:
I don't think he's making fun of you. I use large scissors too (together with a light table and cotton gloves!)

No...... i know he is not that type of person, hence my smiley.

Wow.....WAY more responses that i anticipated.
LOTS of good suggestions and experience.
A more interesting thread than one might imagine it would be.
There were too many to quote, but thanks for ALL the posts.

Obviously, i must have some type of scissors......but i thought i would give these a try. They look like they might cut straight and be easy to hold, and not too big.
Thanks Again

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00290O9UQ/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Pieter12 · Jul 22, 2019

I use embroidery scissors: quite sharp, about 4" blades. 120 is much easier to cut between frames than 35 obviously.

CMoore · Jul 22, 2019

Pieter12 said:
I use embroidery scissors: quite sharp, about 4" blades. 120 is much easier to cut between frames than 35 obviously.

I was looking at those on Amazon, but did not see any with long enough blades. Obviously i did not look at enough of them before i gave up.

Pieter12 · Jul 22, 2019

Something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Stit...ome-garden&sprefix=fiskars,garden,184&sr=1-10

Sirius Glass · Jul 22, 2019

Scissors over my light table. When possible left handed scissors, because I am left handed and I can see to cut with left handed scissors.

bdial · Jul 22, 2019

The Hasselblad scissors are meant for cutting down sheet film to fit the single exposure back, the platform has stops built-in to cut the sheet to the right size.
I use a small Fiskars scrapbooking paper trimmer over a light box. Overkill I know, but the cuts are always straight and square to the film edge.
It's also what I use for trimming paper in the darkroom, as it's easy to stash it out of the way in a drawer.

dkonigs · Jul 22, 2019

Rick A said:
I used to use cutters similar to this: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/318704-REG/Kaiser_202115_2115_AC_Illuminated_35mm.html

I've been using one of these lately on 35mm film, and its completely transformed my pace and stress level when cutting up a strip. The illumination feels a bit janky, but it works really well. I'm no longer worried about accidentally cutting into a frame.

MattKing said:
The Matins cutter I've referred to elsewhere: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMR8OII/ref=ox_sc_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A11ONN57JFWEZB
The wheel doesn't work any more on mine, but it truly doesn't matter.
Some sort of backlighting really helps.

I also picked up one of these to help with medium format film, but I haven't used it yet. Probably because I heard an anecdote from someone that it scratched their film. However, medium format frame spacing is wide enough that I'm not so nervous about just using scissors on top of a light table. (Though I'd still prefer to find some sort of device, if only so I could make my cuts straighter.)

Pieter12 · Jul 22, 2019

I would be concerned about scratching or damaging the emulsion or base with any kind of cutter that requires the film to touch it.

grahamp · Jul 22, 2019

I use an old pair of scissors with 5" or so blades, and actual points. I have to cut roll film and sometimes 35mm. These scissors are old, and probably came via one of my grandfathers. They have a British WD stamp on them, which must make them 70+ years old. They do not get used for anything else, and will probably out last me

AgX · Jul 22, 2019

Pieter12 said:
I would be concerned about scratching or damaging the emulsion or base with any kind of cutter that requires the film to touch it.

The Kaiser model yields a slight undercut of the illuminator, the incoming film is transported at the rebates. However such apparatus is only designed to cut off one frame, the outcome side has no such guides.

By the way, the Kaiser model is no longer listed. So much about slide photography...

Pieter12 · Jul 22, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
Scissors over my light table. When possible left handed scissors, because I am left handed and I can see to cut with left handed scissors.

I too am left-handed. Right-handed scissors drive me crazy, I find them painful to use with my left hand. My wife is right-handed and uses my left handed scissors with no problem somehow.

MattKing · Jul 22, 2019

The big advantage of left handed scissors is that it is easier to see where you are cutting if the scissors are centred in front of you.
And as for the Matin cutter scratching film, I haven't encountered problems in the many (more than 5) years I've used one.

Huss · Jul 22, 2019

I use this

https://www.dickblick.com/products/westcott-trimair-guillotine-trimmers/

Fraunhofer · Jul 22, 2019

+1 on kids scissors with a blunt tip, very safe, very cheap and we have dozens around the house

pmargolis · Jul 22, 2019

I can highly recommend barber scissors. I've been using the same chrome-plated pair for the past 35 years or so... They still work fine.

winger · Jul 23, 2019

Years ago, my brother gave me a pair of DuraSharp scissors that are similar to the Fiskars in post #33 ^. I've been using those to cut film ever since. For light, I usually use the light over the sink in the bathroom where the film dries (I hang it in the stall shower that never gets used as a shower).

Jim Jones · Jul 23, 2019

I use whatever sharp scissors that are handy. Beveling the corners does make slipping the negatives into filing sheets or wallets easier. After a few thousand rolls of 35mm, it all becomes automatic.

Arklatexian · Jul 23, 2019

MattKing said:
If you are left handed and hold the scissors in your left hand, you will want to use left hand scissors.

It is my understanding that 14% of everyone in the world is left-handed, me included and using left-handed scissors is a joy to use so why am I using "right-handed" scissors in my darkroom? Because left-handed scissors are not easy to find in a right-handed world, along with left-handed drill-presses, punch-presses, etc. Want to have some fun, watch a right-handed person try to use left-handed scissors. Not on my negatives, however.........Regards!

CMoore · Jul 23, 2019

Arklatexian said:
It is my understanding that 14% of everyone in the world is left-handed, me included and using left-handed scissors is a joy to use so why am I using "right-handed" scissors in my darkroom? Because left-handed scissors are not easy to find in a right-handed world, along with left-handed drill-presses, punch-presses, etc. Want to have some fun, watch a right-handed person try to use left-handed scissors. Not on my negatives, however.........Regards!

14%..???!!!!
I thought you guys were more unique than THAT

MattKing · Jul 23, 2019

Statistically there used to be more left handed people in Canada than in other parts of the world. That was often attributed to two factors:
1) a significant percentage of left handed people identify as right handed because in many parts of the world children are discouraged from evidencing left handed behaviour; and
2) in Canada, hockey sticks are often used with the dominant hand higher, and the other hand lower on the stick - left handed behavior is celebrated here on the ice!
At one time, left handed people were statistically likely to have higher IQs. This has been attributed to the fact that IQ tests have a tendency to measure persistence and attention to detail (aka stubbornness) and in a world where children are discouraged from left handed behaviors, those who grow up and maintain those left handed behaviors tend to be "persistent".
One of the reasons that Hasselblads and I don't get along well, whereas many Mamiya cameras seem so well suited to my needs, is related to how profoundly left handed I am.

Pentode · Jul 23, 2019

Richard Searle said:
I use children's craft scissors which have rounded points. Handy for using in a darkroom bag, as well. Less blood on the film.

This is what I use for cutting developed film into sleeves.

For bulk loading I use a pair of bandage scissors for their angled cutting blades and blunt point.

For cutting the end of a 35mm roll at the cassette end in the darkroom I just use an ordinary pair of scissors.

Cutting negatives.....

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Cutting negatives.....

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