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What scissors do you use to cut negs? How do you cut more precisely?

analoguey said:
With enough pressure, you could cut negatives by hand as well - at least Thats how I removed them from the canister at times(pre-developing)
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Will work with triacetate-base, not with PET one
 
A pair of friskars scissors. If I don't have them any pair that's sharp enough will do. A neat trick is to fold up 2 or 4 layers of aluminum foil and cut that a few times. It really sharpens the scissors up quickly.
 
The ones I use are probably about 60 years old. They have a WD stamp on them, for the older Brits amongst us Longish blades for their size, and pointed. I don't use them for cutting paper. That is guaranteed to dull the edge. I am mostly cutting 120. The hardest ones are from the Zero image in 6x9 mode, where the frames actually touch.
 
I just tear them with my teeth. Works pretty well. Highly recommend it!
 
What do you guys do with the left over frames? I have multiple pages of Print Files of the "left over" frame
 
What are left over frames?

I got all frames, even from handrolled cassettes far extending 36 exposures, into my paper files.
 
Left over frames are left empty. I keep each roll separately.
 
FISKARS shears. Very, very sharp and accurate and cut right to the point. These have been my go-to tool for many years now. I also have a commercial multi-format negative cutter for when I want to get really crafty...

 
I use a pair of small scissors which came with my Phillips hair-trimmer machine, they cut very nicely.

The trick to avoid cutting off your favorite negative, is to carefully place your scissors between the negative frames -and then aim/look at the place on the opposite side of the strip that you want your cut to come out and then make the cut.

Before, I was looking at the point the scissors were cutting, which created slanted and uneven cuts, when I actually started focusing on the end point, my cuts were much better instantly.
 
Small pair of Fiskars with micro tip around $15 found in craft store with papercutting/scrabooking or sewing supplies. Its easy to mis cut and take a too much off a favorite negative, the smaller Fiskars help out alot with this.
 
I just got, from here or ebay, a Spiratone illuminated film cutter. Doesn't need a lightbox.
 
not sure how this will work but a post in an older thread... ohh you need to click the link

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
Luckily my F6 records data between the frames so I just cut there with scissors from Target.
 
With me, it's not the scissors, it's the eyes! I get good results with just about any scissors if I use a magnifier.
 
Hey, if we can be picky about clothes pins, we can be picky about scissors
 
If you adjust your preferences it's only 2 pages
 
Actually, this was a good question.
In my case, I don't have sufficient dexterity in one hand to permit holding 120 negs with one hand and operating scissors with the other. So the solutions mentioned in the thread that do not require scissors are very handy for anyone who might deal with a similar situation.
Before I found the solution I posted about I used a small (six inch square) guillotine paper cutter.
 
Matt, I've a similar cutter and find it is very useful. It makes it much easier to cut where I think I'm cutting, and not mess up the frames.
 
SMBooth said:
5 pages for a pair of scissor, glad you didn't ask which brand are best..
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OK then, nearly forgot, didn't we? Now that we know the best type of scissors to use, let's start on which brand is best ...
 
Well, obviously, if you are not using Kasho ceramic shears to cut your films, you're simply a hopeless dilettante, and no better than some bearded hipster ...
 
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