pinking shears

[miss e]

Just got a sewing machine and getting my supplies together. Hubster got me some nice gingher shears (40% off!!). After doing tons of reading, apparently I need pinking shears too. I have a 50% off coupon. Should I get cheapy Fishkars or another pair of ginghers?
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[Morgan]

Oooh, I'm interested in this question. Are pinking shears really necessary? Because I've been sewing for years (mostly quilts, not so many clothes), and have never used pinking shears. Do I really need a pair? Really? When would it be essential that I use them?

What's the price difference between the two brands, miss e?
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[town hall]

I've got Fiskars and, well, they work. I don't have Ginghers to compare them to, though.
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[miss e]

Great question Morgan! Do I really need them??

I don't have a serger and they are supposed to cut down on fraying on garment seams.

Ginghers are $45 and Fiskars are $22 but I have a 50% off coupon.
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[caropop]

You do not NEED them, though they can be nice to have.

I sew on an OLD machine that only does a straight stitch unless I pull out the wacky zig-zag attachment. That is a pain and doesn't look that neat so I finish seams in most of my garment by running a second line of stitching 1/4" out from the first and then trimming the excess with my pinking shears. It works very well to make a neat finish. However, I do have some dresses that I sewed years ago, before I started doing the extra finishing steps, that have no finishing and nothing but the single stitching seam and they have held up fine. It totally depends on your fabrics though as to how much something might fray.

You don't need a serger to do an overcast edge. You can probably do that on your machine--you can even use a plain old zig-zag stitch. The benefit of a serger is that it will trim the seam the seam as you run the fabric through the machine so it cuts down on the number of steps you have to go through if you want a narrower finished seam.

My mom has sewn for 40 years and I don't think she's ever owned a pair of pinking shears. She did start sewing in the 70s though when it was all polyester and fraying edges was NOT a concern. And now she has a serger.

You absolutely do not NEED a pair of pinking shears. That being said, if you want a pair, you can probably get buy with a cheaper pair. I have multiple Gingher shears, but $20 pinkers. The only reason you would want to spend that much for a pair of pinking shears is if you sew with a lot of finer fabrics.
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[Aryn]

Another thing to consider is that while the scissors can be sharpened, pinking shears cannot, so you probably don't want to make a huge investment in them. (Same as serrated kitchen knives.)
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[caropop]

[Aryn]

ah! I guess I was misinformed then.
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[IrmaVep]

I have a pair that I was given long long ago when I was about 12. I don't think I've used them in the last 25 years...

Before I got my overlocker I used to use a triple zigzag, which I found sat flatter than using a plain zigzag. You have plenty of options for finishing without pinking shears... you've got French seams, lapped seams, Hong Kong or bound finishing, turning under and stitching the seam allowance (which is how I was taught in 3rd Form Home Ec), etc etc and if the seam is cut on a bias, it is very unlikely to fray anyway.

They can be fun for applique and that sort of thing though!

[miss e]

Thanks for all the advice! I was super clueless. I'll get the fiskars.
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