For blades that last decades, consider these impressive high-end scissors from Horl

The temptation to describe Horl’s scissors as ‘a cut above’ has the gravitational pull of a black hole, but let’s not succumb to easy cliché and instead consider why these German masters of the cutting arts are so successful.

Horl is a small company punching way above its weight. Based in Freiburg in the Black Forest, the company was founded in 2016 by Otmar Horl and his son Timo. Today, the company’s MD is the newly installed Heiko Stahl, a longstanding major player at Vitra, who works alongside Timo Horl.

The company ethos has always been to make utensils that last, alongside the tools and knowhow to ensure a high-quality product stays useful for as long as possible. Horl scissors are admittedly pricey, but it’s the attention to detail that makes it possible to keep them in fine fettle. Whether they’re for use in the kitchen, crafts, or fashion, Horl reckons these scissors can slice through over 100 different materials.

The key point of difference is the spring-loaded quick release that enables the two blades to be easily separated for individual sharpening. With this simple movement – open the scissors wide and add a little bit of extra pressure and they pop apart – the blades can be brought back to as-new condition via the use of Horl’s own suite of sharpeners, the entry-level 3 Cruise, the 3, and the 3 Pro.

The last includes a planetary gear set to speed up the grind, and costs £399, while the 3 Cruise has a recycled plastic case and fixed blades. The mid-range 3 is the sweet spot, with exchangeable sharpening discs and the choice of a walnut or oak finish. All come with a sharpening support with two angled ends for a choice of sharpness (the 3 Pro offers six grinding angles).

The rolling sharpening process is achieved by sandwiching the blade between the support and the sharpener and then grinding until you’ve achieved the edge you desire. The company also supplies whetstones and strops in addition to its sharpener tool. For the edge-obsessive, there’s even a Horl-branded magnifier for a close-up look at the cutting edge, providing visual confirmation of its sharpness. These are tools for the professional (and the obsessive), and the Horl website contains plenty of information about different techniques for sharpening and knife care.

We're invariably asked for best of the best selections in a particular category, from cars to smartphones. When it comes to purely analogue objects, you should be looking at a service life of decades, rather than years. The scissors themselves have a welcome weight and balance, along with a carefully shaped form that lets the individual blades sit at the right angle for sharpening.

While the price of entry is high, Horl’s penchant for quality and ease of maintenance make them an easy choice for lovers of quality but occasional consumption.

Horl.com, @Horl1993