Scissors are probably some of the first tools a person learns to use. Children can amuse themselves for hours cutting shapes out of construction paper. It's a safe bet that most people use scissors for something several times a week, if not every day.
Most children start with safety scissors. These have blunt ends and blades encased in plastic so the child cannot injure himself. The modern ones are a great improvement over the all metal school scissors that were once popular. The new ones are almost as good as "grown-up" ones in their cutting capability.
Larger scissors with sharper points are the standard office and home scissors. Most people use them for tasks such as clipping coupons from the newspaper, as well as other general uses around the home. They may be plastic with steel blades or all metal.
Fabric scissors have longer blades as well, but also feature ergonomic plastic handles that are more comfortable. They are extremely sharp and should not be used for anything but cutting cloth, since cutting paper will quickly dull the blades. Most fabric stores, however, will either sharpen scissors at their store or have someone come in to do the job.
Pinking shears have zig-zag blade edges that "pink" or cut paper or cloth with the same zig-zag. The purpose may be decorative or to help keep fabric from raveling.
Bandage scissors have longer handles and short blades, with one blunt end and a pointed tab on the other end. This allows a nurse to slip the blade under a bandage without the risk of slicing the patient's skin.
Other varieties have fancy die-cut edges to cut decorative designs in paper for scrapbooks or other paper crafts. In short, there are as many different types as there are jobs for them to do.
Scissors date from before the first century A.D. They can be seen in various forms in Egyptian art and have been the tools for tailors and barbers for at least 2,000 years. In Greek mythology, when Atropos of the Three Fates cut the thread of a life, she did it with "shears" or scissors. These tools are available at almost any store that sells school or office supplies, fabric stores, online, and even hardware stores.
