Duckbill Napping Shears – Offset Handle

A wonderfully specialized pair of scissors from an esteemed Italian heritage maker, these offset duckbill napping shears are designed for close, controlled trimming while helping protect the fabric, backing, or stitches underneath.

Made in a region of Italy with a centuries-old tradition of bladesmithing, these shears are produced from nickel-coated carbon steel using a combination of precision manufacturing and skilled hand-finishing. Generations of experience go into creating blades with excellent cutting performance, durability, and the precise alignment required for detailed textile work.

The unusual shape is what makes them so useful. The broad, rounded “duckbill” blade rests against your work, helping separate and protect the material below while the narrower blade makes the cut. The offset handle keeps your hand above the work, allowing the blades to remain nearly parallel to the textile surface.

Originally developed for trimming and leveling the nap or pile of carpets and rugs, duckbill shears are useful for a surprising range of textile techniques.

Punch Needle, Rug Making & Tufting
Trim high loops, stray yarns, and uneven areas of pile after stitching. The offset design lets you work close to the surface, whether you're tidying individual loops or carefully shaping and leveling a larger area.

Appliqué & Layered Textiles
Slip the broad duckbill blade beneath the layer you want to trim. It helps lift and separate that fabric from the foundation underneath, making it easier to cut closely around stitching without accidentally snipping the base fabric.

Embroidery & Surface Stitching
The protective duckbill blade is useful when trimming excess fabric, fibers, or threads close to embroidered and stitched areas. The finely worked cutting blade also allows for precise trimming in places that can be difficult to reach with ordinary scissors.

Delicate & Lightweight Fabrics
The broad lower blade can support and separate lightweight or slippery fabric while you make a close, controlled trim. These aren't intended to replace dressmaking shears for cutting pattern pieces from silk or other fine fabrics—their particular advantage is when you need to trim one layer while protecting the layer beneath it.

Rugs, Carpets & Other Pile Fabrics
This is the traditional work of napping shears. Use them to trim individual tufts, loose fibers, or uneven pile so that it sits more evenly with the surrounding surface.

Why the offset handle?
Instead of angling ordinary scissors downward into your work, the raised handle keeps your fingers comfortably above the textile while the blades sit close to flat against its surface. This gives you considerably more control when making close, nearly flush cuts.

• Nickel-coated carbon steel
• Broad duckbill blade helps protect the fabric or surface beneath your cut
• Offset handle allows the blades to work nearly parallel to the surface
• Precision cutting edge for close, controlled trimming
• Useful for punch needle, rug making, tufting, appliqué, embroidery, and layered textile work
• Crafted and hand-finished by an Italian heritage scissor maker

Dimensions: 7" (17.8cm) LOA