14 May 2010

I know that it has been a long time since my last blog but the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival took a lot of work and I am still trying to get things back to normal. Great show and a lot of fun. It was nice seeing some of you there.

So why shouldn't you use your favorite scissors to cut paper? Remember when you mother really got after you for using her "good" scissors?

Well, here's the answer and it comes from my optometrist. He warned me not to use bargain brand tissues to clean my glasses. I asked why. Here's the answer.

It would seem that the wood pulp process can be done so that no bark is involved in the paper making process - and that is good. In the less expensive papers (and tissues for cleaning your glasses) a lot of bark gets into the pulp.

Bark is bad for you glasses and scissors. The bark contains fine particles of dirt (grit) blown in by wind. These small particles act like sandpaper and sandpaper is not good for your glasses or your scissors. The grit puts very fine scratches in your plastic lenses and dulls the edges of your scissors.

It's not that your scissors won't dull over time, it is just that paper will hasten the dulling.