Yesterday I took a big juicy slice out of the index finger of my left hand when the draw gauge fell off the shelf, and I stupidly tried to catch it. I couldn't be bothered with sitting in A&E with a load of tramps and children with saucepan helmets, so taped it up and had a nip of brandy to steady my nerves.

Today is safety scissors Friday, thankfully I have a vast selection to choose from, being a bit of a scissor obsessive. Balance and sharpness are key, an elegant silhouette helps keep them on my radar, but above all, they have to be made in England.

From the top:

Absolute favourites, a pair I managed to relieve my father of, they are surprisingly heavy for the size, and despite being used almost everyday for cutting paper and fabric, they remain brilliantly sharp when by rights with the stick I give them they should have needed sharpening long ago.

Thread snips by William Whitely, Sheffield. ridiculously powerful little blades that snip through stuff pliers and wire cutters struggle with. spring loaded with one serrated blade. They look beautiful and feel perfect, but the black satin Xylan coating means they soon disappear in amongst the cuttings.

Stubby scissors of unknown origin for awkward areas. One day I opened a draw in the workshop, and there they sat, glinting slightly and looking all useful. I hung them on the pegboard with the other tools, and I've been using them ever since.

Tailor's shears. Standard.

NEVER TRY AND CATCH A FALLING KNIFE