Stork scissors

Have you ever wondered why these embroidery scissors are shaped like storks? These scissors did not originate as scissors, but as umbilical clamps. From the 19th century to the present, these small scissors have undergone some changes. The beaks were heavy pincers not designed to cut, but to restrict blood flow before the navel was cut and were kept to be given later to children as a reminder of their birth. Some even had babies hidden inside the stork that would later appear when the clamps were opened. Midwives began using these scissors to work on sewing during the long waiting times for births.