When you’re choosing the right pair of scissors, start by thinking about what materials you typically cut. Choose a pair of scissors with blades that can handle how you use them and make sure the handles fit comfortably in your hand. In most cases, standard scissors can handle tasks like cutting paper or craft supplies. If you work with other materials like fabric, fabric shears are a better option.

Scissors are hand-held, manual tools with two crossing blades that are used for intricate cuts on most materials. Paper trimmers are mechanical devices that use a sliding blade along a fixed guide or base. Paper trimmers can deliver straight and clean edges on sheets of paper, photos, card stock and other printed materials. Paper trimmers are meant to be used on a desk or table for stability.

A paper cutter uses a heavy, chopping blade that’s attached to a lever to slice through stacks of paper all at once. Paper cutters are used by people who handle large amounts of paper and documents at once. A paper trimmer uses a small, round blade that slides along a rail. It’s designed to cut one or two sheets at a time with more precision than a paper cutter.

Bent scissors, also known as offset scissors, are designed with handles that sit at an angle above the blades. Their shape lets you cut materials completely flat on a table without lifting or wrinkling materials like paper, bandages or fabric. They are a great tool for things like sewing, medical work, first aid or working with arts and crafts materials.