Scissors, very elaborate exhibition piece, steel with gilt brass handle in form of a dagger, by John Moseley and Son, London, 1850-1900

Scissors, very elaborate exhibition piece, steel with gilt brass handle in form of a dagger, by J. Moseley and Son, London, 1850-190 Steel is an ideal material for objects required for cutting, such as scissors. The ability of steel to be heat treated to retain a sharp cutting edge, along with suitable alloying additions, makes it perfect for the job. Suitable alloying additions include tungsten, chromium and vanadium which form hard carbides which enable steel to retain its cutting edge.B20 Gilding is the technique of covering the surface of a cheaper material with a thin layer of gold. There are a number of different ways of gilding metallic and non-metallic objects.These include electrochemical and electroless processes, as well as firegilding.