Handmade Scissors of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

The city of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh is widely known for its craft of handmade scissors. It is believed to be one of the oldest living craft of this region. Although the exact period of its origin is hard to pinpoint, it is said that this skill goes back almost 350 years. The area in which the crafts is practiced is locally known as Kainchi Bazaar. Around 70,000 craftsmen work in proximity in close to 600 units in this bazaar.

The process of crafting a single pair of scissors passes through 22 pairs of hands and each person contributes in different ways such as cutting sharpening, welding, polishing etc.