Wiss manufactures a wide variety of hand powered cutting tools, including shears for the retail and industrial markets. Their plastic handled shears were uncom-fortable and awkward when used for light duty sewing tasks by home seamstresses.

Rather than producing an outdated form in a modern material, a new form was sought. Extensive prototyping and market research led to a form that would fit the hand like a glove. All five fingers can be employed for the more strenuous cutting stroke, while only a single finger and the thumb are required for the opening stroke. All four fingers are allowed to float into the most natural position for cutting, rather than cramming them into a single handle ring. To increase control during fine cutting operations, the thumb is aligned more closely with the blade axis.

Market research indicated that these shears were well received by the home seamstress. Several design and utility patents were obtained. The shears were featured in the book Product Design 3, (1998) and this design was selected for inclusion in the 1984 Annual Design Issue by ID magazine.