These shears solve many of today's packaging headaches, help gardeners and crafters, and may stray from the kitchen. I've ended up with three pair. Ditto to all the positive remarks from other reviewers regarding kitchen use, especially that the shears are comfortable for left-handers and for those with arthritis.The benefits of these shears make them useful for many things. The benefits include: being able to take the blades apart for thorough cleaning and sharpening; short blades that give more cutting force with less hand strength, the blades' close and reliable fit, and large finger holes, so you can use the shears with gloves on.On top of my list is their ability to get packages open, especially blister packs. If you can get a blade point in, you can cut through the top layer, if not, cut around the product through both layers. The plastic and cardboard are no match for these shears. Those plastic tabs and twisted wires that imprison children's toys? Easily snipped. How about the messy task of opening the individually packaged salmon fillet? All manner of other packages, in the kitchen and out, seem to assume you have strong, clean, sharp scissors at hand. I used to use a box-cutter for many opening tasks, but hurt myself far too often. Now I use these scissors. They work and are safer.I have a kitchen garden and am frequently running out to snip herbs for cooking. For a while I tried to keep a pair of clippers nearby, but finally realized that these kitchen shears, hanging right there on the hook, did the job just fine, plus cut a handful of chives and trimmed the thyme effectively, which the clippers didn't. I start seedlings early in little peat pots that work well, but don't really transplant into the garden as effectively as advertised, so I use these scissors to cut the pots off at transplant time without injuring the little plants.In the garden itself, I use these scissors to cut twine, open seed packets and the like, plus they can twist off the hose couplings, open liquid gardening product containers, cut small stakes to the right height, extract new items from packaging, even snip chicken wire and all while I'm wearing gloves. And if that isn't enough, they don't rust if left out in the rain.When doing craft projects, these scissors cut leather, as well as other awkward and difficult items much easier than standard scissors. They stand up to a lot of heavy use and have definitely made my life easier. If the blades get dull or nicked, I run them over my diamond steel a few times and all is well again.I wish I had bought these sooner. I have had cheap kitchen shears that came with a knife set when I was young and broke. As the knives have worn out, I have replaced them with quality knives...but I never replaced the plastic handled kitchen shears. Just to have a "nice, complete set" and to get that ugly plastic thing out of my drawer, I ordered this set of shears. It is amazing. I didn't realize how easy I could cut items with "minimal" effort on my part. I am used to putting a lot of hand squeezing into the other shears to get them to cut cardboard, etc...but these cut tough things like they were butter. My hands are very weak, so they are especially helpful to me. If you have arthritis or weak hands, consider getting some quality shears like these. They do most of the work for you. I also used to put my other shears in the dishwasher, with the blades open, to try and get them clean...but with the pull apart design, I know that there will be no chicken germs hiding in a crack. The taking apart and putting back together of the shears is very simple. I would have expected to pay $50-$60 for these, so they are really worth the price they are sold for in my opinion. It's possible there are better ones out there, but I do know that these are good, they do what you need, and they won't make you go broke.Update (January 2012)My shears are stiff and not working well. There is a place on the blade that is wrong and the cut is hanging up on it. We are doing a major home remodel and there has been a lot of "construction work" (i.e. cutting wires, etc) and so I think it is a result of misuse, but no one is fessing up to using them on metal. Oh well, at the price they are, I'm buying a second pair and will put these in the tool chest. They work, but I have to push too hard to make them complete the cut...but it is not a fault of the scissors, but because they've been damaged.I was looking for a few things in a shear: they come apart, a bone notch, high quality steel, and for a reasonable price. I do not consider $100 a reasonable price which many of the other nice shear are in the $100 price range.Contrary to what other users said in the amazon Q&A the shears I received do not have a bone notch. I believe this model of shear had a bone notch in the design at one time but I am assuming Wusthof changed the design to no longer have the bone notch. Note that the side with the black dot at the hing is the side of the shears that would have the notch. Which in the photo amazon is currently using, it correctly shows that there is no notch. I am considering trying to find seller with some old stock that still has the bone notice in it.So they do come a part. I have never used a pair of shears that come apart so I can not comment if it is better or worse that other shear. They do come a part if I fully open my hand. These seems to be the case with all come apart shears. So it is a trade. If you want the easy clean you have to be more care with your using the shear so they don't come apart while you are using them. I am still undecided about which style I like better.I am hoping they are made of high quality steel because of Wusthof brand name but the box did say made in China. The no name brand of shears I am replacing are rusting, which is ridiculous. Properly made stainless steel should never rust under normal kitchen conditions.Apart from the obvious, I am pretty old and arthritic and my previous pair of scissors I had which you could take apart were bought in Singapore 40 years ago - They were Japanese, never needed sharpening and were brilliant to use as bottle openers. Three days ago I couldn't find them - I think they must have been thrown out by mistake. I spent nearly all day looking for them - even in my bedroom though what I might have taken them upstairs for I can't imagine! I rushed to Google, found these wonderful scissors that you could take apart. They arrived the next afternoon, splendidly packaged and work like a dream. I shall mourn my previous ones but am delighted with the replacement.Rust spot discoloration after a few weeks, though they did not get any worse over the months. Nothing special about these scissors, almost like copies . And they fall apart too easily. You don't always get what you pay for.I have the set of knives in this range which are great. The scissors complete the set. They are sturdy, well made and very easy to clean- just one twist and the blades come apart allowing a proper clean and dry.Good scissors, a bit of an extravagance for my budget for scissors but hopefully they’ll last.Gave three for value for money not cause they aren’t good, just cause for scissors their quite dear and only time will tell if they last to in turn make them good value.I was apprehensive given some of the reviews about the scissors coming apart while cutting. I think you must have monster hands for that to happen.I got these for everyday kitchen stuff and for cutting fins off whole fish. Nice and sharp.The blades come apart and rejoin easily - when I want - not by accident.Some scissors start to wobble and a gap forms between the blades. Not these.Recommended. Would buy again. Buy without worry.