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Ever noticed that odd little notched or jagged section in the middle of some scissors and wondered what it's actually for?
It turns out that tiny detail is way more useful than it looks.
A Reddit post went viral after a user shared a photo of that very section on kitchen scissors and asked what it does.
The thread quickly filled with replies because many people had only just realised that part actually has a purpose!
That middle section on many kitchen scissors is often a serrated grip area
Rather than being decorative, it's built in to give scissors extra functionality beyond cutting.
In many kitchen shears, this small detail helps you handle tasks that would otherwise need another tool.
Depending on the design, that section can come in handy in a few practical ways:
1. Cracking nuts or shells
The notched grip can act like a light cracker for nuts or even seafood shells like crab claws.
It helps apply extra pressure that otherwise require another tool.
2. Helping with opening bottle caps or tight jars
Some designs use that middle section as a lever to help loosen stubborn caps. Think of it as a built-in grip assist when things are too tight to twist by hand.
"맥가위버 Swiss Army Scissors"
— 그거아저씨 (@the_thingyguy) April 28, 2026
고유명사. 가위 손잡이 안쪽에 있는 톱니 부분. 제조사에 따라 넛크래커, 보틀오프너, 리드오프너 등 내키는 대로 사용하고 있다. 심지어 뚜껑 따는 방법도 마음대로인지라, 원래 사용법과 목적이 소실된 것으로 추정한다. pic.twitter.com/v2mnxGaktP
3. Holding food steady while cutting
It can also help grip slippery items like chicken skin, vegetables, or small cuts of meat, giving you more stability during prep.
4. Stripping herbs
Woody herbs like rosemary or thyme can be pulled through the serrated edge to remove leaves more quickly, a trick even highlighted by food sites like Taste.
So the next time you pick up a pair of scissors, that "random" metal bit isn't so random after all. It actually has a purpose!
