[Blog Post] The use of scissors and penknife in the Voynich Manuscript

[-JKP-]

They used knifes for everything in the Middle Ages and every scribe had knives. They also used shears on a regular basis for sheep, beards, hair, sewing, embroidery, and possibly also for certain aspects of butchering (e.g., severing chicken legs). Their blade technology was good.

If they are sharp enough, scissors can also be used like a knife. They might not be super-good for cutting, but they are often used for scoring. I don't know if this relates to the VMS, but I thought I would mention it.

Examples of 9th century Viking scissors. Note the different kinds of tips:

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14th century scissors:

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Early 15th century tailor's scissors. Note the sharp tips:

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Note the sock hat and baggy elbow clothes:



Houghton Library, MS Typ 0045



Medieval tailor, Austria, 1479


Shears, 15th century France:

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From Wikipedia: Turkey, 2nd century (embellishments in the Egyptian style):