Shoplet.com and Westcott Product Review

   I am a blogger and Mother who likes to find different ways to save her family money by using coupons, searching for the best deals and sales, and keeping her household bills and spending as organized as possible.  I also enjoy crafts, and other creative activities such as writing and DIY projects.  Therefore I spend a lot of time online, taking notes, cutting out coupons, articles, and patterns or designs, creating files to help keep things organized, and so much more.  In order to keep all of this organized, I have set up a small office with a desk and all necessary supplies such as pens, notebooks, scissors, glue, binders, folders and more.  It is amazing how much I use these items and there is so much more I need as well!  Luckily, I have found the perfect discount e-commerce office supply site, Shoplet.com!   They have over 135 warehouses nationwide filled with a huge variety of office supplies for your home, office or business, all of which you can get at great discounted prices delivered right to your home or office! 
  I recently had the opportunity to review three products from Shoplet.com that were made by Westcott;   their Titanium Bonded 8” Non-Stick Straight Scissors, a pair of their Kid’s Scissors with Microban Protection, and the very unique and handy Westcott Scissor Mouse.

Westcott Titanium Bonded 8” Non-Stick Straight Scissors $13.14 (set of 2)
What They Say:  the latest technology from Westcott combines titanium with a unique non-stick coating that is permanently bonded to the blades making them five times stronger than stainless steel, and giving improved cutting performance.  The blades stay sharper longer, and are resistant to adhesives such as tape, Velcro and glue.  Can be used in the right or left hand. These scissors are 8” long with a cut length of 3 1/4”, and have a pointed tip.
What I Say:  I like these a lot better than the majority of scissors I have.  The handles are much more comfortable, as the holes for your fingers and thumbs are larger than what I am used to so my fingers are not cramped together.  They are the perfect weight, and it really helps when doing crafts that the blades are resistant to adhesives like tape and glue!  The blades are very sharp and cut easily through a wide range of mediums such as construction paper, newspaper, felt, poster board and more!  I have noticed that they are a bit ‘stiff’ when opening and closing the blades to cut, but I believe this will ease with use.




Westcott Kids Scissors with Microban Protection $2.06
What They Say:  these children’s scissors have stainless steel safety blades perfect for cutting projects in the home and at school.  The handles are treated with Microban antimicrobial product protection to inhibit the growth of odors.  These scissors are 5” long with a cut length of 2”, and have a blunt tip.
What I Say (based on my observations and my son’s):  my son used these quite a few times and was happy with the way they fit his hand, as well as the ease of use.  He did mention that they were a bit ‘stiff’ when cutting, but again I believe this will ease with time.  When asked, he said his fingers had plenty of room, and the blades easily cut through different types of paper, string, yarn and more. 
 

  As an early childhood educator, I found that these scissors were much more comfortable, and cut much better than many other brands I have used.  The shape of the handles are a lot better for a child’s hand than the scissors with two round-shaped holes for both the fingers and thumbs, and the length of both the blades and the cut are perfect for a small child with developing hand muscles and coordination. They are light enough for a child to use with ease, but not so light that they don’t cut well.   These scissors seem to be very well made, and sturdy enough to where the handles can withstand a lot of use and abuse without cracking as I have seen other kid’s scissors do.  Of course, the blunt tips are a great safety precaution for children as well!  The fact that the handles are infused with Microban, in order to keep microbial agents from developing is a great bonus, as is the fact they come in a selection of bright cheerful colors!
Westcott Scissor Mouse $10.75
What They Say:  this innovative device acts like rolling scissors and cuts with a smooth paper slicing action in straight lines or long waves.  It’s ergonomic design won’t harm surfaces.  Great for cutting wrapping paper, coupons, paper and craft projects.  The blade is not exposed, making it safe for use by adults and children on any flat surface.
What I Say:  I am kind of up-in-the air about the Scissor Mouse.  The concept is perfect, but it does not seem to work as well as intended.  I tried using it with a variety of papers including wrapping paper, notebook paper, printer paper, craft paper and newspaper coupons, and had a mixture of results.  Before you cut you have to make sure the edge of the paper is sliding under the red tab on the bottom of the mouse, then you gently push down and move the mouse forward.    On almost every type of paper I had to try two or three times to make it start cutting as it would bunch the paper up when I pushed down and moved it forward instead of cutting.   The absolute worst were the coupons from the newspaper as the paper continuously bunched up, and once I finally got it to cut, I had to stop at the end of the first dotted line, re-set the mouse to the edge of the paper on the other side in order to change direction and cut the coupon completely out.  Also, since coupon paper is so thin, in order to get it to somewhat cut I had to hold the paper firmly up at the top with one hand while trying to do the same with my elbow for the bottom of the paper so that the paper wouldn’t bunch up.  Then I had to use my other hand to try to guide the scissors mouse to cut.  It really wasn’t worth the effort, and it wound up taking a lot more time than regular scissors would have.  However,  I did find that it worked quite well with thicker paper such as the wrapping paper, notebook paper, craft paper and printer paper.  When the paper would actually slide perfectly under the red tab without bunching up, I found the Scissor Mouse extremely comfortable, quick and easy to use! It cuts as smooth as silk, and you could either go in a straight line or in waves.  I especially like how it has a ‘ruler’ on the end to help you line up your cut perfectly!  The shape is very comfortable to your hand, it is very lightweight, and it is nice to not have to keep opening and closing your hand to cut as you do with scissors. 




My Verdict
   All in all I was very pleased with these Westcott products.  I found them all to be very well made, durable and comfortable to use.  All three are well worth their low price on Shoplet.com!  Perfect for the home, school or work, all of these products, and many, many more can be found on Shoplet.com.