Stats for scissors/shears?

[Donny Brook]

Like the title says, are there stats anywhere for scissors or shears, wielded both as a stabbing weapon and in their shearing function?

If not, any suggestions?

[Donny Brook]

Wait, I just remembered -- GURPS Horror p.51.

[jacobmuller]

The scissors as a knife are on page 50 in my copy of GURPS Horror. I wonder if it's been reprinted/ updated ��
And what size of scissors weigh in at half pound - edit: I have 3 pair of 8" scissors (4" blades) - they weigh from 2.5 to 4oz - those 8oz scissors, cast iron or BMFs?
Hedge clippers are on GH51.

[Donny Brook]

It occurs to me that one should be able to thrust with the blades open, doing the same damage twice but with a 0.5 armor divisor. This would match the RAW treatment of a trident compared to a spear.

[jacobmuller]

IMLE the GURPS interpretation of that technique would grant you at best +1 Dam but the reduction in your ability to stab, vs an assumed hammer fist grip, would mean loss of damage. I'd not be surprised to learn that someone on the GURPS team had been out punching holes in ply board with scissors held in various grips & those stats are the playable interpretation of: Grip? Meh, YMMV but any difference is below the granularity of the system.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

It occurs to me that one should be able to thrust with the blades open, doing the same damage twice but with a 0.5 armor divisor. This would match the RAW treatment of a trident compared to a spear.

If the blades were open I think they might tend to spread apart when they hit the target. That would tend to lessen the force of the blow. Also, if they did spread apart, you would have a cutting edge on each side, rather than an impaling point.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

It occurs to me that one should be able to thrust with the blades open, doing the same damage twice but with a 0.5 armor divisor. This would match the RAW treatment of a trident compared to a spear.

I think they'd be too close together to make them harder to avoid, and you're spreading the impact out, so I'd say that would basically just be AD (0.5) with no benefit - maybe you could justify +1 to damage, but note against DR 0 that's still no net gain (DR 0 becomes DR 1 if a fractional armor divisor is in play). And as Bill notes, it's going to be difficult to avoid them spreading open on impact, which would reduce damage and possibly change it to cutting. In general, using scissors as a dagger is probably your best bet - although open scissors may be a bit better at catching/binding a weapon and disarming the foe. Or you could open them fully and only hold one handle, letting the other handle+blade function as an improvised hilt to protect your hand (although most scissors are going to break Parrying much of anything).

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Or you could open them fully and only hold one handle, letting the other handle+blade function as an improvised hilt to protect your hand (although most scissors are going to break Parrying much of anything).

After ten minutes playing around with some scissors, that seems like the best option and it only feels remotely comfortable in an 'icepick' grip. The second handle can rest on your wrist, making the second blade into a (very bad) push dagger and possibly presenting a useful sharp edge if you are parrying punches with it.
Small scissors are probably best used to enhance punches by holding the grip in the palm of your hand and letting the blades protrude between two of your fingers. It seems somewhat better than the much-derided keys held between fingers, but still questionable compared to just having an empty hand, which can transition to grappling easier.
Big scissors with metal handles might even be better gripped by the blades and used as a club.

EDIT: there are also rules for cutting with scissors in Low-Tech (p. 29) and using them as a weapon in Martial Arts (p. 224)

[Plane]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

The scissors as a knife are on page 50 in my copy of GURPS Horror

But do we know how much damage HALF a pair of scissors would do?

[Willy]

Originally Posted by Plane

But do we know how much damage HALF a pair of scissors would do?

Not much depending on the type of scissor you may have a blunt tipped and poorly cutting blade with a handle who isn´t up to the task. Only few scissors can be considered having a as good edge as normal knives.