In 1847, thirty-year-old cutler and gunsmith Jacob Wiss immigrated to the United States from Switzerland. He opened a small shop in Newark, New Jersey, forging surgical instruments and shears. His firm prospered, and during the American Civil War, Wiss made scissors for Union Army medical units and shears to cut uniforms.
The company continued to grow, expanding its product offering to include several lines of shears and scissors, trimmers, pruning shears, and tin snips. Wiss replaced any broken product, regardless of the reason for damage, and a loyal customer following developed. By 1914, Wiss had become the world's largest producer of shears and scissors, with a production of more than two million pairs per year.
During World War II, products were converted to military applications: nail scissors proved ideal for the manufacture of precision radar and radio systems, metal snips were used building aircraft, and surgical scissors went to hospitals on every front. As sales reverted to civilian markets after the war, Wiss compound action “aviation snips,” a key tool for cutting aircraft sheet metal during the war years, became a best seller. The brand has remained the undisputed market leader in aviation snips for over 60 years, driven by two simple principles: performance and durability.
Today, as Crescent Wiss®, the brand is a market leader for cutting products from Apex Tool Group, one of the largest hand tool manufacturers in the world. The extensive Crescent Wiss line of products includes scissors, snips, and specialty trade tools. Crescent Wiss cutting products are among the more than 2,600 quality hand tool products offered under the Crescent name – products professional tradespeople know they can count on to get the job done right.