Scissors Forging Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
In 1651, the eighth year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing dynasty, a scissorsmith surnamed Wang from Shanxi ran a thriving scissors business in Beijing; because he had pockmarks on his face, people called him “Wang Mazi” (Pockmarked Wang), and the name “Wang Mazi Scissors” became famous from then on. Records of Wang Mazi scissors already appear in Dijing Suishi Jisheng (Records of Annual Festivities in the Imperial Capital) of 1758, the twenty-third year of the Qianlong reign, showing that this handicraft product had become a famous brand by that time. In 1816, the twenty-first year of the Jiaqing reign, the Jutai shop at 135 Xuanwai Street in Beijing hung out a sign reading “Three Generations of Wang Mazi.” Thereafter, knife-and-scissors workshops in Beijing trading under the Wang Mazi name continued to grow, reaching 70 by 1936 and 68 in 1956, with 400 people employed. In 1999, Beijing Lichang Wang Mazi Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. was formally established.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Wang Mazi scissors forging technique is distinctive, comprising 13 furnace-side process steps and 13 cold-working steps off the furnace; its compound forging is masterly, with many closely guarded tricks, among which the quenching technique with its blended “medicine” is unique in the knife-and-scissors trade. The finished products are imposing and dignified in form, plain and natural, with typically northern characteristics; their structure is unique, their cutting powerful, and one pair can serve many uses. The blades are wrought iron clad with steel — extraordinarily sharp, easy to use and durable, neither chipping nor curling, and easy to make and to repair. The Wang Mazi scissors forging technique is a representative of traditional forging craft and has high technical value.
Archival Record of Process Steps
The Wang Mazi scissors forging technique is distinctive, comprising 13 furnace-side process steps and 13 cold-working steps off the furnace; its compound forging is masterly, with many closely guarded tricks, among which the quenching technique with its blended “medicine” is unique in the knife-and-scissors trade.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Wang Mazi scissors are made with Beijing as the center; the forging technique comprises 13 furnace-side process steps and 13 cold-working steps off the furnace, with masterly compound forging and many closely guarded tricks, among which the quenching technique with its blended “medicine” is unique in the knife-and-scissors trade. The heavy form of Beijing-made scissors stands on its own against the lighter traditions of the Hangzhou and Suzhou schools of the south. Beijing Lichang Wang Mazi Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. is the project's protecting institution.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Zhangxiaoquanjiandao Forging Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The related products remain indispensable tools in production and daily life today, and can meet the needs of various specialized fields. Transmission of the Wang Mazi scissors forging technique is not confined to a single pattern: it can pass between master and apprentice, or among relatives and fellow townspeople — for example, Guo Hengyao established “Tianhexing” in Fenjiang Hutong and took his wife's younger brother Duan Chunsheng as his apprentice, a typical case of family transmission. At present the technical backbone engaged in Wang Mazi scissors forging are retiring one after another; transmission of the technique is weakening and a crisis is gradually emerging, so concrete measures must be taken to strengthen protection. Shi Xuping (record of the associated inheritor's official archive): Male, Han ethnicity, born January 1961; native of Pingdu, Shandong Province. Representative inheritor of the scissors forging technique (Wang Mazi scissors forging technique), a national-level intangible cultural heritage item of the third national-level batch. Scissors forging technician. He has practiced the craft for more than thirty years, mastering a whole series of traditional techniques including steel selection, heat treatment, forging, quenching, shank coiling and pivot fitting. The scissors he makes have thick, strong pivots, nimble tips, slots that are easy to grind, and long durability. He has led the establishment of a project exhibition room and a transmission workshop, actively collecting and organizing historical materials, visual materials, tools and physical objects related to the project. He has diligently taught the forging technique, taking on nearly ten apprentices.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Shi Jinshui 01-0157
- Xu Zuxing 01-0158
- Shi Xuping 03-1315
- Zhang Zhongyao 05-2747
- Chen Weiming
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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