Analysis of Cutting Operation with Flower Scissors in Ikebana

The flower scissors to use for ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement have the shape that is more different than common scissors. The scissors handle is longer length than the blade of scissors. The tip of the handle of flower scissors is round like bracken. In this study, the cutting operation for six kinds of floral materials was measured. The participant had five people cooperate. The years of experience were until 25 through 50. The cutting operation was measured with using a high-speed camera. The distance and the speed of two blades of flower scissors were analyzed. The results were as follows. The cutting operation was divided into four phases. The participants of years of experience 50 years were stable in their wrist having scissors. Therefore, the floral materials were cut with an approximately fixed state. Moreover, when cutting the flower material, it became clear that once cutting the blade into the epidermis and then cutting it. Meanwhile, participants who had experienced 25 years or 36 years cut it while turning the wrist with scissors a little. The turn of the wrist occurred from 0.3 s ago or 0.2 s ago just before the cutting. Two blades of flower scissors have worked rapidly with the turn of the wrist. The cut floral materials often flew while turning. It is thought that such a motion gives an additional shear power and torsion to floral materials and then the motion may cause the cracking and the step in the cross-sectional area of the floral materials. It is cleared that the state of the cutting cross-sectional area varies according to how to use flower scissors.