Carolyn’s Corner

Seam Rippers 101

Hello fellow sewists! This is Carolyn and I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and my monthly segment – Carolyn’s Corner.
I’m one of four here at Mo Sew who represent the fourth generation of owners. I have not always worked for the family business, but I believe my 10+ years of retail market research has taught me a lot about how many large retailers do business. My hope is to take some of that knowledge and apply it to our small corner of the world.

I am also a wife and mother of three “perfect” children. Will and I have been married 6 years and we’ve been busy during that time – our kids are 5, 3, and 1. Although my work experience has given me a lot of technical skill, my family has given me a lot of practical skills. You know, cleaning, time management, and I can give a mean “mom look.”

Enough about me, more about sewing. I sew because I’m excited at the opportunity to make something unique that doesn’t exist in the world today, and the look on a loved one’s face when they receive something made with love…and maybe some blood, sweat, and tears, right? Because part of sewing, let’s face it, is fixing mistakes. I know, in the eyes of those who don’t sew, we are perfect. But for those who sew, there is re-ironing, re-cutting, and seam-ripping during some of our projects. Since it’s important to have the right tool for any job, I’m here today to tell you how to select the right seam ripper for those occasional moments you need to “unsew” your stitches.

There are three attributes in a seam ripper that are important – How well does it cut? How nice is the handle? Does it help me remove the thread hairs left after ripping?

First, how well does it cut? The top ripper in that category is the Havel’s Ultimate Seam Ripper. It is strong, sharp, and can easily be used for button holes in addition to seam ripping heavy threads. Havel’s even comes with 4 replacement blades.

Havel’s Ultimate Seam Ripper – $10.95

Second, how nice is the handle? There are three brands that stick out in this category – Unique Bargains Seam Cutter, Clover White Seam Ripper, and Seam-Fix Fashion Ripper. Both handles are long and ergonomically comfortable.

Unique Bargains – $2.10​​

Clover White – $4.50​

Seam-Fix Fashion Ripper – $7.99

Finally, how about removing those thread hairs that remain after you’ve ripped your seam? The best in this category is the Seam-Fix Fashion Ripper – both the small and large. Both have a rubber tip on the end that can be used as an eraser to erase your thread hairs…fantastic!

Small Seam-Fix – $2.50

So which one is best? I recommend getting more than one – The Havel’s Ultimate Seam Ripper and a small Fashion Seam-Fix. The Havel’s gives you the super sharp blade and long handle, and the small Seam-Fix is a good option to take for classes – small, quick thread erasing, and at the price, you can stock up on more than one. And with the right tools, you can seam rip without the added stress.

Happy sewing (and hopefully more enjoyable un-sewing)!
Carolyn