Misen Kitchen Shears

Why this shape

Shears do the jobs a knife does badly. Cutting through a chicken back on a board wants downward force from two handles, not a rocking edge; snipping chives over a pot is faster than any board work; and opening a vacuum bag with a paring knife is how cooks cut themselves. Standard size is the one that handles poultry — the small pair is for herbs only, and buying the small one first is the common mistake.