Shears are one of those tools you never have a need for, until you start using them. Then you wonder how you ever did without them.

Kitchen shears have a myriad of uses, Cookie. From cutting kitchen twine to cutting certain cuts of meat. Next time you disjoint a chicken, for instance, use it to separate the pieces and to cut through the backbone.

My mom always cut up her chickens with kitchen shears as gardenlad recommends. If you keep them in a handy place you will use them for cutting open heavy duty bubble wrapped packages. Cutting open cat food bags, snipping herbs, trimming flower stems, I grab mine when I run out to the garden to cut a few flowers to bring inside. I go through at least one pair a year I use them so much.

I also use for cutting parsley, cilantro, etc.

I like to keep two pair handy. One for light duty, like parsley, etc. and a another, heavier set (usually called "poultry shears") for chicken, etc. In addition to heavier blades, the shears have stouter handles that make it easier to exert the pressure needed for heavier cuts.

I think I will be using them in the garden. I'm not the biggest chicken fan as it is so cutting one apart may be out of the question. Thanks. Plus, it'll be good to have ones specifically for herbs and vegetables.

I have 2 pairs of kitchen shears, and a heavy pair of poultry shears in my kitchen.

The scissors (one or the other pair, sometimes both) are almost always in the dishwasher every time it runs.

They're handy for: opening bags, chopping herbs (put the herbs in a cup, and just snip until they're fine enough), cutting pizza into slices, cutting flowers and herbs in the garden, cutting pepperoni into small pieces for recipes. I use them so often, I can't even think of all the different things I do with them. Very handy to have. Put them in a very convenient place, because I bet you'll be using them frequently.

Consider getting the kind that come apart as they are easier to clean thoroughly.