# How did people of the past cut their nails?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 16, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856 "2004-01-16T23:24:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/1 "2004-01-16T23:24:49Z")
Okay, so I’m sitting here cutting my fingernails and reading the SDMB, when an odd thought occurs to me: the clipper I’m using _feels_ pretty modern to me. How did people of ancient times do this grooming practice? I mean, it’s sort of more than just grooming; getting your nails too long might seriously hamper subtle hand movements and get painful for yourself and others? Did they just let it grow to the point where it breaks off? Did they just use regular-size scissors (ouch!)?
Mundane, yes, but inquiring minds etc. etc.
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### Author:  [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/2 "2004-01-16T23:36:17Z")
> [@Leaper](#):
>
> How did people of ancient times do this grooming practice?
Probably the same way that I tend do it even though I have the option of using nail clippers.
By biting them.
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### Author:  [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/3 "2004-01-16T23:39:09Z")
Slicing with a knife.
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/4 "2004-01-16T23:48:59Z")
Just a WAG. If you think about how people used to live, I bet most didn’t have to cut (or bite) their nails. They wore down or broke if too long. Maybe the upper class in later history needed to do this, but scissors, knives and other stuff must have served.
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### Author:  [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/5 "2004-01-16T23:50:43Z")
Clawing at any sturdy surface works also, like a cave wall, inside of a closet door, dungeon walls & floors…
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### Author:  [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/6 "2004-01-17T03:22:02Z")
Regular scissors work pretty good actually; you don’t get quite as fine a cut as with clippers, but they work much better than chewing - which it’s self works pretty good too. Your nails wouldn’t be featured on any magazine cover, but then again neither would anybody else’s way beck then. Other than that they wear off, break off, and it’s easy enough to file them even in the wilderness. Find a rock… that’s about it. If I have a ragged nail that chewing won’t fix and I’m file-less, I just pick up any old rock on the ground and scratch the jagged part a few times. Very few rocks/minerals are soft enough not to work.
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### Author:  [@suezeekay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suezeekay)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/7 "2004-01-17T07:05:34Z")
My dad used to cut his with his pocket knife. He was born and raised on a farm in Arkansas many moons ago. Now deceased.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2004, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-people-of-the-past-cut-their-nails/224856/8 "2004-01-17T14:42:25Z")
They probably used a nail file or emory board. They have been in use for hundreds, if not thousands of years.