Zhang Xiaoquan was born in Huichang Township, Yixian County, Anhui Province in the late Ming Dynasty. His father, Zhang Sijia, studied martial arts in Wuhu, which is famous for its "three swords" since childhood. Under his father's careful guidance and practice, Koizumi also developed a good skill in making scissors.

In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, disasters occurred frequently and wars broke out everywhere. The people of Yixian County are in dire straits and miserable. Father and son were engaged in making scissors. Xiaoquan deliberately sought out teachers and friends, and his skills improved greatly. After repeated consideration, a new technology of steel-embedded shears was finally created. He chose the famous "Longquan" steel as raw material and made scissors with even steel inlays, fine grinding, sharp edges, and free opening and closing, so they became famous for a while. Some professional craftsmen such as tailors, tinsmiths, gardeners, etc. come here to customize scissors.

Features of scissors

Traditional civilian scissors are Zhang Xiaoquan’s first product. Ten characteristics such as uniformity, clear steel, fine grinding, sharp edge, firm pin, smooth opening and closing, exquisite style, novel engraving, durability, high quality and low price dominate the scissors industry.

"As fast as the wind and smooth as oil, the steel is of distinct varieties and thick, tailoring the country into a beautiful scene, Hangzhou is more than just like Bingzhou." This is a hymn written by Tian Han, an outstanding Chinese playwright, when he visited Zhang Xiaoquan Scissor Factory in 1966.

Tracing the origins of scissors

·Development history

Historical review The production of Zhang Xiaoquan scissors has a history of more than 340 years and was famous in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Zhang Xiaoquan's father, Zhang Sijia, studied art in Wuhu, which is famous for its "three swords", and later opened Zhang Dalong's "Scissors Shop" on the edge of Yi County, with a front store and a home. Zhang Sijia is serious about his work. The scissors he polishes are tough and sharp and are highly praised by people.

When the Qing troops entered the customs, his father and son fled to Hangzhou. They opened the "Zhang Dalong" scissors workshop in Dajing Lane at the foot of Wushan Mountain and studied casting techniques carefully. The "steel inlay" (also called steel inlay) process was used in making the scissors. This changed from the conventional practice of using pig iron to forge scissors. Steel from Longquan and Yunhe in Zhejiang was used, as well as extremely fine clay, a specialty of Zhenjiang. Careful grinding makes the scissors shine, and business is particularly prosperous. After Zhang Xiaoquan inherited his father's business, due to his careful production and high quality, and because he was located in the Qinghefang area, which is the commercial center of Hangzhou, the business prospered and the market profit was tenfold.

In the second year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1663), Zhang Xiaoquan scissors was founded in Hangzhou and later became one of the famous "Five Hangzhou" products. To prevent others from selling scissors under Zhang Dalong's sign, he changed the sign to his own name, "Zhang Xiaoquan."

When it was passed to Zhang Zuying in the first year of Xuantong (1909), the scissor-making technology had been passed down to Hangzhou for eight generations. He sent the trademark "Haiyun Yuri" to the magistrate's Yamen and reported it to the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce for registration. The word "Quanjin" is also added to the trademark. In 1915, Zhang Xiaoquan's scissors won an award at the "World's Fair" in Panama. Since then, the scissors have been exported to Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. The store sells more than 10,000 scissors of various sizes every month on average. In 1917, Zhang Zuying changed the surface processing of the scissors to polished nickel plating, which made them even more popular among customers. At that time, the number of masters, apprentices, and clerks reached more than 80. In 1926, he won the silver medal at the Philadelphia World Expo.

Just as Zhang Xiaoquan's development was gaining momentum, the Japanese invaders invaded Hangzhou. Although Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors was far ahead in the scissors industry, it still suffered heavy losses and was on the verge of bankruptcy. After the founding of New China, Zhang Xiaoquan scissors maintained its traditional characteristics and further improved in terms of craftsmanship, output and quality. "Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors Factory" was established in 1957 and has now developed into the largest scissors manufacturer in China.

In 2000, Zhang Xiaoquan's enterprise was restructured as a whole and transformed into a limited liability company with diversified investment entities, which injected vitality into the development of "Zhang Xiaoquan". The enterprise successfully passed the restructuring and Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Group Co., Ltd. was established, taking a decisive step towards a modern enterprise system.

·Scissors Anecdote

It is said that when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty went to Hangzhou for the second time, he dressed up in disguise, mixed with pilgrims, and strolled up the mountain for a tour.

Just when the fun of traveling was in full swing, God was not kind to him. It started to rain suddenly, so he had to go down the mountain to find a house to take shelter from the rain. In a hurry, he walked into a workshop with a signboard that read "Ancestral Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors". Qianlong was curious, so he took a pair of scissors and took a look. He saw a cold light flashing and they were extremely sharp, so he bought one and took it back to the palace. He loved this pair of scissors as intrauterine scissors. From then on, Zhang Xiaoquan's scissors became famous, and there were as many as 86 scissors manufacturers using the "Zhang Xiaoquan" brand name. There was a grand scene of "green mountains reflect the blue lake, and small springs fill the streets."

Technical Characteristics

Although the Zhang family's industry has changed owners several times, Zhang Xiaoquan and his descendants left people with exquisite and unique scissor-making techniques. The 72 principles summarized at that time The process is the crystallization of the wisdom and hard work of generations of workers.

There are two exquisite and unique production techniques in Zhang Xiaoquan’s traditional scissors-making process that have been honed and passed down. One is the forging technique of inlaying steel. Making scissors has changed from the conventional method of using pig iron to forge scissors. High-quality steel from Longquan and Yunhe in Zhejiang is inlaid on wrought iron, and is carefully ground with extremely fine mud, a specialty of Zhenjiang. After thousands of hammerings, it is made into a scissor edge, and ground with Zhenjiang mud bricks; the second is the hand-carving on the surface of the scissors Using flower techniques, scissor-making craftsmen engraved patterns of West Lake landscapes, birds and animals on the surface of the scissors, which are lifelike, perfect and exquisite.

Zhang Xiaoquan, the founder of Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors, once set the family motto of "making fine steel with precision", which has been practiced by his descendants for more than 340 years and has become the core concept of Zhang Xiaoquan's corporate culture. Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors Factory's business purpose of "quality first, integrity first" and the spirit of "doing everything with heart" originated from this.

Zhang Xiaoquan scissors continues to innovate on the basis of inheriting traditional skills. It has become the enterprise with the largest output, the most complete varieties, the best quality and the widest sales in my country's scissors industry. The products include 100 varieties and more than 500 specifications, including industrial and agricultural scissors, clothing scissors, beauty salons, travel gifts, and knife series. The largest scissors are 1.1 meters long and weigh 28.25 kilograms; the smallest travel scissors are only 1 inch long, weigh 4 coins, and can be placed in a matchbox.

Inheritance significance

There is "Wang Mazi" in the north and "Zhang Xiaoquan" in the south. Zhang Xiaoquan's scissors are made of high-quality medium carbon steel with inlaid forged edges and are made through 72 processes. Its characteristics of "clear steel, fine grinding, sharp cutting, smooth opening and closing, novel style, and relaxed feel" have always been praised by people. Now, in addition to supplying the domestic market, Zhang Xiaoquan's scissors are also exported to more than 40 countries and regions around the world.

In the 1950s, the production of a pair of scissors was completed through 72 processes under the simple conditions of "a bellows, a hammer, a grindstone, a basin, a file and a stool" , and now, more than 90% of the production processes of Zhang Xiaoquan's scissors have been mechanized and automated, with a minimum of only 9 production processes. With the large-scale application of stamping and injection molding processes, traditional processes have gradually been abandoned. Even the few traditional processes that are still in use have only regressed, not progressed. Many shearing workers are old and unable to operate by themselves. As a result, the inheritance of this ancient handicraft has been interrupted. Nowadays, there are no scissors masters who can complete all the processes from beginning to end. Zhang Xiaoquan's scissor forging technology is in urgent need of rescue and restoration.

The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, Zhang Xiaoquan's scissor forging skills were approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. On June 5, 2007, the Ministry of Culture determined that Shi Jinshui and Xu Zuxing from Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province were the representative inheritors of cultural heritage projects, and were included in the first batch of 226 representative national-level intangible cultural heritage projects. List of inheritors.

Zhang Xiaoquan’s brand dispute

·One brand, two places

Hangzhou

Selected records from Hangzhou Municipal Archives and Zhejiang cultural and historical materials : In 1628, Zhang Xiaoquan brought his son Jingao to Hangzhou and opened "Zhang Dalong" scissor shop. In 1663, it was renamed "Zhang Xiaoquan" knife and scissors shop. After Koizumi's death, his son Kondaka inherited his father's business. In 1910, Zhang Zuying inherited the business.

In 1949, Zhang Zuying announced the suspension of production due to losses, and sold all the stores and brands of "Zhang Xiaoquan Recent Records" to Xu Zigeng. In 1953, the People's Government merged dozens of scissor workshops in Hangzhou into five "Zhang Xiaoquan" scissor-making cooperatives. In 1958, it was merged into Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Scissors Factory. In August 1964, Hangzhou "Zhang Xiaoquan" obtained the registered trademark "Zhang Xiaoquan Brand".

Shanghai

Data from the Shanghai Archives records: In 1950, dozens of Zhang Xiaoquan scissor shops in Shanghai signed a joint recognizance letter with the same brand name and the same bookkeeper. The main content is: "Zhang Xiaoquan's trademark has been used for a long time and is difficult to change. It is used uniformly and marked for identification. There will never be any dispute." In 1956, the public-private partnership merged with "Zhang Xiaoquan Xieji" and "Zhang Xiaoquan Hongji". Became Shanghai's "Zhang Xiaoquan". In 1956, Shanghai "Zhang Xiaoquan" began to use Zhang Xiaoquan's corporate name (i.e. trade name). In 1987, it obtained the "Quan Zi Pai" trademark. In October 1993, it was awarded the "Chinese Time-honored Brand" by the Ministry of Domestic Trade.

·Brand Litigation

In the mid-to-late 1990s, Zhang Xiaoquan in Hangzhou and Shanghai launched a long-term lawsuit over brand issues. It can be said that it was protracted and everyone expressed their opinions.

Hangzhou

In 1997, the "Zhang Xiaoquan" trademark of Hangzhou "Zhang Xiaoquan" was recognized as a well-known trademark by the State Trademark Office. In this regard, Hangzhou "Zhang Xiaoquan" believes that Shanghai "Zhang Xiaoquan" obtained the "Zhang Xiaoquan" trade name at the beginning of its establishment, which is understandable due to historical reasons. However, after "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Hangzhou obtained a registered trademark, especially after obtaining a well-known trademark, "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Shanghai still used the "Zhang Xiaoquan" trade name, causing consumers to mistakenly believe that there is a certain relationship between "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Shanghai and "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Hangzhou. Therefore, it is believed that the behavior of Shanghai "Zhang Xiaoquan" infringed the trademark exclusive rights of Hangzhou "Zhang Xiaoquan" and constituted unfair competition.

In March 1999, Hangzhou "Zhang Xiaoquan" filed a lawsuit with the Shanghai Second Intermediate People's Court, demanding that Shanghai "Zhang Xiaoquan" stop using the words "Zhang Xiaoquan" in its company name and product logos, and requested Compensation was more than 2.7 million yuan.

Shanghai

Shanghai "Zhang Xiaoquan" believes that the name "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Shanghai has been used for decades as early as 1956, and the registered trademark "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Hangzhou The acquisition was later than the use of the Shanghai "Zhang Xiaoquan" corporate name. Therefore, there is no infringement of trademark exclusive rights or unfair competition. In addition, according to the historical records of the existence and use of the word "Zhang Xiaoquan", it does not belong to a certain company, and its high popularity is not due to the well-known trademark obtained by Hangzhou "Zhang Xiaoquan". It is the result of many manufacturers or manufacturers using "Zhang Xiaoquan" Merchants collaborate to create results.

·Court Ruling

After hearing, the court held that the registered trademark right of "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Hangzhou should be protected by law, but taking into account the registered trademark rights of "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Hangzhou and Shanghai The specific historical background of the enterprise name "Zhang Xiaoquan" and based on the principles of fairness and good faith, the non-identification of Shanghai "Zhang Xiaoquan" constitutes trademark infringement and unfair competition of Hangzhou "Zhang Xiaoquan".

Hangzhou “Zhang Xiaoquan” was dissatisfied with the first-instance verdict and appealed. Later, the Shanghai Higher People’s Court rejected the Hangzhou “Zhang Xiaoquan” appeal and upheld the original verdict.

·Lawyer’s statement

According to relevant sources of “Zhang Xiaoquan” in Shanghai, there are currently about 10 “Zhang Xiaoquan” stores across the country. In addition to the two “Zhang Xiaoquan” stores in Hangzhou, There are three "Zhang Xiaoquan" companies in Shanghai. In addition, there are also "Zhang Xiaoquan" companies in Wuhan, Nanjing and other places. "Zhang Xiaoquan" has become synonymous with the knife and scissors industry in Jiangnan area.

As for the basis for the judgment in this case, lawyer Xu Shenmin from Watson & Band Law Firm believes that there are two legal issues in the "Zhang Xiaoquan" dispute, namely the conflict between trademark and name, history and law, but the law stipulates The principle of "prior rights" means that if a company name has been used for more than 5 years without malicious intent, it should obtain legal protection based on the principle of "prior rights".

The corporate name of "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Shanghai predates the use of the registered trademark "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Hangzhou. According to the principle of "prior rights", the petition of "Zhang Xiaoquan" in Hangzhou cannot be established.