Q:I bought a pair of antique scissors at an auction and hope you can tell me something about them. One side is marked "D. Peres" and "Germany" and the other with a picture of a barrel.

A:Peter Daniel Peres founded a cutlery business in Solingen, Germany, in 1792. The company, called "D. Peres," is still in business in Solingen, which for centuries has been a center for manufacturing swords, knives, razors and scissors. The barrel is the Peres logo. Today the company is owned by a Mexican firm, Tijeras Barrilito.