To create a silhouette, scissors are traditionally used.
My scissors: As the great-granddaughter of the famous scissor cutter Christian Schwizgebel, I have been given his scissors. He made and adapted some of them himself. It is a great honour to carry on his legacy and I was allowed to learn the craft with his scissors.
To make precise and beautiful work, Klötzli (a Swiss cutler stationed in Bern) made a special pair of scissors with the famous scissor cutter Ueli Hofer. These have the so-called Hofer grind on the front of the tip.
If you want to save your wrist a little, you can also buy curved scissors.
Not only the scissor cutter Ueli Hofer has designed his own scissors, the scissor cutter Esther Gerber has also had her own made. These are very fine and very small. From my experience, they are not to be recommended.
Ernst Oppliger shortens surgeon's scissors and makes them into scissor-cutting scissors. These are the most expensive at CHF 115.00. I also find these too fine despite having small hands.
However, many artists today use a so-called graphic knife. It is easier to cut straight lines with these. For windows or chalets, for example.
But to really be considered a master of paper cutting, you have to learn the craft of scissors. You can only do that by practising for hours and cutting different shapes. Of course, this requires a lot of perseverance and, above all, patience.