Has there recently been a trending popularity with scissors as weapons over swords?
Not necessarily a trend, perhaps, but it's worth noting that there's more than enough anime with swords (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/KatanasAreJustBetter), even guns, that when a unique, less-frequent choice of weaponry comes around, it may catch the attention of a frequent anime viewer.

Example: Would Bakemonogatari episode 1 would have been more interesting if Senjougahara used a sword instead of a stapler? Probably not, unless you had some philia regarding swords.