Review on Sullivans Tailor Scissors 8 Inch Gold by Kate Moon

I just received these scissors and if you can believe it I can't open them. I believe the round pieces on either side of the scissors are where you set the tension. I can't move them at all and have tried squeezing them, twisting them with my fingers, pliers and a variety of plier-like tools to help me and the scissors get stuck in the closed position. There are no instructions on the packaging. What am I not getting? Is there a trick to free them? Are they broken? I'm afraid I'll have to send them back.