Shear Care

Do You Know How To Care For Your Hair Cutting Shears?

How To Care For Your Hair Cutting Shears Between Sharpening's Your shears and scissors are your livelihood, and your tools of the trade. Caring for them is easy but important. Shears4Hair would like to offer some pointers on how to take care of those all important shears or scissors of yours. Following these tips can ensure that you get the most life and functionality from your shears.

Please Keep All Scissors and Shears Out of the Reach of Children!

For Professional Hairstylist, Barbers and Professional Pet Groomers:

Clean your shears after each haircut. Sanitizing them is a must but, do not let them set in barbicide as it can damage your shears, robbing them of any lubricant. We recommend cleaning with warm soapy water, or use alcohol to remove residules of Barbicide. (We prefer using alcohol over Barbicide) Using a soft dry towel, wipe each blade carefully, away from the cutting edge. Also, wipe the "ride" area (where your shears meet at the pivot) at the end of every day, as tiny bits of hair can get trapped there. Make sure all parts of your shears are DRY.  Using your hairdryer after cleaning to dry your shears, but, the use of forced air dryers is not recommended as the force of the air can knock your scissors off balance and ruin their sett.  Close your shears and store them safely in a case, holster, or pouch.

At the end of every week we suggest cleaning as above and then applying a drop or two of good quality scissor oil, and/or shear lubricant, around the pivot screw. Apply this with the shears open. Then gently wiggle the blades to allow the lubricant to reach the washer and deep into your pivot screw. Wipe any excess down the blades. Close the blades and store safely in a holster, case or pouch.

Do not loan your shears out to anyone that may not understand the importance of treating your shears with care and respect, or you might have made a serious and costly mistake. Only cut Hair with your shears as this is what they are made for! If you want to cut a box open or color tip off, have a handy pair of everyday scissors in your shop, salon, or at your station, these can be purchased at any dollar store.

Do not toss them on your counter or in a drawer where they might bang around against other shears, brushes, hair clips, combs, or other items. This will damage the cutting edge on your scissors.

One tip, buy a storage case, holster, or case to protect yours shears. If the storage case or holster becomes over packed then you need to upgrade to a larger one. Holsters, cases, and pouches are a MUST have accessory if you transport your shears! Your pockets and/or pocketbook are not safe! We have seen shears fall out of pockets when the stylist, barber or groomer leans over and we have seen shears pulled out of bags that have picked up tobacco, gum, toothpicks and worse!  Purchase and use a case, holster, or pouch for your shears.  We feature attractive and functional cases and holsters!

Try not to drop them! Dropping shears can do the most damage, creating nicks in the blades. Should you nick your blades, DO NOT force them closed! This will damage them further! Keep the blades open and store safely until they can be repaired. You can keep them open by simply placing a soft rag in between the blades; especially helpful if you have to mail them in for service. Dropping your shears can also "knock" them out of alignment, and also damage the tension set in your shear. If your tips do not meet, you need repairs. If you feel a catch, you more than likely have nicked blades.  If they fold hair, try adjusting your tension before calling a sharpener.  Always Call a Factory Certified Sharpener for service and repairs.

Have your shears sharpened as often as you feel necessary. If they are "pulling" hair, "pushing hair" or if they do not cut all the way to the tips, they need a tune up! Good quality shears will yield about 700 hair cuts before they need sharpened. That number, decreases when they are used to cut coarse hair, dirty hair, chemically treated hair i.e., permed hair, colored hair, or hair saturated with chlorine from swimming pools.

The longevity of your shear also decreases with poor care so please call us when you need repairs or sharpening. Sharpening should be done by a qualified technician who uses sharpening equipment designed for today's styling shears. Ask your sharpener if they are Factory Certified or what creditionals they have.  We are Factory Certified Sharpeners.  We treat your shears like fine jewelry and use only the best and newest methods to sharpen your shears to perfection and wicked sharpness!

Check your tension adjustment at the beginning of each day. Hold your scissors in one hand with the tips pointing toward the ceiling. Open one handle to a 90 degree angle (like an "L") and let it go. The blades should close approximately 2/3 of the way (if looking at a clock the blade should fall no further than between 2 and 3 O'clock) If they fall completely open, the tension is set too loose. This will allow the hair to fold or bend as you cut. If the tension is too tight, your blades will not fall open.  Tension that is to tight, will cause to excess wear on the inside of your scissors blade and be less ergonomic for you; as you have to use more hand force and pressure to open and close your shears. Just think of how many times you are opening and closing your shears during ONE haircut, or grooming one dog! That is truly amazing.

Remember, A Dull Shear is Not an Ergomonic Shear!

Feel Free to print this out and place at your work place to remind you and your colleges to take care of those Shears for Hair!

Cosmetology Schools, Barber Schools, and Professional Grooming Schools: If you are interested in adding this information to your student handbook, please contact us, we grant permission in most cases.

Learn How To Test Your Hair Cutting Shear's Sharpness

How Sharp are You?  Did you know that your dull hair cutting shears don't cut cleanly and can actually damage your client's hair?  And for you Professional Pet Groomers, why work harder than you already do?
Try these test to evaluate your shear sharpness:
Can you cut a wet facial tissue with your shears?
Do they cut from the tip to the ride line (where your blades meet at the screw)?
Do they chew that Kleenex or pull at it, ripping it? 
Another way to check; dangle a piece of thread WITHOUT keeping it taunt and try cutting it.  Start from the pivot of your shears (where the screw joins the blades' of your shears) and cut the thread numerous times, going down your blades, This way you test your blades from the top, to middle and all the way to your tips! 
Your shears should cut in all areas on your blades.  If your shears snag the thread, or if they fold the thread, first check their tension.  If your tension is too loose, your shears will fold hair. If you tension is right and they still don't cut hair well, it is time to get out those back-up shears out and send the dull ones to your Sharpener!
ShearsforHair can recommend Factory Certified Professional Shear Sharpeners to you.  Just Contact Us! We DO NOT ENDORSE DrScissorhands or MADShears in any way.