If you belong to the school of thought that a haircut is just a haircut, and often, make use of household scissors and a bowl to give an unfortunate individual a haircut, then you ought to quit trying to be a hairstylist.
At the very least, get rid of the bowl that you make use of to give a straight-lined boy-cut.
Moreover, using a pair of household scissors with its blunt edges and bulkiness ends up damaging the hair, and creating more split-ends.
Thus, if you do get the thought to look around for a decent pair of scissors, preferably meant for hair cutting, then you might just have a future in the field of hairstyling.
So, if you’re thinking of buying yourself a new pair of shears, here are the questions you ought to ask yourself first.
What is the right length?
Now, if you happen to be a professional barber then you ought to have both the longer shears as well as the shorter ones. The longer pair is for techniques where you don’t hold the hair in your hand. Whereas, the shorter length in shears is generally used for when you do cut the hair, holding it in your hands.
And, if anyone has told you about measuring the blade against the palm of your hand, just ignore that little piece of advice.
Most cosmetologists tend to go with the flow, holding the shears to see if it feels right in their hands.
On the other hand, if you do happen to be a first-timer, then go ahead and buy yourself a shorter blade because you will be holding on to the hair no matter the length.
What scissors best suits my needs?
Yes, it’s all about your needs. You have to understand that shears are now aero-dynamically designed to suit the needs of the hairstylists.
So, if you’re right-handed, then the features are designed such that it will fit perfectly into the hands of a right-handed person.
And, you need not worry if you are left-handed. As there are now shears available in the market to deftly fit into the hands of a lefty.
The uppermost thought you ought to keep in your mind is comfort. Now, three different types of handles are available.
Swivel-handle shear: Most commonly used by professionals. Known to fit the hand and relax pressure on the wrists. It caused quite a rage when it was first introduced.
Drop handle: Similar to the traditional offset shear, the drop handle shear, however, offers an additional ergonomic grip that allows a firm hold and causes less strain on the hand. It is gaining much popularity.
Precision cutting shears: Much smaller and also daintier, these shears are manufactured with low hardness steel and are used for very close cuts.
What kind of blades should I use?
Technically, all hair-dressing shears are of stainless steel. Now, when you talk of the finest shears in the market, there are two that ought to be mentioned.
These are the Japanese shears that are also known as the clamshell or convex edge, that are reputed for giving the smoothest cut.
And, then there is the German shear. German-style shears have non-honed, beveled edges that are serrated to grip the hair. These give a little stiffer cut but are great when working in thick sections, like for dry-cutting.
One thing to remember here is that all scissors, whether “Cobalted steel” or “Titanium scissors” are made of stainless steel. All need to be sharpened because it will get dull or nicked.
Do I need to buy the whole set?
If you are only into standards cuts, then save yourself the cost of buying an entire set of shears.
However, if you do deal in precise haircutting styles such as slide cutting, thinning and style cutting, then it would be outrageous to attempt these styles with a single pair of scissors.
Where to buy these high-quality shears?
There are many shears available in the market, that are simply high-priced but do not have the premium high quality.
If you do not know much about the newbies boasting of manufacturing high-end quality scissors and selling them at exorbitant prices, then steer clear of them.
But you still want a high-quality product, then you ought to stick to the established names in the field. If you are in search of affordable hair shears, Scissor Tech offers a range of hairdressing equipment that meet your needs.
Keep an eye out for ball bearing tension systems and polymer inlays in the pivots that are both common features in high-end quality shears.
What look should I go for?
There’s a very good reason for discussing this aspect of high-quality shears at the very end. Quality and comfort are features that supersede looks.
However, you can’t really take the style out of the stylists, now can you? So, there are several options available to you even if you regard the looks of a thing as relatively important.
There are colored titanium-coated shears. As mentioned earlier, these shears are merely coated with titanium, not made of it. This helps significantly in preventing rust.
Colored titanium shears come in a variety of amazing colors. The drawback, nonetheless, is that these shears tend to fade, scratch, or chip more easily than the classic stainless steel shears.
Next, comes in the colored finger inserts. Primarily, finger inserts are meant to provide more comfort and better fit. And, the finger inserts come in three sizes-small, medium and large.
But, they are now used as a beautifying element of the good old pair of shears. So, you can find finger inserts coming in every imaginable color to pep up the look of the high-quality shears.
Finally, there are colored silencers. Silencers are also known as bumpers or stoppers. They serve as a stop for the scissors and keep them quiet as the shear comes together.
These too are now available in different colors and elevate the look of the shears aesthetically.
Finally, there’s the tension screw. This feature is of notable importance. Scissor tension is the tension of the screw that holds the two scissor blades together.
In most cases, it is a matter of personal preference. The blade should fall slightly and close halfway up the other blade. If the blade doesn’t move at all, your tension is too tight. On the other hand, if the blade falls completely closed, then the tension is too loose.
Now, for the cosmetologists, it isn’t possible to completely overlook the aesthetics of the tools they so commonly use, hence, this feature too comes in different colors to brighten up the look of the shears.
The upkeep of your high-quality shears
If you have managed to make up your mind and find for yourself the perfect pair of shears, please remember that you need to make an effort to keep it in mint condition.
You shouldn’t really have to clean your scissors very often, but if you have managed to get it dirty, make sure to clean it up immediately. Make sure to clean it up thoroughly to avoid rust.
If you’re not looking to replace your high-priced shears due to rust, the best way to get rid of rust is to soak the scissors in warm water with a tiny bit of bleach.
This ought to solve your problem once or twice, but if you’re not taking care to keep your shears clean and rust-free, then you will end up with useless professional hair clippers.
No matter the quality of the shears, if you keep them dirty and wet then you will end up having to replace them fairly soon.
Also, it is a rule of thumb to have your shears sharpened every six months or at least after every 500-700 haircuts, to get a smooth cut every time.
The market for high-quality shears has advanced greatly in the last decade. So, you see an emphasis on every aspect of the very tool used for haircutting.
Shears were only about sharp edges before, but today, it’s about the look, the grip, the shape, the metal, even the finish of the shears itself. Everything is of importance and the buyer is spoiled for choice.
But, these high-end quality shears are exactly as the name suggests, and do in fact deliver enduring comfort for the hairstylists. And, without a doubt elevate the haircutting technique.
Hopefully, you have gained some insight as to the aspects one ought to consider before buying a high-quality, high priced pair of shears.
However, doing a little bit of research never really hurts anyone, so do ask around about the best names in the market dealing with high-quality shears.
And, if you really don’t feel the urge to plod around looking for different brands of shears, let us give you another useful tip. Try out scissortec.com, where you are going to find a whole range of high-end quality products, with varying price tags, features, and colors.
