Replacing vs. Sharpening Your Hair Cutting Shears

For any busy stylist there comes a when you run into problems with your hair cutting shears. This is usually when the performance of your shears is noticeably different. They feel harder to use and the end result is just not the same. As soon as you start to notice this, action is required – but should you replace your shears completely or could sharpening them be the answer?

 

Dropped shears

Many people assume that dropped shears are headed for the trash and simply need to be replaced. However, if you’ve had an accident and dropped a pair of precious shears, even if they don’t work properly afterwards, you may not need to go to the expense of replacing them. A good sharpening service will deal with any damage to the blades, as well as adjusting the shears and replacing any damaged parts, such as stoppers, screws and washers. Sharpening is always a much more cost effective option than replacing shears, especially if it is an expensive pair.

Dull shears

If shears aren’t producing precision results, are causing bunching or pulling of customer hair or just feel more difficult to use, the blade has most likely become dull. It’s easy to mistake this drop in performance for an indication that the shears have come to the end of their life but that is usually not the problem. All of those issues can be corrected by sharpening. That can be a much better choice than buying a replacement. You can always ask a professional sharpening service to evaluate the condition of your scissor before they sharpen it, if you have any doubts if they can be repaired.

Being without your hair cutting shears

Only having one pair of hair cutting shears or a favorite pair may mean you can’t do without them when they do get dull or break. Therefore, you may think a quick solution would be to get a new pair so you can have one to use while the other is serviced. However, sharpening services like Sensei often offer a loaner pair while your old pair gets fixed. They let you try a new pair, so you can use it as a chance to try a different style or a longer length and you can even keep them if you love the results they give you.

Looking after your hair cutting shears

You can considerably prolong the life of hair cutting shears by looking after them properly:

• Regularly clean the blades with oil and use alcohol rub to remove any buildup of product or to disinfect them. Oil them after each time you use alcohol.
• Test the tension of your shears as often as you can (every day or every other day). You may need to adjust this to ensure you’re getting the best results every time
• Oil your shears regularly and keep them dry to help avoid corrosion
• Don’t put your shears down with the blades open. It exposes the fragile edges.
• If you drop the shears then put them aside and use a different pair. Send the dropped pair off to be sharpened as soon as possible

A certified sharpening service like Sensei is an essential choice if you want to ensure that your shears perform their best and last their full lifetime.