Shear Care

Each morning lay your equipment and inspect each cutting tool individually. This is how we teach shear maintenance in beauty schools and in salon seminars.

There is a big story about the T in Tension.  It's super important that your shear has the right tension and are adjusted properly.   There are multiple different types of Tension systems.  There are screws, knobs with springs, flat key types that use click plates, and some designed never to go out of adjustment but still do.   When buying a shear, consider and ask how do I adjust my tension?  A good company will give you the facts.  We do!

 Here’s how you do it. Take your shear in hand ~~

Holding the finger side of the shear in your left hand, lift the thumb handle with your right hand until the blades are fully open, and let it go. If it stays open all the way, or does not fall more then 20% of the way closed, the tension is good. If the blade falls more than 20% of the way on a high quality shear, it is too loose. Tighten the tension system by turning the knob or screw slightly to the right or clockwise. On shears with clicking knobs or screws, one or two clicks is usually enough. Test again, and if it does not fall, then test to make sure it is not too tight. Too tight is just when you feel too much resistance as you open them. You don’t want to have to fight the tension with your thumb to open and close the blades. On poorer quality shears, you may have to adjust them so the blades fall half way shut. This is because the blades are not well balanced against each other, so if you adjust them like a higher quality shear, they will be too hard to open and close. 

Lay out your shears on a towel.  Pick up each one and inspect them. Wipe them off with a soft tissue, oil cloth, or (we use VIVA towels).  Take a soft brush, clean out any hair around the pivot and under the spring.  Place the shear in your hand with the blades pointing out and open.  Put a few drops of oil on each blade and one on the pivot.  Point the tips down and let the oil run down the blade.  Wipe the oil off with soft cloth, close the shears and wipe clean the entire tool.  Protect your shear by placing it in a case.  Shears that are left open in a drawer can become damaged without protection.

The edges on your shears are pure, finite, sharp like a razor.  A high quality salon shear is two razors sliding together at some point creating a cleave.  When the tension is not set properly the user has a tendency to twist their fingers so that the scissor will cut.