Having the right pair of scissors is crucial to delivering a clean and professional hair cutting job and flawlessly executing various hairstyles.
Most professional barbers and hairstylists have no problem deciding the right barber scissors for a hairstyle and even have several pairs of scissors for these.
If you are a beginner, then you might be having a problem choosing the right scissors. However, that’s no cause for worry. This article will cover the next steps you should take in deciding the right pair of barber scissors for you, from the size and handle to the scissors blade.
What Is the Best Hair Scissors Size for You?
Before buying a new pair of barber scissors online, you need to first make sure you have the correct hair scissor size measurement.
To measure the perfect hair scissor size for you, get an old pair of barber scissors or a ruler. Measure the length of the ruler or the scissors against the palm of your hand, from the base of your thumb to the tip of your middle finger. These should give you your ideal hair scissors.
If the ruler entirely covers your middle finger, with its length at 2 inches, then the best hair scissors for you is 5 inches. That means the blade size is 2 to 3 inches and the whole length of the hair scissors, from the very tip of the blade to the end of the longest finger hole, is 5 inches.
However, the ideal scissors for people with small hands are 5 to 5.5 inches, and those with larger hands should go for scissors with a length of 6 to 6.5 inches.
What Type of Scissor Handle Is Best?
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Classic Handle: this is the traditional scissors’ design, and it’s the most commonly used scissors. The handles are symmetrical, with the rings perfectly aligning with each other. Both the lower and upper blades have the same shapes.
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Offset Handle: this has an angled handle area, with one handle longer than the other. That allows for a more open hand position and more comfort when cutting, especially if you hold the scissors with your ring finger.
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Crane Handle: this has a straight upper blade, with the handles sharply angled downwards. The offers the most comfort when cutting, and it’s currently the preferred hair scissors in Australia and New Zealand.
What Type of Blade Is Best For Hair Cutting?
The type of hair scissors you choose should be based on your barber niche and the cut styles you want to create. There are mainly two types of barber scissor blades – beveled edge and convex blades –, and each creates different haircuts.
Beveled Edge
Beveled edge includes micro serrations on one or both of the blades. This type of barber scissors blade is perfect for barber or barbering apprentice and individuals learning to cut hair as they offer a better grip on the hair while cutting and allow for an easy straight haircut. However, it’s not suitable for slice cutting or chopping.
Convex Blades
Also known as “Japanese Style,” convex blades are the go-to barber blade for professional barbers or hairdressers. It has razor-like edges, which are the sharpest and smoothest of cutting blades. The ultra-sharp edges are perfect for all kinds of cutting and are best for slicing, as well as chopping.
How to Hold a Hairdressing Scissors
It’s necessary you have a full grasp of the various cutting styles and techniques and how to mix them up when the occasion presents itself. These reveal your creativity and prowess as a hairdresser and barber, and your ingenuity in handling the scissors will separate you from your counterparts.
Vertical cutting and straight-line cutting: In this position, the scissors need to be held precisely at a vertical position. That is best done using the offset scissors, which allows your hand to remain in a natural and comfortable position while cutting.
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Blunt cutting – bobs and one-lengths: The hair scissors need to sit flat to the client’s neck, and your hands have to be positioned such that your fingers are out of the way while cutting. The ideal hair scissors for such a position is the crane barber scissors.
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Deep point cutting: For you to execute a deep point cutting style, the scissors need to be straight. And that requires you to hold your elbows high up. The straight hair scissors are the ideal scissors for this position.
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Intricate work: you need fine or narrow-tipped hair scissors to create the precise, neat lines around the hairline edges required for intricate works.
When Is the Best Time to Sharpen My Scissors?
Hairdressing and barber scissors are precision tools and need to be adequately maintained to ensure they remain in their near-original perfect state. Dull scissors can ruin a client’s hair and effectively cause damage to your reputation – which you don’t want.
When you need to sharpen your scissors depends on the frequency at which you use them, the type of blade you use, the type of cutting you execute, and how you maintain the scissors. However, the scissors need to be sharpened and serviced at least once yearly.
Additionally, it would help if you took note of who sharpens your scissors. Scissors sharpening is technical, especially for convex blades, and is best left to professionals with the right expertise and tools. Do the due diligence of oiling and cleaning your scissors regularly and properly tensioning them when necessary. These should be done using a mineral-based scissor oil and not clipper oil.
What Hairdressing Scissors Should You Buy?
With many barber scissors brands on the internet, it can be challenging to decide on a brand you can trust.
The following are the barber scissors we recommend, designed to give you the ultimate cutting experience.
- 5.5-inch and 6-inch Yasaka offset handle barber shears
- Juntetsu offset hair cutting and thinning set with Japanese steel
- 6-inch Ichiro offset barber cutting and thinning scissors
- 7-inch Ichiro K10 hair cutting and barber scissors
- Mina Sakura 7-inch barber scissors
- Japanese 7-inch Yasaka barber scissors
If you are a beginner, then the best hair scissors for you are Pre Style Ergo Cutting and Thinning Set, Mina Matte Black Offset Scissors Set, and Mina Sakura Cutting and Thinning Set.