• What is the difference between German & Japanese style scissors?
• There are two types of steel most hairstyling scissors are made from:
• Stainless Steel, well it's sorta stainless:
• Handles come in four basic designs:
• The Spine of the scissor:
• Maintenance:
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Hair Styling Scissors:

Your income is directly related to the quality of your haircut. I'm sure you study cutting techniques, but how much do you know about your scissors?

A hairstyling scissor needs to be sharpened when hair slides out of the tip, or the tip pinches a hair, or bends hair.

What is the difference between German & Japanese style scissors?

The facing sides of German style scissors are flat. The facing sides of Japanese style scissors have a slight hollow ground area behind the cutting edge. leaving a very thin smooth flat spot called the "hone line". The blades of the scissor glide along the "hone line" and the edge cuts the hair. Properly sharpened the cutting edges do not come in contact and dull each other. The hollow area prevents hair from slipping between the blades and pushing them apart.

The sharpened edge of Japanese style scissors is made much sharper  (more acute angle) than the German style scissor.  The Japanese style scissor cuts like a razor and needs to be razor sharp. The German style scissor cuts more in a chopping action and the sharpened angle is less acute.. Each has its advantages, many barbers prefer the German style, for scissor over comb cutting. However, that would not be good for slide cutting or precision cutting. That requires the razor edge of a Japanese style scissor preffered by many hairstylists.

Beveled edge: at the cutting edge of the blade there is a distinct bevel (angled line). All German style scissors have a beveled edge as do some Japanese style scissors.

Convex edge: at the cutting edge there is no distinct bevel. The outside of the scissor blade slopes smoothly into the cutting edge. This gives the edge more strength. Another reason is cosmetic. When you create a very sharp angle it makes a very wide bevel, but if you smooth it out it looks much better.

One more thing comon to both Japanese and German scissors, for scissors to cut, the blades must come together at only one point. To make this happen both blades are bent very slightly towards each other. This is called the "set" or "balance" of the blade.

Both Japanese style scissors and German style scissors are manufactured in many countries around the  world. Many countries have factories that make both styles.

There are two types of steel most hairstyling scissors are made from:

Cast steel:is liquid metal pored into a mold and then ground into shape. Many scissors that say "Japanese steel" are cast.

Forged steel: is made by heating and hammering rolled steel into shape. It is then ground into the final finish.

Under a microscope, the forged steel molecules are more densely packed together. This gives forged steel tensile strength (the ability to bend). Cast scissors will not bend, they will break into pieces. Forged scissors are able to be made sharper, cut smoother, and hold an edge longer than cast scissors. Forged scissors are usually made as two pieces. There is usually a faint weld line where the handle joins the blade. A softer steel handle is welded on to the harder forged blade. This is so the handles can be bent into shape.

Hardness and tempering are as important as the type of steel. 410ss(Rockwell 38-44) often from Pakistan, is too soft. 420ss (Rockwell 48-52) is satisfactory, many German style scissors are made from it. 440ss (Rockwel 58-60) is a good scissor steel. A lot of Japanese style scissors are made from it. ATS34ss (Rockwell 60-62) is one of the newest steels.It is used on some expensive scissors.  Damascus steel is ATS314  folded into layers.

Tempering is a final heating and cooling treatment that adds toughness to the steel. It must be done under strictly controlled conditions. Differences in tempering procedure effect the toughness and the feel of the steel, as you use the scissors.

Most stainless steels are a Molybdenum alloy. This alloy often contains small amounts of Cobalt. Cobalt is much easier to say, and takes up much less room on a scissor. So Cobalt is the word used. There are very few scissors made from true Cobalt. You can test for it, it will not attract a magnet. The only true Cobalt scissors I know of is Kikui Cobalt, and Joewell Cobalt and New Cobalt.

Stainless Steel, well it's sorta stainless:

Stainless steel is made by adding a lot of Chromium (at least12%) and Molybdenum to steel alloy. The Chromium, when in contact with air forms a non reactive Chromium Oxide film. This film protects the surface iron from reacting with water and forming rust. If the scissor is scratched when wet, the Chromium cannot react with Oxygen in the air and form a new protective film, so stainless steel can rust when scratched underwater.

Many chemicals in the salon can also cause stainless steel to corrode. Some examples would be perm solution, hair color, and some steralizers that do not contain rust inhibitors. Also high skin acid, (ex: women during their period) can cause discoloration on stainless steel tools. So don't cut the tip off perm solution containers with your good scissors. Get a pair of cheap scissors in the discount store for that purpose. And keep your scissors clean.

Handles come in four basic designs:

Place a pair of scissors on a table and look down at it. Draw an imaginary line from the tip past the pivot (screw) through the end of the handle.

Opposing finger rings: Both thumb and finger rings are the same distance from the pivot and on opposite sides of the imaginary line.                                               

Offset finger rings: The thumb ring is shorter than the finger ring, and both rings are on opposite sides of the line.    

Crane handle finger rings: The thumb ring is again shorter and both rings are bent downward so the imaginary line goes through the finger ring. 

The reason for this can be seen by holding the scissors horozontally, as in doing a scissor over comb cut. With the opposing handle your elbow is held up and away from your body. With the offset handle your elbow is lower and with the crane still lower. As with many things there is a tradeoff. The crane gives less stress to the shoulder and arm, but it is awkward swinging around the opposite direction. There are also variations in the size and shape of the finger rings. Some rings are bent, and some are thick and angled. So there are a lot styles to try out.

The fourth handle is a swivel: This is where the thumb ring turns. Instead of bending your wrist to alter the direction of the scissor, you move you thumb and fingers, and the scissor moves. This is particularly good for stylists with wrist problems. There is a bit of a learning curve for the swivel, however once you learn it you will love it.

The scissor is an extension of your hand. The handle must feel comfortable, it will make your cuts easier. I think the handle is the most important part of the scissor. If it doesn't feel good you will leave it in the drawer and get another scissor.

The Spine of the scissors:

The spine is the power of the scissors. All styling scissor blades have a slight bend inward towards the oposite blade (called the set of the blade). This converging force at the point where the blades meet causes the hair to be cut. The stiffness of the spine  is the force that makes this happen. The spine needs thickness and bulk to be stiff enough to provide the force necessary to cut the hair. The spine of both blades should be very similar, so one blade does not overpower the other one. This also applies to thinners. While the cutting blade does not have to be as wide as the tooth blade, the spine needs to be of similar thickness and bulk.

Hikari says the same thing about their new Dragon scissors:                                     "Most scissors taper as they get closer to the tips  The Dragon maintains its thickness and weight all the way to the tips. This new geometric weight balanced blade design provides excellent power and leverage when cutting wet or dry hair. This results in a powerful scissor with less overall weight and bulk."

Maintenance:

Your scissor should be wiped after each use with a clean towel. At the end of the day you should put the smallest drop of oil on top of the screw and on the "ride" line, at the back of the scissor behind the screw. The smallest drop of oil, there is no need to drown the scissor in oil. Too much oil will run down the blade and get into your customers hair.

Always keep your scissor in a scissor case. If the cutting edge of your scissor comes in contact with a hard object, the edge can be damaged.

The screw or adjuster should be kept tight enough so that the scissor held in an open position (one finger ring above the other) will not fall closed. This slight pressure keeps the blades of the scissor in proper relationship to each other.

When cutting hair, side pressure is not necessary, and should not be used. A sharp, properly adjusted scissor, will cut hair without side pressure. Applying side pressure, will dull the blades quickly.

      ***Call for an appointment in Los Angeles County  800-725-3246***

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