recommendations for hair scissors?

[n3m3sis42]

I apologize in advance if I missed an existing thread about this (I did use the forum search first, so hopefully I'm good).

I'm looking for recommendations for hair scissors to use for S&D. I Google-searched like crazy at one point last fall and failed to find anything really useful about this. I ended up buying a pair of Tweezerman scissors, but I felt like I had more splits after trimming than I did beforehand. Afterwards, I looked online a bit more, and I'm starting to think I may have accidentally bought moustache scissors instead of hair scissors. :oops:

So anyway, I guess it's back to the drawing board. What brand/model of scissors do you lovely ladies and men recommend for S&D?

[Hedera]

But moustaches are hair too, right?

I don't have any recommendations I'm afraid, but I'm going to watch this thread: I have good regular hair-scissors, but I would love to find some kind of pocket-scissors (small, perhaps in a sort of leather cover, or foldable) that I can keep in my purse, so that I can snip splits when I actually see them.

Whenever I sit down with my hair scissors to do a S&D I hardly find any, but at the weirdest moments (at stopsigns), my hair suddenly seems full of them.

[Nightshade]

The shears I use are ice-tempered and are from a friend who went out of her dog-grooming business. Same as people-shears, just a lot cheaper because of the marketing angle.

I found this really helpful when researching:

Q: What are the different handle types?
A: There are three general types of handle designs:
Opposing grip handles are both the same length and are symmetrically positioned from the center screw. This is good for stylists who cut with the thumb and middle finger.
Offset grip handles have a shorter thumb handle but both are still symmetrically positioned from the center screw. The shorter thumb handle reduces over-extension of the thumb and allows you to cut with a more open hand but you must still elevate your elbow.
Crane grip handles also have a shorter thumb handle but the angles of the handles are not symmetrical. The longer handle is perpendicular to the blades while the thumb handle is angled. This design allows the elbow to be dropped while cutting and helps to relieve stress on both the shoulder and wrist.
[2] Q: What is the difference between a convex edge blade and bevel edge blade?
A: The Convex Edge blade was made popular by the Japanese. On a convex edge blade, the edges are ground to a razor sharp 45-50 degree angle. The blades are usually triple honed to make the scissor run very smoothly and quietly. Because of its sharp edges, a convex blade cuts through hair with less force. A must for slide cutting.

The Bevel Edge blade was made popular by the Germans. The edge on a Bevel Edge blade is ground at a 30-40 degree angle. Because these blades are not as sharply angled as convex blades, one edge is usually serrated to keep hair from sliding forward. These edges are also very nick resistant. These are best for layer and taper cutting.

[3] Q:What is the difference between stamped and forged shears?
A: A stamped shear is produced similar to the process of cutting out cookies. Strips of steel are stamped out into the shape of a shear. They can then be either ground into the final shape or put into a press and squeezed into shape. With the press method the steel near the edge is compress and the cutting edge will generally last longer.

A forged shear is produced by pouring hot steel into a die that is in the shape of a shear. Half of the form is fastened to an anvil while the other half is attached to a large ram. The ram pounds down onto the anvil and "forges" the hot steel into the shape of the shear. The hot steel forges are then cooled off under controlled conditions and then are tempered and trimmed to their final state. [4] Q: What does Ice Tempered mean?
A: Ice tempering is a termed used to describe the cooling process used on stainless steel shears. To make steel hard it has to be heat treated. With stainless steel that means heating it to above 2000 degrees F. At this temperature, the structure of the steel is at is optimum. To maintain this structure the steel is cooled rapidly and tempered at about 450 degrees F. To make the cutting edge last longer, the steel is then subjected to temperatures about 120 degrees below 0. Thus the term Ice-tempered. The shear is not much harder but the steel is still at its optimum.
[5] Q: How do I care for my shears?
A: Never use the shears for any purpose other than cutting hair. Clean your shears every day by wiping away any excess moisture and hair fragments. Lubricate the set screw joint on a weekly basis. Work the oil into the joint by opening and closing the shears several times. Wipe away any excess oil. Avoid dropping the shears. Store in a protected, dry place.

[Anlbe]

I use a pair of small scunchii hair scissors for S&D, they come with a plastic sheath and can sit in my handbag until I forget and once again get them confiscated at the airport, train station, library. . . . You'd think I would learn

[Delila]

I got mine from Sally Beauty, a brand called Arius-Eickert (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Silver+Series+Shears/EICKRT1,default,pd.html). I think mine are 5 1/2" long.

They were kinda pricy, but they're so much better than the cheaper stuff I'd been trying that I think it's totally worth it. I've been trimming my own hair ever since (3 years), so I think I've ultimately saved money. (well, I would have if I'd quit buying hair toys, but such is life.)

[n3m3sis42]

Whenever I sit down with my hair scissors to do a S&D I hardly find any, but at the weirdest moments (at stopsigns), my hair suddenly seems full of them.

Hedera, the one time that I tried to do an S&D, it was very much the same. I didn't see many splits, but then I saw them everywhere afterwards. I think that was part of the reason that I decided I wasn't using the "right" scissors, thinking maybe I'd actually created more splits with my attempts to trim.


The shears I use are ice-tempered and are from a friend who went out of her dog-grooming business. Same as people-shears, just a lot cheaper because of the marketing angle.

I found this really helpful when researching:


Thank you for all the information, Nightshade!


I use a pair of small scunchii hair scissors for S&D, they come with a plastic sheath and can sit in my handbag until I forget and once again get them confiscated at the airport, train station, library. . . . You'd think I would learn

Oh man, Anlbe, I can so see myself forgetting and having my scissors confiscated. I'd better keep them at home.


I got mine from Sally Beauty, a brand called Arius-Eickert (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Silver+Series+Shears/EICKRT1,default,pd.html). I think mine are 5 1/2" long.

They were kinda pricy, but they're so much better than the cheaper stuff I'd been trying that I think it's totally worth it. I've been trimming my own hair ever since (3 years), so I think I've ultimately saved money. (well, I would have if I'd quit buying hair toys, but such is life.)

Thank you, Delila... I'm totally willing to pay more for something if it yields better results.

[TammySue]

I got mine from Sally Beauty, a brand called Arius-Eickert (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Silver+Series+Shears/EICKRT1,default,pd.html). I think mine are 5 1/2" long.

They were kinda pricy, but they're so much better than the cheaper stuff I'd been trying that I think it's totally worth it. I've been trimming my own hair ever since (3 years), so I think I've ultimately saved money. (well, I would have if I'd quit buying hair toys, but such is life.)

These are the scissors I use - they are da bomb! Well worth every penny! :cheese:

[madisonclare]

I also bought a pair of scissors from Sally's. I use for S & D. I think the most important thing would be that the scissors be sharper than ever and only used for cutting hair.

[MeMyselfandI]

I guess my Goody Scissors do not qualify as fantastic.

[AmandaPanda]

Arius-Eickert's are like the Rolls-Royce of hair shears lol

Tweezerman's are good basic shears if one can't afford AE's. Tweezerman does free sharpening. AE charges $25

[Delila]

Well, FWIW, I had some Tweezerman shears, and they simply don't compare to the Arius-Eickert.

The AE ones have serrated blades that help hold the hair in position as the shears close so you get a cleaner, straighter line. The Tweezerman don't have that feature, and the price reflects it.

IMO, it was well worth it to buy quality shears. I've got NO skill at haircutting, so I need all the help I can get.

Mine cost less than a single salon visit, and I haven't been to a salon since I bought them, so I think it's worth it.

[n3m3sis42]

Delila, TammySue, and AmandaPanda:

You ladies have convinced me. I'm going to get off my lazy butt and go to Sally's to find those AE shears! They're not really THAT expensive in the grand scheme of things.

...As far as sharpening is concerned, if you're only using them to S&D, say, once a month (I just pulled that out of my butt because I really have no idea how often I'll do it), how often do you think they will need to be sharpened? Is the best way to tell that they need to be sharpened by just touching the blades to determine how sharp they feel? Or is there some better way to gauge this through performance?

[MeMyselfandI]

Arius-Eickert's are like the Rolls-Royce of hair shears lol

Tweezerman's are good basic shears if one can't afford AE's. Tweezerman does free sharpening. AE charges $25

Ouch,

That is expensive.

How does Tweezerman do the free sharpening. Do you mail them in or do they have shops.

Does AE have shops?

A dull scissor is worth nothing no matter how great it started.

[AmandaPanda]

Well, FWIW, I had some Tweezerman shears, and they simply don't compare to the Arius-Eickert.

The AE ones have serrated blades that help hold the hair in position as the shears close so you get a cleaner, straighter line. The Tweezerman don't have that feature, and the price reflects it.

IMO, it was well worth it to buy quality shears. I've got NO skill at haircutting, so I need all the help I can get.

Mine cost less than a single salon visit, and I haven't been to a salon since I bought them, so I think it's worth it.

Not sure what FWIW means but...
You're right, they don't compare. The AE's are much better quality. I'm sure many people can't afford them, though. I want to give them another option.

My Tweezerman's have serrated blades, too.

I did a lot of reading up on the different types of blades. Just some info:

Convex blades will dull and nick faster than convex blades

You should never have to put a lot of pressure on any shears to cut through hair, this means you're trying to cut too much hair at once and it will dull the blade (and it probably won't be good for your hair either)

[chelles2kids]

I bought my AE at Sally's as well. If you sign up for one of their store cards (If you don't already have one), they will send you a $5.00 or $10.00 off coupon (I'm sorry can't remember which) AND you'll also get 10% off any store purchases.

When I bought mine, I found a pair on sale and then I was also able to use both of my other discounts. So it saved me quite a bit.

My AE are the ones I use exclusively for my self-trims.

I also bought a pair of the tweezerman shears from the swap boards (Thanks Amanda;)) and I use these exclusively for S&D'ing.

I think each are great for what I use them for and if your only looking for ones for S&D missions, I'm going against the general consensus here and suggesting the Tweezerman.

Michelle

[soleluna]

http://www.beautytime.go.it/IT/catalogo/prodotto.asp?ID_Prodotto=2&page=1#
I got these.. think they are any good?

[AmandaPanda]

Ouch,

That is expensive.

How does Tweezerman do the free sharpening. Do you mail them in or do they have shops.

Does AE have shops?

A dull scissor is worth nothing no matter how great it started.

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to reply sooner but I didn't get your post until after I posted and I had to head to work.

Anyway, the websites are tweezerman.com and tweezermanprofessional.com. One or both has an invoice type sheet to fill out when you mail your shears to have them sharpened. They only sharpen their brand of shears. You only pay to have them shipped to tweezerman. They take care of return shipping costs

FYI - AE sharpens any brand of shear.

[tiny_teesha]

ah, i just grabbed some hair scissors from a beauty shop, not over 10 dollars, does the trick!

[Hedera]

I would really like a small, pocket-sized pair of hair scissors I could keep in my bag (except when going to the airport, court house etc).

Are nail scissors fundamentally different from hair scissors?

In other words, would it work to buy a pair of (good quality) nail scissors and use them for my hair, as long as I don't use them for anything else?

[n3m3sis42]

ah, i just grabbed some hair scissors from a beauty shop, not over 10 dollars, does the trick!


I think I'm just one of those people (like someone else mentioned earlier in this thread) that needs all the help she can get. I'm clumsy and probably won't do it right, so at least maybe my scissors will be extra sharp and good. :)

[rymorg2]

Arius-Eickert's are like the Rolls-Royce of hair shears lol

Tweezerman's are good basic shears if one can't afford AE's. Tweezerman does free sharpening. AE charges $25

LOL.....there are shears that I know some hairdressers use that cost in the thousands, no joke.......

Just to compare, I have several pairs of Centrix shears I use at work that cost me about $200 a piece. But it's a work expense, and I have had shears in every cost from $50 on up for work. I actually have a pair of Arius-Eickerts. I paid $80 for them. They're a longer pair, and I forget the model.

For personal use though, if you're not a hairdresser, any of the pairs at Sallys are decent, but I'd definately pick Arius-Eickert over the others if I could afford them.

:flowers:

[GreenGirl44]

I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd try asking a question here rather than starting a new one.

Does anyone know anything about the Elite Shimmer hair shears? http://http://www.sallybeauty.com/Elite-Shimmer-Shear/SBS-112020,default,pd.html

I was at Sally's the other day and debated between these and the AE's. I bought the AE's because of this thread. But I've been thinking about going back for the Elites, just because they are Made in USA. But I don't want to get them if they aren't going to do the job right. I'm hoping not to have to buy another pair any time soon.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions. And I hope this post will actually be seen and read...

[GreenGirl44]

http://www.sallybeauty.com/Elite-Shimmer-Shear/SBS-112020,default,pd.html

Just trying the link again. Sorry!

[LisaJaney]

I love my Ariue Eckhardt scissors. Got them at Sally Beauty. Normally they were $40, but I got them for $30. This is about 5 years ago, so the prices may have climbed a bit since then. They are still just as sharp as ever. I use them for my hair and for my husband's hair (I cut his hair every 3 or 4 months), and that's all. But they do see more action than just my S&Ds

[may1em]

I use a pair of Essence of Beauty stainless steel scissors that I bought at CVS for about seven bucks. They work, and I don't use them for other purposes. The blade claims to be ice-tempered.

FWIW, I trim quarterly (roughly), S&D sporadically, and just gave myself bangs, which will need trimming every two weeks.

Maybe at some point I'll get fancier ones.

[gmdiaz]

I am so excited to have won a pair of Arius Eickert 5.75" Pink Passion scissors on Ebay. . .$26 for a good pair from a 100% feedback rated seller.

I think these will be good enough if only used for hair trims and S&D. I saw several other pairs that looked really great but prices were around $99 on Ebay.

Will let you know if these are suitable for thick, coarse, wavy hair.

[Rain76]

I just saw these on Amazon. Would these be ok to trim fine/thin hair?

http://www.amazon.com/Arius-Eickert-Pro-Line-Shear-Model-8000/dp/B00011QSWM/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1246845860&sr=8-13

[Rain76]

Anyone????

[Nightshade]

I don't know, they don't seem like great quality, and there isn't enough information listed about them to make a sound decision. :ponder:

[Rain76]

Thanks, Nightshade. I'll pass on them, and probably end up getting some Tweezerman's. :) I appreciate your reply!

[lyria]

I got my first pair at the drugstore and they were just plain stailess steel "hair cutting" scissors. They were not good. I got my second pair (for a price) at Sephora. They are "5 1/2" Tweezerman Solingen Spirit 2000." (That's everything written on them.) They are wonderful!

[Rain76]

Thanks, lyria! I need to look into that!

[Leafy]

Before I started hairdressing training, I got 'hair scissors' from Boots...I practically didn't use them - I only trimmed my bangs twice with them, but I feel their condition has worsened somehow, like they're rusting slightly or something. :confused:

Now I'm doing my training, we had a 'scissor guy' come in with loads of scissors, and I bought one for £20 - I think the RRP could range from £40-60 or something. They've been used for 2 haircuts and they go through hair like melted butter - they're amazing! The difference to me between those scissors was worth the money.
However, all I know about them that I can tell you is that they have ' minako japan ' inside the blade. If I remember correctly - they're in my work bag upstairs. And they've also stayed in top condition and I haven't had to do much caring for them beside general cleaning to get the hairs off (obviously). :D

[AuthenticSelf]

Thanks for the tips! I will have this post for future reference. :D

[lapushka]

My brand is "Ultron". A pretty nice pair of shears for around €50:
http://www.flash-world.nl/catalog/index.php?cPath=31_429

[Akville]

I'm doing S D with new unused embroidery scissors. Works pretty well, whey are sharp and I find it easy to have them with me everywhere. Costed about 100 SEK/10 Euros.
What do you folks think about that?