View Full Version : Are they sharp?
C.H.
June 12th, 2011, 02:15 AM
Is there a way to test the sharpness of hair scissors?
I know dull ones will cause split ends, and I don't really want to risk the "try and see" approach by snipping away and then trying to determine if splits (re)appear.
I also don't want to waste money on unnecessarily sharpening or replacing shears just just because I'm paranoid that they might be dull.
Panth
June 12th, 2011, 03:35 AM
If they're new, they'll be sharp. If they're better quality, they'll stay sharp longer ... but if you're only doing S&D that doesn't really matter as S&D takes year(s) to blunt scissors as your only cutting such little bits at a time.
The main thing: don't ever use the scissors on anything except hair. Especially, never use them on paper/cardboard.
If you really feel a need to test them, fabric should be ok, particularly natural fibre fabric. If it cuts easily, they're sharp; if you have to saw at it or find a 'sweet spot' on the blade that will actually cut, they're not. Fabric, particularly natural fibre fabric, particularly wool, has a very similar structure to hair and fabric scissors have the same rules as hair scissors - they never get used on anything except fabric.
Nymph
June 12th, 2011, 03:44 AM
My experience is that after 2 or 3 years standard scissors you can buy at the drugstore will be blunt, but I guess it depends on how much use you have of it. I used to have bangs which I cut every few weeks so that probably made them blunt earlier. In case of doubt I think it's better to have them resharpened, at least here it hardly costs anything so I'd rather pay than cut extra split ends.
Dragon
June 12th, 2011, 04:06 AM
I read some where that to test them, you cut through some sewing thred and if it cuts straight through it very eaisly, then it's sharp.
kyandii
June 12th, 2011, 04:30 AM
I heard cutting through foil will help sharpen them up.
Panth
June 12th, 2011, 05:57 AM
I heard cutting through foil will help sharpen them up.
Eeek. No. That won't.
If they're cheap and get blunt, just get new ones. If they're really expensive then go to a professional knife/scissor sharpener and pay to get them done.
But even if you're trimming (length or fringe) regularly new ones should stay sharp for at least a year or two. If you're only doing S&D they'll stay sharp much longer.
Mesmerise
June 12th, 2011, 05:59 AM
Try cutting a shed hair with them, and see what it feels like. I find there's a definite difference between snipping with sharp enough scissors and ones that aren't!
PianoPlaye
June 12th, 2011, 06:03 AM
If they fight to cut a hair, they are not sharp.
lapushka
June 12th, 2011, 10:14 AM
We had regular drugstore ones at home first and I thought that they were actually sharp, until I got *real* hair cutting scissors from a hair supply store, the kind hair dressers use. Though I got the cheaper end of the spectrum, they're still expensive in my book (about €40/50, if I remember correctly). They're Japanese steel. And, I know, a lot of ebay stores sell scissors that are so-called Japanese steel quite cheaply, but -trust me- only get them from a hair supply store.
The big test is bigger patches of hair. There's no problem getting through thicker patches with these, even really thick ones, which used to be a problem for my mother when she cut my hair, due to the thickness of my hair. I'm really glad I got these. And, ultimately, what's €40/50 when you almost never go to hair salons. One haircut costs that much.
Anje
June 12th, 2011, 10:15 AM
Ultimately, the way to check this best requires some decent magnification, I suspect. (Note: I haven't actually attempted this myself...) You'll want a pocket microscope or something of the sort, though stronger is better, all the way up to SEM. :D Compare a few pairs of scissors on some test hair, see if you can tell the difference between how the ends look under magnification. Dull scissors will leave a more ragged cut than sharp scissors.
islandboo
June 12th, 2011, 01:30 PM
This is a bit of a thread hijack, but Anje's comment made me think of it. I have a pair of Fiskars microtip fabric scissors that I use for S&D which I love because the tip is very fine and I can easily cut only one hair at a time. After hearing so many things about how you should only use hair scissors on your hair, I broke down and got a pair even though the smallest tip my hair supply store had was not a fine a point as my Fiskars. However, I took some shed hairs and cut a few of them with the hair scissors and a few more with the Fiskars and had a friend look at the 2 sets of hairs using her microscope at work. She saw no difference in the cut ends, so I am sticking with my Fiskars. Now, I only use them for S&D - they never cut anything beside individual hairs - and YMMV, but I personally don't buy the argument that hair scissors are an absolute necessity, at least for S&D. /end hijack
So yeah, I recommend the high magnification route to tell if the blades are sharp :)
trolleypup
June 12th, 2011, 01:38 PM
Find a section of fluffy two ply toilet paper, separate the layers, make a series of cuts gently and slowly. Very sharp scissors will make a clean sharp cut. Less sharp scissors will make a more ragged fiber edged cut, or if actually dull will not cut or will tear or mangle the material.
My best scissors make a razor edged cut every time. My old hair scissors make a good cut near the pivot, but near the tips (where most of the cutting was) they are a bit ragged. This mirrors what I feel if I cut strands of hair with these scissors. A very sharp pair will cut much more easily and quietly and will simply feel smoother.
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