Q&A: How often should I be getting me shears sharpened?

Q. My sharpener just sharpened my shears. They worked great for a few weeks, but now they're dull again... How long should my shears stay sharp for?

A. There are many factors that affect how long your shears will stay sharp between sharpenings. Although any shear sharpener is certainly responsible for restoring the edge of the blade as close as possible to factory specifications, even the best sharpener can't change the type of metal the shear is made of nor how the shear is used after it is sharpened. While poor sharpening may remove too much metal from the blade, it's also overlooking daily maintenance and how it's being used to cut that can shorten the life of your shears. The quality of metal also affects the life expectancy of your shears. 

The moment you get your shears back is a great time for a your sharpener to help educate you about the proper fit of the shear in your hand and the signs you can look for to help extend the use of your shears between sharpenings. Proper use will not only extend the life of your shear, but save you a lot of money in the long run. 

Factors impacting the life of your shear include:

• Metal of the Shear. Metal is a very important factor and you get what you pay for in most cases. Steel in the "440 series" (440A to 440C) are lower grade metal so shears made with 440-series steel will require more sharpening over time. S-1 to S-3 (also called "Silver") tooling steels and the V-series (V-1 to V-10 "Gold") are better quality metal and will last slightly longer between sharpenings. Hitachi ATS-314 is the best quality (and therefore some of the most expensive scissors you will find). (Tempering and country of origin are two other important factors that will determine the quality and lifespan of your shear, which we'll discuss in a future post).
• Sharpener's Experience. It’s very important to find a sharpener who can sharpen your shears without removing too much blade. Every time your shear is sharpened it removes metal from the blade. That's just how sharpening works. But with that metal the life of your shear is getting shaved down too. An experienced sharpener will remove the minimum amount of metal in order to restore the sharpness of the blade.
  
  
• Time vs. Quantity. It’s not how many days should your shear require sharpening but, how much you use it.  Every stylist's appointment book is different and depending on how much cutting you're doing with your shears you may need to get your shears sharpened more or less frequently. We recommend getting your shears sharpened or inspected when you start to have problems with it..
  
  
• Tension. Tension is the most important factor affecting how quickly your shears dull. If your tension is too loose or too tight then your shear can dull in days or as little as a few hair cuts.  Just like a dentist will remind you to brush your teeth every day, a sharpener will remind you to oil and adjust the tension on your shears daily. You will also want to stay aware of horizontal thumb pressure where Hikari outlines here
  
• Folding Hair - This is the number one way to tell if you're going to dull your shears quickly. If your shear is folding hair it is too loose! Do not use your shear. When your shear loosens, by nature a stylist will hold the shear together causing a horizontal pressure pushing the blades together, which causes friction that dulls the blade very fast requiring more frequent sharpenings and a lower lifetime on the shear.  

Ultimately its up to the stylist how long their shears will stay sharp for.  Stylists who take care of their shears by storing them correctly in cases instead of loosely in a drawer will prevent nicks and damaged tips.  Also adjusting tension and oiling daily will extend the life of your shear and the time between sharpenings. If you are not sure what to do, feel free to ask your local sharpener / scissor distributor and they should be more than happy to show you proper care and maintenance.

Sharper & Steele is reliable, accountable, knowledgeable... and here to help you!

Hello, I'm Ray Alan from Sharper & Steele Scissor Co. in San Francisco. Many of you have probably seen me in person at your salon and I want to say thanks again for taking the time to meet with me. 2013 is our first year in business and it's great that we've already been able to help out so many stylists with reliable sharpening services and restoring improperly sharpened shears (including a few that were previously deemed "unfixable"). And even helping many of you invest in new shears that we hope will last you for years to come.

Sharper & Steele started with personal experience and a belief that we could make things better for San Francisco and Bay Area stylists. In 2012, a good friend and stylist sent his shears out for sharpening and got them back in almost unusable condition. We quickly realized how difficult it was to find reputable sharpeners in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sure there are a bunch of out-of-state or out-of-the-truck sharpeners operating below the radar, but in visiting stylists throughout the city we've heard the horror stories many of you have experienced with these sharpeners (and we'll be discussing what to look out for with your sharpener in a future post). Along with a lack of reliable sharpeners, it was also hard to find the best brands in the industry readily available to stylists. To access the best tools, you've either got to go through a distributor or wait for an annual hair show or expo. We wanted to solve both these problems. First, we partnered with a master sharpener with over 25 years of experience maintaining and restoring salon tools. Next, we dug into the leading brand names in the salon industry, researching materials, manufacturing processes and more so that we know the tools we bring to you are the quality that will last. And we make it convenient by bringing our inventory right to you or making it easier to find (and buy) shears online.

In addition to providing excellent service and customer care, our primary goal is to educate. We want stylists to know how to care for and invest in the tools that make your artistry possible. These are the kinds of things we'll express to you in our face-to-face encounters, but it's also exactly what we'll be using this space for. What you should be looking for in a sharpener, how to inspect your sharpened shears, and how to choose the perfect shear for you (and your budget) are the types of things we understand and want to help you know too.

Definitely connect with us on Facebook and, if we've met and been able to provide you with shear sharpening and/or helped you find a new shear or accessory, please give us some feedback on Yelp.

Like I said, we've heard the horror stories many have had with sharpeners and distributors in the past. In our first year of business we want to re-write the story of scissor sharpening in San Francisco so salon professionals like you can once again trust your tools with a trustworthy, local and accountable service provider. Let's write this history together!