Care and sharpening
When to Get Your Scissors Sharpened
Decide when to resharpen your scissors by the signs, such as hair escaping or uneven cut ends, not by a fixed period. The interval changes with how often you use them, the hair you cut and your care, so the key is a monthly check that doesn't miss the signs.
Key points
- Consider resharpening when you see signs such as hair folding, escaping or catching between the blades.
- The interval depends on how many pairs you use, the hair you cut and your care, so decide with a monthly check.
- Convex edges and Thinning Scissors must be sharpened while keeping the shape of the blade, so the basic approach is to leave them to a specialist sharpener.
Signs that resharpening is due
With use, the edge of a scissor blade gradually becomes rounded. As it rounds, it grips hair less well, and signs like these appear.
- Hair folds between the blades, or escapes towards the tip
- The cut ends are uneven and look jagged
- Hair catches at the tip, or feels as though it is being pulled
- You need more force than usual to cut
- There is a rubbing sound or a catch when you open and close the blades
- Wet hair cuts, but dry hair escapes
When several of these signs appear together, rather than just one, it is time to think about resharpening.
What to check before resharpening
Even if your scissors feel blunt, the cause may not be the edge. Before sending them for sharpening, check these points.
- Tension: if the screw is loose, hair folds between the blades. Simply resetting the tension can make them cut again. See “How to Adjust Scissor Tension” for how to check it.
- Dirt: if styling product or clippings are left on the inner faces of the blades, the action becomes heavy. Wipe them, oil them and try again.
- Chips at the edge: if they became harder to cut with after being dropped, the edge may be chipped or a blade bent. In that case, don’t carry on using them: send them for a check-up.
How often to check (by use)
How often scissors need resharpening varies a lot with how they are used. Rather than deciding on “every so many months”, the basic approach is to set a checking interval for how you use them, and send them for sharpening when the signs appear.
| How you use them | How the edge changes | How often to check |
|---|---|---|
| One main pair for daily salon work | Signs tend to appear sooner | Once a month, with a test cut |
| Two or three pairs used for different jobs | Slower for each pair | Once a month, starting with the pair you use most |
| Students practising on mannequin heads | Changes with the mannequin hair | At the end of each block of practice |
| A lot of dry cutting or short back and sides | Signs tend to appear with dry hair | More often than once a month |
It also changes with hair type. If you often cut coarse, thick hair, hair that has been coloured or permed many times, or hair with styling product in it, the condition of the edge changes more easily.
An easy way to check is to cut slowly through a dry, fine section from the tip to the heel. Seeing where along the blade the hair escapes gives you an idea of how much of the blade needs resharpening.
Before sending them for sharpening
When you send scissors for sharpening, having these ready makes things go smoothly.
- Brand and model name: used to check the blade edge and the type of screw.
- Number of pairs: whether you are sending Cutting and Thinning Scissors together.
- The problem you have noticed: describe it specifically, for example “hair escapes in the last 3 cm towards the tip” or “catches since I dropped them”.
- The time without them: they will be away from you while being sharpened, so have another pair ready.
Posting and packing
When you post scissors for sharpening, packing that protects the edge is essential.
- Close the blades and wrap the tip in thick card or a scissor case.
- Wrap each pair separately and fill the box with padding so nothing moves.
- Enclose a note with the brand and model name, your contact details and the problem you have noticed.
- Send them with a tracked service.
If you put them straight into an envelope, or pack them with other tools, the edge can knock against something in transit and chip.
How sharpening differs by blade edge
When resharpening, keeping the original blade edge is what matters.
- Convex (clamshell): must be sharpened while keeping the smooth curve of the edge. Using a flat stone turns the curve into a flat face.
- Bevel and semi-convex: sharpened while keeping the edge angle.
- Micro-serrated: must be sharpened so that the fine serrations at the edge remain.
- Thinning Scissors: both the shape of the teeth on the comb-like blade and the smooth blade are restored. The teeth need dedicated skill.
The differences between blade edges are covered in “Scissor Blade Types Explained”.
The risks of sharpening them yourself
We don’t recommend sharpening professional scissors with a household sharpening stone or sharpener.
- The curve or angle of the blade can change, and the original cut may not be recoverable
- Sharpening the back of the blade (the inner face) stops the two blades meeting properly
- The edge shape can become uneven between the blades, so hair folds between them more easily
- Metal removed from a blade can’t be put back, so the working life of the scissors can be shortened
Adjusting the tension, wiping and oiling are care you can do yourself. Leave anything that removes metal from the blade to a specialist sharpener.
Sharpening and maintenance at Scissor Lab
For scissors you bought from us, you can ask us about sharpening and maintenance.
How to ask
Contact us with the brand, model, number of pairs and the problem you have noticed.
Being prepared while they are away
When you have scissors resharpened, there is a period between sending them and getting them back when you won’t have them. If they are scissors you use every day in the salon, these preparations help.
- Have a spare pair ready: a spare of the same size and handle shape means your hold doesn’t change when you switch.
- Send one pair at a time: if you have two or more pairs of Cutting Scissors, you can send them in turn rather than all at once.
- Avoid busy periods: checking them before a busy season makes it easier to choose when to send them.
Starting to use them after resharpening
When your scissors come back from resharpening, check these points before you start using them.
- Cut a fine section from the tip to the heel, and check that they cut cleanly at every point along the blade.
- Check the tension and set it to your usual preference.
- Put one drop of oil on the pivot and open and close a few times to work it in.
Once the edge has been restored, they may feel different when cutting. At first, take finer sections than usual and get used to the feel as you go.
What to check when choosing a sharpener
When choosing where to have your scissors sharpened, it is worth checking these points.
| What to check | Why |
|---|---|
| Do they handle your blade edge? | Convex and micro-serrated edges need sharpening that keeps their shape |
| Do they handle Thinning Scissors? | The teeth of the comb-like blade need dedicated skill |
| Do they give a quote before the work? | The work and the price can change with what the check finds |
| How do they send them back, and how are they packed? | Check that they will be returned with the edge protected |
Summary
- Decide when to resharpen by the signs, such as hair escaping or uneven cut ends, not by a fixed period.
- Before sending them for sharpening, check the tension and that they are clean.
- Leave convex edges and Thinning Scissors to a specialist sharpener who keeps the shape of the blade.
Daily care is set out in “How to Care for Your Scissors”.
