Guide to Keeping your Beauty Shears and Grooming Shears performing their best!

There are a few simple steps you can take to care for your scissors. Shear maintenance is key to the longevity of your beauty or grooming shears.  

Here are our helpful shear care tips!

1. Clean after each use.  This is very important, especially when hair becomes trapped in the pivot area. Giving your shear a thorough cleaning and wipe down is key. Some people use rubbing alcohol or a shear disinfectant to sanitize their shears. Soap and water is also a great way to clean your shears, just remember to completely dry after you are done. A cotton cloth or chamois is recommended. 
2. Oil the pivot.  We use an alcohol wax-based lubricant on all the shears we sharpen.  This is not a traditional oil-based lubricant, meaning it isn’t greasy.  Wax-based lubricants wash away dirt and debris from under the pivot and leave a waxy coating to enhance the ease of opening and closing the shear. Oil-based lubricants can trap dust, debris, and hair particles. This is why we use a wax-based lubricant on scissors. The alcohol in the mixture will evaporate leaving the wax lubricant on the shear.  For regularly used shears this is recommended a few times a week or after cleaning your shears. If you wash off the lubricant, it needs to be replaced. You only need to apply a small amount to the pivot. With your shears slightly open place a small drop on either side of the pivot ride. Then close and open a few times to evenly spread out the lubricant.  With a cotton cloth or chamois clean off any excess lubricant. This will help protect the shear from rusting or becoming stiff.  Your shear should always cut smoothly and lubricant will help this. 
3. Store your shears in a safe dry place. Shears should be kept somewhere they cannot fall, collect dust, or bump into other shears.  You can use the box your shears came in or a drawer with a soft absorbent lining (such as a towel in the bottom.) Shears are fine tuned tools, so avoiding rattling around is important.
4. Adjust your tension.  If you notice your shear is not cutting evenly and with ease, it could be a tension issue. Hold your shear by the finger ring pointing upward. With your other hand, raise the thumb ring to a fully open position. Release the thumb ring. The shear should stop at around the halfway open point, roughly 45 degrees. If it closes more than this, close the shear and tighten the tension only a few clicks at a time. Test the tension after every few clicks.  If your shear does not reach the half open mark, loosen the tension.  Some shears have an external tension dial that can easily be adjusted by hand. Other shears have an internal tension dial and will require a specialized tool or key. Shears should come with an appropriate sized tool for tension adjustment or you can find a replacement online.
5. Avoid “pressure cutting.” Cutting shouldn’t require you to squeeze the shear. The motion should be light and easy. If you find your shear isn’t cutting well without added effort, check the tension. If it isn’t the tension, it may be time to reach out to a professional beauty and grooming shear sharpener. 
6. If at some point your shear becomes damaged, such as small nicks or it isn’t cutting well, do not continue using the shear.  Continued use can cause more damage and will require more of the edge to be removed in the sharpening process.  This greatly diminishes the life of your shear.  Seek a professional to sharpen and repair your shears.
7. Regular sharpening is a necessity.  Normal use will cause wear and tear on your shear. Much like car maintenance,  your shears need tune ups to perform properly.  For shears that are used daily, it’s recommended to have your beauty and grooming shears sharpened 2-3 times a year.  When finding a sharpener, keep in mind that beauty and grooming shears require specialized training. Someone who only has experience and equipment to sharpen industrial, fabric, and household scissors may not properly sharpen beauty and grooming shears.  Improper sharpening can result in more damage than good and will shorten the life of your shears.  Search for sharpeners with specific experience with beauty or grooming, convex and semi-convex shears.  We offer both local and Mail-in sharpening. Our experts meticulously sharpen beauty and grooming shears to the highest industry standards.  Our sharpening is always guaranteed.  We also have extensive experience correcting the damages caused by improper sharpening. 

Learn more about our Mail In Sharpening Services here.

Or Drop off Sharpening at our Bastrop, TX location. Full Info Here.

If you have any questions we are happy to talk.

Contact us at info@prosharpeningsupply or 512-520-2764