Types Of Hair Scissors
Not every pair of hair scissors is equal in style and performance. You can find a lot of hair scissors on todays market but the trick is to choose only one. There are things to take into account, such as size, quality, steel, type and of course your personal preferences. The kind of styling jobs you perform also influence the purchase decision, so if it helps, make a list of all the things you require in a pair of hair scissors to narrow down your options. To help you out, here is a guide of types of blades, handles, scissors and other important information:
Handles
Classic: also known as the even handled hair scissor, for thumbs up cutting.
Offset: with finger rings offset from the blade for an easy grip and increased comfort for thumbs down cutting.
Semi-offset: the thumb ring is placed between the offset and even handle locations, as a combination of both types.
Crane: lower than the offset handle and great for thumbs down cutting.
Swivel: the thumb ring can rotate 360 degrees for more convenience, letting you cut thumbs up or down.
Scissor
Hair cutting scissor: the basic pair with straight edges for general cutting.
Thinning scissor: used to remove bulk and decrease volume by thinning out the hair and blending it.
Texturizing scissors: add texture to hair while removing up to 20% of bulk.
Left scissors: specially made scissors for left-handed hair stylists
Lefty compatible scissors: regular scissors that can be used by both right handed and left handed stylists, by flipping the handle.
Edges
Convex edge: for cutting wet hair and slide cutting, with a precisely sharpened blade at a 40-50 degree angle.
Semi-convex edge: sharp and precise like the convex edge but the blades are sharpened at a 40-45 degree angle.
Bevel edge: sharpened at a 30-50 degree angle and used to cut dry and oily hair.
Custom edge: convex edge sharpened at a 45-50 degree angle, then semi convexed at a slightly lower degree than the convex angle.
Steel
The steel quality makes a big difference in a pair of hair scissors. Durable blades offer a higher performance for longer. Steel hardness is measured with the Rockwell scale and most hairdressing blades use stainless steels that range from Rc 48 to Rc 62. High quality precision scissors will range from Rc 54 to Rc 62, anything lower than Rc 53 is lesser quality and therefore less durable. Choose wisely!
Handles
Classic: also known as the even handled hair scissor, for thumbs up cutting.
Offset: with finger rings offset from the blade for an easy grip and increased comfort for thumbs down cutting.
Semi-offset: the thumb ring is placed between the offset and even handle locations, as a combination of both types.
Crane: lower than the offset handle and great for thumbs down cutting.
Swivel: the thumb ring can rotate 360 degrees for more convenience, letting you cut thumbs up or down.
Scissor
Hair cutting scissor: the basic pair with straight edges for general cutting.
Thinning scissor: used to remove bulk and decrease volume by thinning out the hair and blending it.
Texturizing scissors: add texture to hair while removing up to 20% of bulk.
Left scissors: specially made scissors for left-handed hair stylists
Lefty compatible scissors: regular scissors that can be used by both right handed and left handed stylists, by flipping the handle.
Edges
Convex edge: for cutting wet hair and slide cutting, with a precisely sharpened blade at a 40-50 degree angle.
Semi-convex edge: sharp and precise like the convex edge but the blades are sharpened at a 40-45 degree angle.
Bevel edge: sharpened at a 30-50 degree angle and used to cut dry and oily hair.
Custom edge: convex edge sharpened at a 45-50 degree angle, then semi convexed at a slightly lower degree than the convex angle.
Steel
The steel quality makes a big difference in a pair of hair scissors. Durable blades offer a higher performance for longer. Steel hardness is measured with the Rockwell scale and most hairdressing blades use stainless steels that range from Rc 48 to Rc 62. High quality precision scissors will range from Rc 54 to Rc 62, anything lower than Rc 53 is lesser quality and therefore less durable. Choose wisely!
