Why You Should Own Three Pairs Of Hairdressing Scissors

It used to be perfectly acceptable to do a whole haircut with one pair of scissors. Let’s be clear: it still is. But “acceptable” was never the goal, was it?

Waaaay back, hairdressing scissors came with one blade type, and left-handers had to learn on right-handed scissors because the factories simply didn’t make them. You used what was available, and it was pretty grim. There’s far more choice now — and the choice is where the craft gets interesting.

Why one shear can’t do everything

Nine times out of ten, a haircut asks for several different cutting skills, and different skills want different edges. Here’s the bit most people get wrong.

A bevel edge is amazing for scissor-over-comb and terrible for slicing. A convex edge is sharpened at a much finer angle, which makes it more razor-like — so everyone assumes it’s simply “sharper”. In theory it is. But wait for it… a convex edge pushes the hair out of the scissor. Shock! Horror!

Don’t worry, it makes sense. Because a bevel edge is sharpened at a much steeper angle, as the blades close it grabs the hair and cuts straight through it at 90 degrees, without letting it slip. When a convex edge makes the same cut, the hair slides along the blades until they reach about 45 degrees, and then they cut. That leaves the end of the hair open at an angle and gives a softer, more wispy finish — perfect for textured cuts, and exactly why convex is the edge you slice with.

Don’t think about what you can get away with. Think about what you can achieve with a selection of shears that each deliver a different finish.

The three shears

1. Cutting

Cutting shears can come with three different edge types, but most people go for a longer 6–7″ shear with a middle-of-the-road semi-convex edge. It’s a good all-round edge for most cuts and hair types.

Personally, I use one shear for the mainstay of my work — my 6.5″ Master Craft — but I do change over when it gets a bit unwieldy. I don’t want to scare my client by coming at the detail work with a huge scissor, and sometimes it’s just nice to feather the ends with the correct tool.

2. Detailing and finishing

Detailing shears tend to be a bit shorter than your main cutter, normally around 4.5″–5.5″. They usually have a convex edge, because for the most part they’ll be slicing, feathering, point cutting and working long layers. The handle might be slightly different too, to allow for irregular hand positions. A good detailing shear makes day-to-day salon life easier and saves you time — which, of course, means more money.

3. Texturing

Texturing and thinning scissors get a really bad reputation because of how they’re used. This is the one area that genuinely lacks training and knowledge. Too often they’re used to blend away mistakes — which is OK, but not ideal — and stylists go a little too deep and damage the whole structure of the cut.

But used properly, this type of scissor is so, so good. Personally, I can perform whole cuts using just a texturing scissor, encouraging movement and reducing weight. Used with care, texturisers create soft ends, reduce internal weight, and help with face framing and point cutting. (More in our thinning scissor guide.)

So, how many do you need?

One shear is OK. But a solid range of different edges, blade types and lengths gives you a set that will satisfy any stylist — and, in turn, keeps your clients happier and coming back.

If you’re building your three, our Master Trio (Master Craft + Master Precision + 303 Thinner) puts all three jobs in one box. Or see everything in Bundles & Kits.

Dan Wild · Founder, Quartered Steels · Belfast