A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that that in my HairKit I had 10 pairs of scissors.
I had some responses to that…
“Why do I need 10 pairs?”
So I asked myself the same question…do I really need 10 pairs?
My scissors all have a purpose. I liken it to anyones toolbox. Mechanics don’t have 1 spanner to complete their work, makeup artist don’t use 1 brush, builders don’t have 1 saw for their work. They all use the right tool for the job.
Sure…they could probably complete the work with just 1 tool but ask yourself the question…could they have been more time efficient using a different tool or would using a different size tool have been less physically draining? Would you rather cut down a tree with a chainsaw or a hand saw?
Hairdressing scissors fall into the same category. Pick the right tool for the right job. My scissors fall into the following categories:
All Rounders
These scissors are what most of us have. They do a bit of everything but can’t do everything evenly. Depending on the blade some will cut blunt and straighter, some will cut soft and have more push on the hair. Some point cut well and some don’t. All rounders are a personal feel scissor and will depend on your cutting style when choosing one.
My personal kit has the following All Rounders:
Yamato N 6.5” – This is my longest serving scissor. I’ve had him 17 years and he never misses a beat. Japanese quality clamshell blades so they are beautifully soft on every cut I do. Excellent for deep point cutting on layers and great for working on finer hair.
Pablo Powder Steel 5.75” – New technology from Excellent Edges. Powder steel makes the blades lighter and stronger and hold their edge longer. The mountain blade makes it a strong blunt cut with extra strength in the tips for precision and point cutting. I have this in a smaller blade length for better control when doing graduation and tighter work.
POP 5” – This is my delicate, small blade for when I’m doing close and detailed work. Unfortunately they don’t have these any more and I’ll miss the thin points when I finally wear these scissors out (hopefully not anytime soon though)
Blunt cutters
These are specialised scissors that are pretty much designed to 1 thing only…cut straight lines.
Stingray 6” – As a part of the Fish Kit range in Excellent Edges these are a part of their speciality range. Hitachi ATS-314 Japanese steel means these will last you your career. Unique K Blade creates a modern day serrated scissor effect to hold the hair in place without the chewy effect serrated scissors give. Perfect 1 length haircuts in 3-4 cuts.
Robin 6.5” – These are my barber scissor. Lots of scissor over comb work. The longer blade makes my work faster and the beveled blade cuts clean every time. I’ve had these modified to have a bayonet point put into them. This gives me extra strength right in the tip for added point cutting capabilities.
Slicers
Marlin 6” – Another specialist scissor in ATS-314. A dedicated slicing scissor and can only do this one thing. Try to do anything else with it and you’ll be sorely disappointed. Super soft for deep point cutting and the fat leaf blades give lots of push when softening and scooping out layers. I have had this scissor for many years but honestly…I tend to rarely use this scissor anymore though because of the next one that came later…
Big Mouth Marlin 5” – Exactly the same scissor as the above Marlin but with a couple of differences. It’s way smaller with fatter feeling blades and has finger rests on both sides. This gives even more push and softness and works wonderfull on freehand carving texture in both long and especially short hair.
Anaconda 6” – A dedicated curly hair scissor. One blade is a slicing blade the other transitions from blunt to slice along the blade. This means I can get strong base on curly hair when I begin my cut that pushes into softness as I close the blade. It’s some sort of sorcery…watch some videos of pointcutter.de on Instagram to see how they work. They cut inside out and it will blow your mind how it can promote curl and movement in a haircut.
Texturisers
Croc 6” – In my opinion…everyone should own one of these. Another part of Excellent Edges ATS-314 Fish Kit. 10 aggressive looking teeth but couldn’t be any further from the truth. It cuts soft, is great for scissor over comb blending work and cuts the most wonderful, chewed on blunt fringes/bangs you can’t make unless you point cut weight out for ages. I use these on almost every haircut I do.
Barracuda 6” – Another ATS-314 FIsh Kit blade. 30 tooth radial texturiser keeps every thing soft. I have this when I want softer layering or for weight reduction in certain ares of the head.
So there’s my dilemma. Looking at what is in my kit and asking myself are they all needed only proves to me I might have only 1 or 2 scissors at most I “could” live without. But only because a different scissor has been invented that can do (in my opinion) a better job. But…I still use all of them at different times.
I have these scissors for 2 main reasons:
- They make my work easier
- They make my work better
The easier they make your work the better it is for you. I’d rather a scissor that can give me the result I want with a few cuts than a cheaper pair that I have to do 20 cuts for the same result. In a long term career that amounts to 100s of 1000s of extra thumb, wrist, elbow and shoulder movements. My body is going to thank me down the track for this as well.
Key Points:
- Right tool for the right job
- Tools are designed to assist you
- The right tools will look after you physically
Until next time…
Craig
The Solo Stylist
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