Long Lasting Edges for Clippers and Shears

A high quality beauty shear should hold an edge for six months or 600 haircuts, whichever comes first. A high quality pet grooming shear takes much more abuse and needs to be sharpened more regularily. Consider sharpening every three months or 300 pet groomings.

With that said, let's look at some things that can kill an edge:

Chemicals and Dirt

Chlorine from swimming pools, Elumin from hair dye, and Perm chemicals can make hair more caustic and eat up your edges quickly. If the edges on your shears and clippers are only lasting a few weeks, check to see if your customers hair has chemicals or dirt present. If so, wash their hair to avoid these problems. Try to only cut clean hair.

The easiest way to save your best edges is to use one pair of shears and clippers for clean hair, and save another set for use in your perm and chemical treatments.

Emergency Repair and Replacement

There are some common abuses of shears that you will want to avoid. Don't use your shear to cut the tops off of permanent bottles or open boxes, don't place your shear in a drawer unprotected from the other items and don't allow your shears to be dropped or knocked to the floor. Proper care can go a long ways.

If you need emergency blade sharpening or replacement, or in the extreme case, you need a whole new clipper or shear, we may be able to help you out more quickly and cost-effectively than other providers through our relationship with Andis.

Shears not holding their edge

Weak steel or soft steel will give you a weak edge. Apart from investing in a more expensive shear, ask your sharpener to sharpen it at a more shallow angle. Try a 20 degree angle, this should give you additional life out of your sharpening expense.

If you are interested in upgrading your shear blade, consider moving to one of our Andis blades.  We can help you select the best one for your unique needs.

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