Scissor Sharpening for Hairdressers & Barbers
This Page Covers:
✅ How We Sharpen Scissors
✅ Unscrupulous Sharpeners — What to Watch Out For
✅ Convex vs Bevel Edges — Key Differences
✅ Repetitive Strain Injury & Handle Design
✅ How to Check Scissor Tension
✅ Cleaning & Oiling Scissors
✅ Caring for Newly Sharpened Scissors
How We Sharpen
Hairdressing Scissors
✂️ Sharpening Hairdressing Scissors - Our meticulous hairdressing and barber scissor sharpening process is designed to restore perfect cutting performance while extending the life of your scissors. Every pair goes through a detailed, multi-stage service to ensure precision, protection, and longevity.
🔍 1. Inspection & Disassembly - We begin by examining your scissor blades under magnification to identify any damage or wear. The scissors are then fully disassembled, cleaned, and the original manufacturer’s cutting angle is confirmed to ensure minimal metal removal during sharpening.
🫱 2. Hand-Restored Ride Line - Using two specialist Japanese wet stones, we hand-restore the ride line to guarantee smooth, friction-free cutting.
⚙️ 3. Precision Convex Sharpening - Your blades are then sharpened by hand using advanced precision equipment designed specifically for professional hairdressing scissors, including left-handed scissors. A continuous water drip system prevents overheating and protects the steel structure.
🪞 4. Burr Removal & Polishing - After sharpening, the burr is removed on a Japanese wet stone. We then inspect the blades under magnification, ensuring every imperfection is eliminated. The blades are polished on a crystallite pad, cleaned by hand, then lightly re-polished on a fine pad and finished on a Japanese stone for a perfectly polished ride line.
🔧 5. Free Replacement Parts (If Available) - If your scissor manufacturer supplies replacement parts, we will replace screws, washers or bumpers free of charge when needed.
🔩 6. Reassembly, Tensioning & Lubrication - The scissors are reassembled, re-tensioned, and carefully balanced. We apply specialist lubrication and work it through the pivot for smooth, effortless movement.
⭐️ 7. Final Cutting Tests - Every pair undergoes a full-length test cut using specialist fabric and a precision tip test on clean hair to ensure perfect performance before being returned.
Beware Of Unscrupulous Scissor Sharpeners
Sadly, very few sharpeners in the UK have the correct equipment or expertise to sharpen convex hairdressing scissors properly.
An inexperienced sharpener — or someone using the wrong machinery — can dramatically shorten the life of scissors or even destroy them.
Many untrained sharpeners create bevelled edges on convex scissors, remove far too much metal, overheat the blades, or burn the tips. These are all signs of poor technique and can permanently damage both right- and left-handed professional scissors.
A common problem with mobile sharpeners is the “time is money” approach.
High-value hairdressing scissors simply cannot be sharpened correctly in 10 minutes.
⛔ A Quick 10-Minute Sharpening Is a Red Flag
If a sharpener rushes through scissors to get to the next appointment, they are not providing proper service.
This nearly always results in:
-
bevelled edges
-
unnecessary steel loss
-
ruined cutting performance
✅ A true convex-edge specialist will spend 15–25 minutes on a pair of scissors, ensuring:
-
minimal metal removal
-
correct factory angle
-
smooth, polished ride line
-
full disassembly and cleaning
-
proper rebalancing and tensioning
-
razor-sharp, like-new cutting performance
This is the level of service your premium scissors deserve.
What Is The Difference Between:
Convex & Bevelled Hairdressing Scissors?
⭐ Convex Hairdressing Scissors
Most premium hairdressing scissors have convex edges. These edges are:
-
Hand-finished and razor sharp
-
Extremely smooth and sensitive
-
Designed for slide cutting, slice cutting, chipping and fan cuts.
However, convex scissors will quickly lose sharpness if used for blunt cutting or cutting thick sections of hair.
Because they are so delicate, it is essential to choose a specialist convex-edge sharpener to avoid permanent damage.
💠 Bevelled Hairdressing Scissors
Bevelled edge scissors are:
-
Cheaper and more machine-finished
-
Tougher and more nick-resistant
-
Ideal for blunt cutting, point cutting, and bulk hair removal
-
They perform differently from convex scissors and are generally found in more budget-friendly ranges.
🔧 Can Convex Scissors Be Restored if They’ve Been Turned Into Bevelled Scissors?
If your convex hairdressing scissors have been poorly sharpened and now have slight bevel edges, we may be able to re-profile them back to true convex blades, depending on the level of damage.
We will assess them once received and advise you honestly. If the bevel is too heavy, the scissors cannot be fully restored to convex. However, we can significantly improve their performance and ensure they cut perfectly and smoothly before returning them.
Repetitive Strain Injury
✋ RSI – Repetitive Strain/Stress Injuries in Hairdressing
Many hairdressers experience RSI (Repetitive Strain or Stress Injuries) due to repetitive hand movements, poor posture, or using poorly designed scissors.
Choosing the right tools—and maintaining them properly—can make a huge difference to your long-term hand and wrist health.
🔎 Common RSI Symptoms
RSI symptoms often affect the hands and wrists, and may include:
-
Pain or aching
-
Pins and needles
-
Tingling or burning
-
Numbness
-
Swelling
-
Loss of strength
-
Reduced movement
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical advice immediately. Early treatment is essential.
How to Help Prevent RSI
1. Keep Your Scissors at the Correct Tension
Incorrect tension forces your hand to work harder, increasing strain on the fingers, wrist and forearm.
2. Use Serviced, Sharp Scissors
Regular servicing reduces the pressure needed to cut hair, helping protect your hands from unnecessary exertion.
3. Choose Ergonomic Hairdressing Scissors
Avoid opposite-handle designs and look for scissors with ergonomic shapes that support natural hand positioning.
Convex scissors require less pressure to cut than bevelled scissors, reducing strain.
4. Consider Swivel or Offset Scissors
-
Swivel scissors keep your wrist straight by allowing the thumb ring to rotate freely.
-
Offset scissors reduce thumb tension and support a more relaxed, natural grip.
Maintaining a straight wrist while cutting helps significantly in reducing the risk of RSI.
Check Your Scissor Tension Everyday
✂️ Check Your Scissor Tension Every Day
To ensure your hairdressing scissors cut cleanly and perform at their best, you should check the scissor tension every morning before you start work.
⚠️ Why Tension Matters:
🔸 Loose Tension
When blades are too loose, the cutting edges separate during use, preventing a clean cut.
Loose tension can cause your scissors to:
-
Fold or bend the hair
-
Pull or snag hair
-
Fail to cut at the tips
🔸 Tight Tension
If the tension is too tight, the blades grind together, causing:
-
Unnecessary friction
-
Damage to the blade edges
-
Faster wear and tear
Both loose and tight tension can also cause hand fatigue, increasing the risk of strain or injury.
✅ How to Check the Correct Tension
Close the scissors and point the tips toward the ceiling.
Lift and release the blade that has the finger rest.
The free blade should not close completely.
🫱 If you’re right-handed, the blade should stop between 1 and 2 o’clock.
🫲 If you’re left-handed, it should stop between 10 and 11 o’clock.
🔧 Adjusting Your Scissor Tension
-
Always adjust the tension with the blades closed.
-
More tension = turn clockwise
-
Less tension = turn anti-clockwise
Regular tension checks help protect your scissors, extend their lifespan, and keep your cutting effortless and precise.
Cleaning & Oiling Hairdressing Scissors
✨ Clean & Oil Your Scissors After Every Haircut
Cleaning and oiling your hairdressing scissors after every cut is one of the quickest and most effective ways to protect them.
Regular maintenance will:
-
✂️ Improve cutting performance
-
🛡️ Maintain sharpness for longer
-
🚫 Prevent rust and corrosion
-
⏳ Extend the lifespan of your scissors
-
Stop debris and bacteria building up around the pivot
🧽 How to Clean Your Hairdressing Scissors
Carefully rinse your scissors with warm water.
Dry with a paper towel, but do not rub the sharp edges—only dab gently.
Ensure all hair and moisture is removed, especially around the screw/pivot area.
Moisture or trapped hair near the pivot is one of the most common causes of corrosion and stiffness.
🧴 How to Oil Your Scissors Properly
Apply a thin line of high-quality scissor oil along each blade.
Add one drop of oil to the screw/pivot area - this helps lift out trapped hair and protects the internal parts.
✔️ If your scissors have a thumb tensioner - Oil between the blades and behind the screw head.
✔️ If your scissors have a flat screw - Oil between the blades and on top of the screw head.
Open and close the scissors several times to distribute the oil evenly and lubricate the washer.
Wipe away any excess oil and debris with a clean paper towel.
When You Get Your Newly Sharpened Scissors Back
It is very important that you do NOT adjust the screw when your newly sharpened hairdressing scissors are returned to you.
We set the correct factory-accurate tension, and this is exactly how your scissors should feel when you re-tension them in the future.
✂️ Get Used to the New Sharpness
Your scissors will feel noticeably different after sharpening—especially if you were previously pressure cutting with blunt blades.
Please take time to adjust to the new feel, and avoid using excessive pressure, as this will quickly dull the fresh, sharp edges.
🚫 Don’t Lend Your Newly Sharpened Scissors
To protect the sharpness and balance of your scissors:
-
Avoid letting others use them
-
Other stylists may pressure cut, instantly blunting the edges
-
They may also alter the tension or balance, making the scissors feel different after just one haircut
Your scissors are a precision tool—treat them as such.