Shear Care 101: How to Maintain Your Salon Shears

featuring Fromm

Your shears are one of the most important tools in your kit, but if you’re not properly caring for them, you may be missing out on their full potential. Do you know how often you should be cleaning, oiling and sharpening your shears? What about how to tension-test your shears? Below, we’re answering these FAQs (and more), so you can start showing your shears some love!
 

What You Need In Your Shear Kit

First things first. To get the most out of your shears, you’ll need these three basic tools in your kit. We’ll explain what to do with each tool below!
 

1. Clean cotton cloth
2. Shear oil
3. Tension tool

In order to keep your shears in tip-top shape, you’ll need to perform these maintenance checks: after every haircut, once a week and every six months.
 

How Often Should You Clean Your Shears?

After every haircut, wipe the blade from the pivot of the shears to the ends with a cotton cloth. Remember to close your shears and place them on a towel between use - this will help protect the blades.
 

How Often Should You Oil Your Shears?

Oil your shears once a week to prevent corrosion. Here’s how.
 

1. Use a single drop of oil between the blades and screw.
2. Open and close your shears several times, working the oil behind the joint. This will help release the product and hair fragments between the blades and around the screw.
3. Wipe away any excess oil.

How Often Should You Sharpen Your Shears?

Every six months, you’ll need to sharpen the blades. Remember: dry or chemically-treated hair will dull your shears rapidly. Sharpening needs vary depending on:
 

• The material of your shears
• The edge type of your shears
• The overall quality level of your shears

Remember, carrying shears in a case is the best way to keep them protected!
 

How To Tension-Test Your Shears

Your shear’s performance depends on its tension. To test your shear’s tension, hold the finger ring in your left hand with the blade pointing up, open the shears 90 degrees with your right hand and then release. An angle of 10 to 30 degrees between the blades is ideal.
 

• If the angle is less than 10 degrees, the tension is too loose.
• If the angle is more than 30 degrees, the tension is too tight.
• Use the tension tool from your kit to adjust the shears. To tighten, turn the screw to the right. To loosen, turn the screw to the left.
• Make small adjustments and test after each one, until the tension is right.

Shear Troubleshooting

Sometimes your shears will need additional maintenance. Follow these guidelines to easily solve your most common shear dilemmas.
 

• All nicks on the blade require sharpening.
• If your shears fold or push hair, double-check the tension. Usually, this means the tension is too loose. If the folding or pushing continues, have your shears sharpened.