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Grooming Shears: Choosing, Using and Caring for Them
Clippers get the bulk of the work done, but shears give a groom its finish. Choosing and caring for them well pays off every day.
Scissor work is where a good groom becomes a great one: the round head on a bichon, the smooth legs on a poodle, a clean tidy around the feet. It is also where your hands work hardest. The right shears, held well and kept sharp, make the finish better and the day easier on your body.
The main types
- Straight shears are the workhorse for flat surfaces, legs and setting lines.
- Curved shears follow round shapes like heads, topknots, feet and rear ends with less effort.
- Thinning shears have teeth on one blade and remove a small amount of hair per cut, which helps blend and soften lines.
- Chunkers have wider teeth and take out more hair than thinners while leaving a natural look, useful for blending larger areas.
- Small detail shears help around eyes, pads and other tight spots. Many groomers use ball tipped shears near the face for extra safety.
Lengths vary, and there is no single right size. Longer blades cover more coat per cut; shorter ones give more control in small areas. Many groomers build a kit slowly, starting with one good straight, one curve and one thinner.
Hold them to protect your hand
Most scissoring motion should come from the thumb, with the other fingers keeping the lower blade steady. Common habits that strain the hand include gripping too hard, pushing the thumb deep into the ring and scissoring with the wrist bent. Finger ring inserts can help shears fit properly, and offset or swivel thumb designs suit some groomers better than classic straight handles. Since hand and wrist pain is one of the most common reasons groomers cut back, this is worth getting right early; more on that in the physical cost of grooming.
Keep them sharp and clean
- Clean after each dog. Wipe off hair and product. Grit and dirty coats dull blades, which is another reason to scissor only on a clean, fully dry coat; see getting the bath and dry right.
- Oil the pivot regularly so the blades move smoothly.
- Check the tension. Too loose and the shears fold hair instead of cutting it; too tight and your hand works harder.
- Never drop them. A drop can nick an edge or knock the blades out of alignment.
- Send them for professional sharpening from someone experienced with grooming shears. A poor sharpening job can ruin an edge.
- Store them in a case so blades do not knock against other tools.
Signs your shears need attention
If the shears push or fold hair instead of cutting cleanly, leave chewed ends, catch at one point in the stroke or make your hand ache more than usual, they likely need tension adjustment, cleaning or sharpening.
Budgeting for good tools
Quality shears can cost a lot, and in many salons groomers buy their own. That cost comes out of your pay, so it is worth thinking of shears as an investment you spread across many grooms. If you are comparing jobs, check who pays for tools and sharpening; it belongs on any job offer checklist. For a sense of how tool costs compare with what a groom pays you, see what each groom really pays you.