Scissors?

[DEATHMgck]

So i have all this homing equipment. I have enjoyed bringing back edges on my razors. I have sharpened and honed my and everyone I know knives.

I was asked by a seamstress friend if I would be able to hone her pricy shears. I did some digging and could not find anything about using stoned to sharpen shears. A lot about cutting foil, but not much else.

Any insight on this?

 

[bluesman 7]

Some info,

Some barber and stylist shears are made with blades that have a lot in common to hollow ground straight razors. they are quite different than the way normal scissors are ground and sharpened. I had a long discussion with a person who honed these for a living at a razor meet. A few years later I invited him to do a demo at another razor meet so that I could get some in person instruction on the same. Shears of this type can be easily ruined by someone who tries to sharpen them as if they are scissors. Surprisingly this shear design was not invented until the 1960s, and not all hair cutting shears are made this way. There is some disagreement about the best way to sharpen this design of shear, but I'm very happy with the method that I was taught.

I don't know if this hollow ground design is used for high end sewing shears or not, but the fact that she referred to them as shears would make me cautious of giving instruction without having the shears in hand.

After the demo on this type of hollow ground shears, I immediately purchased a low cost pair when I got home to get some hands on with them. I vastly improved them from the factory hone, and some years later when I needed to get a professional hair cut (my wife normally cuts my hair) I touched them up and took them to the stylist to use on me. The stylist was impressed with how sharp I had gotten them, and remarked the same to the other stylists.

I sharpen all of our normal scissors too, but in a very different way to these hollow ground shears.

 

[DEATHMgck]

Some info,

Some barber and stylist shears are made with blades that have a lot in common to hollow ground straight razors. they are quite different than the way normal scissors are ground and sharpened. I had a long discussion with a person who honed these for a living at a razor meet. A few years later I invited him to do a demo at another razor meet so that I could get some in person instruction on the same. Shears of this type can be easily ruined by someone who tries to sharpen them as if they are scissors. Surprisingly this shear design was not invented until the 1960s, and not all hair cutting shears are made this way. There is some disagreement about the best way to sharpen this design of shear, but I'm very happy with the method that I was taught.

I don't know if this hollow ground design is used for high end sewing shears or not, but the fact that she referred to them as shears would make me cautious of giving instruction without having the shears in hand.

After the demo on this type of hollow ground shears, I immediately purchased a low cost pair when I got home to get some hands on with them. I vastly improved them from the factory hone, and some years later when I needed to get a professional hair cut (my wife normally cuts my hair) I touched them up and took them to the stylist to use on me. The stylist was impressed with how sharp I had gotten them, and remarked the same to the other stylists.

I sharpen all of our normal scissors too, but in a very different way to these hollow ground shears.

Interesting. Never knew there were hollow ground shears.

Im kinda thinking like what you did. Give it a go woth some cheaper psirs and see what i can do.

 

[bluesman 7]

Interesting. Never knew there were hollow ground shears.

Yeah, when ozarkedger was first explaining them to me I thought that he didn't know what he was talking about. After a time I realized that I was the one who didn't know what I was talking about. Unfortunately at the time we did not have an example to look at.

 

[FarmerTan]

When I was cutting hair I used scissors that have disposable blades. Awesome things. Ran about $10 a pair of blades if I bought them in a case. I had ones they called "60/65" I think. I THINK a company called Jatai owned them, but Feather made the blades, IIRC.

It was hard to get them locally, last time I bought some from the US distributor in California. Sally's only carried the 50/55 or 40/45, whatever they were, because mine were like the size of barber shears, and women prefer the smaller ones. Unless they have big hands I suppose.

What I liked about them was how nice they performed. What I didn't was sometimes you'd get 10 cuts out of a set, sometimes HUNDREDS! And when they went dull, it was right NOW, kinda like a lithium battery goes dead.

But I highly recommend them.

A nice pair of Japanese scissors can EASILY set you back $500.

 

[bluesman 7]

A nice pair of Japanese scissors can EASILY set you back $500.

Right, the fellow that I know who sharpens stylist shears for a living does most of his work in the parking lots because his clients felt more comfortable, that and the fact that they could get them back in under an hour.

 

[stringer bean]

There is a good walkthrough on KKF by a knife maker who started out sharpening knives and shears out of a van. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link but if you do a Google search for:
Sharpening Barber Scissors Martell
You will see it.

 

[bluesman 7]

That's a great resource @stringer bean. His instruction falls in line with what I was taught. Great descriptions and cautions!

 

[David]

Dave knows his stuff.

 

[FarmerTan]

Right, the fellow that I know who sharpens stylist shears for a living does most of his work in the parking lots because his clients felt more comfortable, that and the fact that they could get them back in under an hour.

Actually, the last time I looked at anything but the "Switch Blade" scissors was probably about the time I bought mine. Japanese made quality hairstyling shears may be less or more than that today.

Back in the 80's we Cosmetologist folk were ALWAYS chasing the latest and greatest. The gimmicky stuff that I bought then was mostly only good at lightening my wallet.

 

[DEATHMgck]

There is a good walkthrough on KKF by a knife maker who started out sharpening knives and shears out of a van. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link but if you do a Google search for:
Sharpening Barber Scissors Martell
You will see it.

Ill look this up after work. Thanks!

 

[DEATHMgck]

Glad im not the only one whos looked into this.

 

[Omarz]

Quickest and ezyest way to sharpen shears for fabric is get some 1000 grit and cut in to it 15 20 times, other wise get the blade the top angled edge where each blade meets that is the edge that needs to be honed.
DO NOT hone the inner edge the flat section you will ruin them my family have been appholsters for 25 years I’ve been sharpening them since I was 10 Iv also done appholstery for 6 years never use a bench grinder or linisher do it by hand. And don’t rush.

 

[DEATHMgck]

Quickest and ezyest way to sharpen shears for fabric is get some 1000 grit and cut in to it 15 20 times, other wise get the blade the top angled edge where each blade meets that is the edge that needs to be honed.
DO NOT hone the inner edge the flat section you will ruin them my family have been appholsters for 25 years I’ve been sharpening them since I was 10 Iv also done appholstery for 6 years never use a bench grinder or linisher do it by hand. And don’t rush.

Hmmm. 1000 grit would seem a bit rough to me. But its worth a shot. Thanks

 

[Omarz]

Hmmm. 1000 grit would seem a bit rough to me. But its worth a shot. Thanks

I questioned it to but it works I don’t know how or why but it just does keep it mind doing that won’t be like a proper hone it’s just Patch up sort of thing

 

[SliceOfLife]

It’s probably just knocking down burrs that have formed on the inside.

 

[stone and strop]

DO NOT hone the inner edge the flat section you will ruin them

I do not hone them but knock the burr off with a couple quick rubs on the EF diamond.

 

[Omarz]

I do not hone them but knock the burr off with a couple quick rubs on the EF diamond.

I wouldn’t even do that as when you work them they knock off the burr on the other blade.

 

[stone and strop]

I wouldn’t even do that as when you work them they knock off the burr on the other blade.

I understand closing them will remove the burr but removing it with another piece of metal grinding against it seems wrong to me.
Its little more than 1-2 wipes very lightly with the hone flat and it constitutes the very last step in the process.
It has worked well for me for some time now.
I completely agree that any metal removal on the flat is not desirable and probably best left to professionals.

 

[Omarz]

I understand closing them will remove the burr but removing it with another piece of metal grinding against it seems wrong to me.
Its little more than 1-2 wipes very lightly with the hone flat and it constitutes the very last step in the process.
It has worked well for me for some time now.
I completely agree that any metal removal on the flat is not desirable and probably best left to professionals.

The reason I say I wouldn’t do it is because, in the long term those 2 to 3 swipes may only take off 1000th but a few weeks or moths depending on how many times they are sharpend that 1000th could be 2 to 3 mm and that will make a hugh difference. I agree that metal on metal isn’t great but for the line of work I did and sisscors costing 150 a set we didn’t do that so they lasted years and years. But it’s totaly up to you.