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Section 2: Which Blade Type is for You?

A critical factor to take into consideration is blade type. A shears’ blade
type will have a direct effect on its performance and cutting ability.
Often thought of as one of the most important factors to consider when
purchasing haircutting shears — this decision should not be taken
lightly.

Scissor manufacturing techniques have evolved tremendously over the
last few decades. Innovative new forging and crafting techniques have
been developed leading to a variety of scissor blade types being released
into the market.

Below we explain the blade types that you are most likely to encounter
when purchasing a new pair of shears.

Beveled Edged Blades

The beveled edge blade design is one of the oldest and most commonly
used in production today. This blade type can cut well but requires
considerably more force and pressure than convex blades currently on
the market. Although predominantly the least expensive blade type, a
major drawback of the beveled edge is that it can’t be used for advanced
cutting techniques such as “slide cutting”.

Serrated or Corrugated Beveled Edges

Convex Edged Blades

This type of blade design is extremely powerful and facilitates smooth
and sharp cutting. As the outer face of the blade is curved this blade type
is especially suitable for ‘slide cutting’ and allows for more advanced
cutting techniques to be used. The sharper angle of the cutting edge on
a convex shear makes them cut smoother and stay sharp longer. Due
to these attributes this blade type is harder to make than others and so
shears with convex edges are usually more expensive than a comparable
beveled shear.

All Sensei Shears have a Convex Blade

Other Terms Associated with Blades:

Hollow Ground - You may hear blades referred to as hollow ground.
This refers to the inside of the blade. Nearly all higher quality shears
are hollow ground meaning the inside of the blade is concave. In other
words, lower in the center of the blade and getting higher as it moves
to the edge or to the back of the blade. This allows the edges to contact
but then the edge is not forced to drag against the inside of the blade as
it closes.

Honed Edge is a term that is used by some to describe a smooth finish
beveled edge. In reality all high quality edges are honed which is a
sharpening methodology.

Semi-Convex Edge is a term used to describe a narrow beveled edge
but it is not the same as a true convex edge.

Sword Blade

Sword Blade describes a blade that has it’s peak or highest point, in the
center. This blades slopes in both directions from that ridge line, toward
the back of the blade and toward the edge. It makes the blade stiffer and
some argue better for cutting thicker sections. The cut from a sword
blade is not quite as soft or effortless as a convex edge because the angle
of the edge is more blunt.

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