Section
4: Selecting Your Perfect Handle
By now if you’ve been following this guide correctly
you should have decided on the edge sytle and material of your blade, leaving
you ready to make the next big decision — your scissor handle.
When choosing the handle type of your scissors there are a two things that
you will need to consider:
• Overall Hand Position
• Thumb Interface
It is important that you find a combination of the
two attributes above that will provide you with maximum comfort, maximum
ease of use and most importantly maximum effectiveness. Below is a brief
guide
explaining the basics of the most common scissor handle characteristics
in the industry to date:
Handle
Position
The first and most important decision you will have
to make regarding your scissor handle is its position and style, the most
common of which are below:
Symmetric Handle or Opposing Grip
This style of handle is the oldest and least ergonomic
and features handles of the same length that are symmetrical to the center
screw. These shears force a stylist to raise their elbow to a horizontal
position
for many techniques. They might be suited for those who cut with the thumb
and middle finger. They are however the most likely style to cause RSI (Repetitive
Stain Injury) and CTS (Carpel Tunnel Syndrome).
[Back to Top]
Offset Handle
An offset handle pair of shears feature a short thumb
handle and a longer finger handle. They were the first attempt to make shears
more comfortable and healthy for hairstylists. By having a shorter thumb
handle, they put less stress on the thumb tendon and therefore can help
reduce the risk of CTS. They still however, require a raised elbow position
for many techniques. [Back to Top]
Crane
Handle
The crane handle is also offset but it has one significant
difference. If you hold the blades of crane shear horizontally, the handle
will angle downward instead of being centered on the blades. This dramatically
improves the ergonomics because it relieves and prevents stress on the thumb,
arm and shoulder by allowing the hairdresser to cut with their elbow in
a lower position. The same angle of the handle also moves the stylists hand away from the body when cutting on the skin allowing
for a freer more open cut. For most stylists, a crane handle shear is recommended
to relieve stress and minimize risk of RSI. [Back to Top]
Extended Crane
or Neutral Grip
This describes recently designed shears where the thumb
handle is much shorter and the thumb hole is farther offset from the finger
hole. In the case of Neutral Grip shears the thumb hole is actually in a
neutral position for the thumb, across from the index finger position like
a resting hand. The hand remains in a open configuration minimizing stress
on the tendons of the hand. These designs can go a long way to reducing
the risk of RSI. [Back to Top]
Handle Thumb Treatments
Now you’ve chosen your handle its time to decide which
thumb treatment will be right for you and your style of cutting. Since your
thumb is doing most of the work of cutting, a lot of thought has gone into
designs to make the thumb more comfortable and reduce the work the thumb
has to do.
Standard Flat Thumb
 |
Standard flat thumb ring has been around for many
years. Sometimes lefties who use right handed shears
will prefer a flat thumb because they can use it in the left hand
easily. If on the other hand they are using true left handed shears
they is no need to be forced to use the standard thumb ring. This
style affords no special ergonomic benefit. [Back to Top] |
Cut Away Thumb Handle
 |
This style of thumb grip has an
indentation cut out at the back of the ring. It also allows the side
of the thumb to be used to open the shear, affording the option of
lowering the elbow when cutting the length. [Back to Top] |
Anatomic Thumb
 |
Shears designed with an anatomic
thumb grip allow for even greater radial movement which translates
into more freedom of motion for the stylist. It also allows the side
of the thumb to be used to open the shear to lower the elbow when
cutting the length. [Back to Top] |
Rotating Thumb Handle
 |
This style of thumb grip is a recent
innovative advancement to the hair industry. When properly used, a
rotating thumb handle will allow an entire cut to be done with the
elbow down. At the same time, the open grip keeps the hand relaxed
as it would be in the above mentioned extended and neutral grips.
Rotating handles have been shown to reduce repetitive stress injuries
and are even recommended by doctors and hand therapists. [Back to Top] |
