Section 7: Choosing a Texture Shear
There is a dazzling array of texture shears available
today. There is also a lot of confusion among hairstylists as to which texture
shears they need.
Thinning or
Blending Shears
A shear which has narrow teeth and narrow spaces between
the teeth will remove weight in a way that does not create visible texture
or volume. The cut and uncut hair will tend to blend together. They usually
have between 30–45 teeth depending on the length of the blade. The
thinning shear is ideal for blending away scissor marks in the hair and
removing weight without creating more volume. It can also be used to soften
and remove bluntness from a cut.
NOTE: For most stylists it makes sense to start
by getting a good quality thinning/blending shear so you can easily soften
and remove marks from your hair cuts. You can apply visible texture to your
hair cuts manually by point cutting and slide cutting.
Then as you become busy and need to save more time, investing in texture
shears can really make sense. You can save wear and tear on the tips of
your shears by using an agressive texture shear to replace much of your
point cutting. You can create subtle texture in your styles by using less
agressive texture shears. Both of those types of tools are designed to speed
up work that can otherwise be done manually.
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Subtle Texture
Shears
These are shears with slightly wider teeth and slightly
wider spaces between the teeth. They will typically have anywhere from 14-22
teeth. The slightly wider teeth cut a more substantial piece of hair than
a blending shear. This wider piece of short hair will be more visible
compared to the uncut piece of longer hair. The short hair will lay under
and support the uncut hair creating visible texture and potentially volume.
This type of shear can be used on most clients since the results are subtle
but noticeable in terms of an increase in volume and decrease in bluntness.
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Aggressive
Texture Shears
These shears have wider teeth and wider spaces. They
typically have from 5 to 9 teeth. and cut a significant notch into the hair
section. The uncut hair is also in wider pieces so the texture is obvious
between the cut and uncut hair. These can be used on many clients but you
must expect aggressive texture from these shears.
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Other Texture
Terms:
Razor Texturing
Shears are texture shears that are capable of
slide- cutting the hair between the teeth as you draw them out. They require
a convex edge on the straight bladed side.
“Cut and Comb Out” is
a phrase that refers to a texture shear’s ability to avoid catching
or pulling hair as you draw it out of the hair section with the blades closed.
This requires a very refined edge.
Curved or Radial-Cut
Teeth refers to the more sophisticated texture
shears being made today with teeth that curve instead running straight and
vertical. The curved teeth tend to create a softer less blunt looking texture.
Wee-Teeth or
Serrated Teeth refers to fine grooves that are
cut into the blade surface on the tip of the teeth of a texture shear. These
small teeth hold the hair in place when making a cut.
Soft Shear
refers to a shear that is actually two shears, a texture
shear and cutting shear, connected together. The concept is to texture the
ends at the same time the length is cut. However if they are permanently
connected they can only be used for cutting with this technique. Some manufacturers
make matching shears with connecting systems to allow them to be used together
or separately.
Double Thinning
Shears are shears with teeth on both sides instead
of having one straight blade. If they are well made they can cut without
leaving a visible line where they were closed. You can comb out with the
blades closed in any direction. With a straight edge on one side, if you
comb out so the hair is in contact with the straight edge, the hair can
pull or be torn against the straight edge. With teeth on both sides you
can turn the shear in any direction on the way out of the section without
concern. [Back to Top]
