Start the New Year Right: The Ultimate Checklist for Preparing Your Business’s Grooming Tools
Happy New Year, grooming professionals! As we usher in another year of grooming, clipping, and...
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If you are looking for the best dog grooming scissors for your own dog or your grooming business, look no further.
We get this question quite regularly and have written this post to help you make the best decision about which dog grooming scissor to purchase.
Before you read further I’d like to point out that you don’t have to spend a crazy amount of money to get good quality scissors for dog grooming. With that said, it’s important to have the right scissors and tools that offer flexibility in how they cut hair to save you time and get the finished look you desire.
Straight scissors are probably the most common scissors used for pet grooming and come in various lengths, and range from thinners to chunkers. You can get specialized scissors with a swivel thumb making int easier to flip the scissor when combing.
The standard size for straight and curved dog grooming scissors are generally 7”-8” long (probably the most common length for both the DIY home pet groomer as well the professional groomer).
However, scissors can come as short at 4” long and grooming shears up to 10” long.
Shorter scissors would be used primarily for fine trimming in areas such as:
Although you can use a shorter scissor for the body, longer scissors are best for cutting larger areas and avoiding an uneven finish. Scissors long than 6″ are called shears but the term is often interchangeable. The best dog grooming shears usually have one one handle that is slightly bigger than the other making it easier for the groomer to insert more than one finger to allow more control and make it easier to cut more hair at once.
Curved scissors or shears are used for scissoring the curved areas on the dog.
The blades of curved dog grooming shears or scissors have a specific curved shape allowing a more even cut in places without leaving scissor lines that straight scissors do.
Small curved scissors (such as a 4”-6”) can be used on areas like the paws to make a nice and smooth, curved and trimmed looking foot, around ears if you’re wanting a curved looking ear, around faces on breeds such as Shih Tzu or Bichon to make the face look more rounded.
You can also use curves on the back hips or chest to enhance the curves in those areas.
Great for the Novice Groomer
Some straight and curved scissors come with blunt end (rounded) tips which act as more of a safety feature and are a great starter scissor for the novice groomer.
Thinners are primarily used for thick hair in order to achieve a cut close to the skin.
Unlike other types of scissors, most thinners have one blade that is a regular straight blade and the other is like a comb. This combination gives the ability to blend hair without removing too much at a time.
Achieve a Softer Look
Thinners will give a “softer” look, especially around the faces of longer-coated dogs such as Bichons and Shih Tzus. They are great for thinning out the hair on dogs that have thick coats such as Pomeranians and Golden Retrievers.
Double tooth grooming thinners are generally shorter in length and are for fine finishing. This type of thinner doesn’t leave scissor lines which is great for the coats of English and American Cockers.
What is the difference between blenders and thinners?
There is sometimes confusion between blenders and thinners. Thinners are more for fine finishing work whereas blenders take out more hair. Blenders make grooming quick work as they don’t remove all the hair and are perfect for bulk cutting. You’ll get a much better finish than with regular dog grooming scissors.
Again like thinners, chunkers have a regular straight blade and the other is like a comb.
The main difference with chunkers is they have much more spacing between the teeth of the comb. This enables the groomer to blend the coat without removing too much hair, compared to a regular scissor.
If you’re not used to using this type of tool be mindful that it is still easy to remove a lot of hair.
Chunkers are generally best on doodles, collies, and golden retrievers.
Stainless steel is a rust-resistant material and is best used for dog grooming scissors. There are many levels of stainless steel scissors on the market. You will see phrases like “440 stainless steel”, “Japanese steel”, 440C stainless steel”, “VG stainless steel”, etc. All these types of metal are different levels of stainless steel. What this means is there are different elements of metal comprised within the makeup of the scissor.
Some of the lower-end scissors will have softer metal and may not hold an edge as long whereas a higher-end scissor may be lighter in weight, holds an edge longer and have a harder metal makeup.
Scissor steel hardness is rated on what is called the Rockwell Hardness Rating (otherwise known as HRC). This rating measures the actual hardness of the steel. Generally, good quality steel will have a hardness rating of about 57-59. Higher quality scissors made with higher grades (quality) of steel will have a hardness rating of around 60-64.
Price will also play a factor in the quality of of the scissor. The steel made in Japan is considered the best in the world. Korean and Chinese steel is also considered good but tends to be a little softer and may not hold an edge as long. German steel is generally very hard as well but can be more difficult to achieve a razor edge.
We carry grooming scissors and shears chosen specifically for the quality of material, cost and desired outcome for both professional groomers and the novice alike. Whatever you choose, stainless steel scissors still need to be cared for to make them last a lifetime.
Did we give you enough information to make an informed decision about the best scissors for dog grooming?
If you’d like to have a look at what we offer, including our own line of Leading Edge professional grooming scissors you can check out the shop or contact us for more information.
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