Scissor Care Guide — How to Look After Your Professional Scissors
How to Care for Your Professional Scissors — A Guide from a Scissorsmith
Your scissors are a precision instrument. Treat them like one. After 35+ years in this industry — sharpening over 100,000 pairs — I've seen every way a good scissor gets ruined. This guide covers everything you need to know to protect your investment and keep your scissors cutting perfectly for years.
— Matt Grumley, ShearGenius Scissor Co.
1. Clean After Every Use
Hair, product buildup, and moisture are the three biggest enemies of a scissor edge. After each client, wipe both blades with a soft, dry cloth. Pay attention to the pivot area — product residue accumulates there and causes drag.
For a deeper clean at the end of the day, use a small amount of scissor cleaner or isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free cloth. Wipe the blades from spine to edge (never draw the cloth across the edge — you'll nick yourself and blunt the blade). Allow to dry fully before oiling.
2. Oil Regularly — But Not Too Much
One small drop of scissor oil at the pivot point, daily, is all you need. Open the scissors to 45°, apply one drop at the screw, and work it in by opening and closing a few times. Then wipe away any excess from the blades.
Too much oil attracts product buildup and makes the scissors feel sluggish. Too little and the pivot wears faster and the action gets stiff. One drop, once a day. That's it.
Use scissor-specific oil only. WD-40, hair oil, and general lubricants are not suitable and will damage the blades over time.
3. Tension Is Everything
The tension on your scissors is the single most important factor in how they cut. Too loose and the blades flex — the scissors fold hair instead of cutting it. Too tight and you fatigue your hand and accelerate wear.
The correct tension: hold one handle and let the other fall open under its own weight. It should drop to about 45° and no further. If it drops all the way open, it's too loose. If it barely moves, it's too tight.
Adjust the tension screw (or click wheel) in small increments — usually a quarter turn at a time. Test after each adjustment. Don't over-tighten trying to compensate for blunt blades — sharpen them instead.
4. Store Them Right
Always store scissors in a case or pouch when not in use. Dropping them on a hard bench is one of the fastest ways to roll or chip a convex edge. Even a short fall onto tiles can do damage that requires resharpening to fix.
Keep scissors away from other metal tools — rattling around in a drawer against combs, clips, and other scissors dulls the edge faster than use does.
If you're travelling, use a rigid scissor case. Soft pouches are fine for short moves around the salon; they're not adequate protection for your kit bag.
5. Know When to Sharpen
The signs your scissors need sharpening:
- Hair folds or bends instead of cutting cleanly
- You feel resistance or drag through sections
- You're pressing harder than usual to get a clean cut
- The cut line looks rough or uneven
- Your hand is fatiguing faster than normal
If you notice any of these, stop working with the scissors and get them sharpened. Continuing to cut with blunt scissors accelerates damage and increases the risk of repetitive strain in your wrist and thumb.
6. Never Cut Anything That Isn't Hair
This sounds obvious, but it's the number one cause of scissor damage in salons. Paper, tinfoil, tape, packaging — one cut through any of these and you have a notched or rolled edge that requires professional resharpening.
Keep a pair of general-purpose scissors at your station for everything that isn't hair. Protect your investment.
7. Professional Sharpening vs. DIY
Don't sharpen your own scissors with a honing rod, leather strop, or consumer scissor sharpener. These tools are designed for kitchen knives — not convex-edge hairdressing scissors. They'll round off the edge, change the blade geometry, and can ruin a pair of scissors permanently.
Professional sharpening uses specific equipment to restore the convex edge profile without removing unnecessary steel. A good sharpening should last 3–6 months of full-time professional use. If yours isn't lasting that long, the sharpening method is the problem — not the frequency.
We sharpen all brands. Book your sharpening here.
Daily Care Checklist
- ✓ Wipe blades clean after each client
- ✓ One drop of oil at the pivot, end of day
- ✓ Check and adjust tension if needed
- ✓ Store in case or pouch when not in use
- ✓ Never cut anything except hair
Questions about caring for your specific scissors? Get in touch — we're happy to help.