Below  is a list of frequently asked questions about SHEARS that I have compiled over the years. Click on the question you would like the answer to. Read carefully, you may recognize a question you sent to me .

This information was last updated  04/16/2008

If you don't see the question you would like the answer to, just email your question to:daddyrays.net

• I can only find scissors made for human hair. My shears sometimes get kicked off the grooming table, and I don't want to have to buy the better barber/beautician shears because they are so delicate.  I am looking for a rugged, yet light and sharp shear that that is not "wimpy".  Does anyone make good quality shears made especially for pet groomers?

• I need to know what if anything can be done about this pair of shears I have that are TOO SHARP! SERIOUSLY they are too sharp. I cut myself  almost every time I use them, and today I cut the top of an ear with them and was not even close to closing the shears all the way. Got any ideas on what to do to DULL them?

• I have several pair of shears, used for dog grooming, that need to be sharpened.  What is your price and what is the turn around time,

• I have been having my shears sharpened locally, by a man who does great on our blades, but I'm not always happy with the shears, and you will see, some have been ground down quite a lot. 

• My biggest complaint with my local guy, is with the longer shears, for some reason they usually have a dead spot about 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the tip.

• I have Geib Super Gators with a serrated edge.  I would like to keep that serrated edge.  Also, can you put a serrated edge on a shear that doesn't already have one?

• Just a question  for when you get a minute.. We had a discussion  on the GL about the best way to store our scissors.  I just bought one of those magnetic strips you attach to a wall, and have really liked having the scissors in what seemed to be a safe, and to be sure -- a handy  place.  One of the groomers said she thought the magnet would damage the scissors. I've been looking on-line, and can't find anything that would confirm or disprove that, so I thought I would throw it over to a professional, and get your opinion:  Am I harming my scissors by hanging them on a magnetic strip?

• Hi, I wonder if the hair runs because of static electricity? maybe we could spray a little Downy water on the blades and wipe it off? 

• I  have read you Internet info with interest. I like people obsessed with perfecting their skill, art. trade whatever!  I have been asked to help one of our employees who is left handed.  Her manager says she uses right hand shears . She complains that her shears dull very fast. The manager says that if she takes the shears and 'plays' with them, they usually start to cut better. I think that the pressures exerted by the lefties hands are upsetting the 'set' of the shears. I believe she told me the groomer uses the shears in her right hand can that be so?  Have you advice or comments?  We have several left handed groomers. Many who have purchased left hand shears tell me they cannot work with them.  I am grooming director for ******* 38 centers.  Our system is that we provide and sharpen a basic kit.  Not extravagant, but adequate, 11 blades, 2 shears,  2 thinners, 1 Andis clipper. Our center managers are supposed to keep a back up supply of all items so in the event of dulling or breakdown the item is instantly replaced.  How fast is your return service?What is cost (s)?   I do not encourage our center managers to use traveling grinders, but many do because of the convenience of not having to pack and ship items.

I can only find scissors made for human hair. My shears sometimes get kicked off the grooming table, and I don't want to have to buy the better barber/beautician shears because they are so delicate.  I am looking for a rugged, yet light and sharp shear that that is not "wimpy".  Does anyone make good quality shears made especially for pet groomers?

I am so glad you asked!!! 

After years of sharpening and repairing scissors/shears for pet groomers, I have seen pet groomers use very light and delicate shears made from the cheapest metal that will bend and quickly get out of adjustment and then, I have seen pet groomers use scissors that need corrugations on one blade to keep hair from “slipping” while being cut.  All these shears have one thing in common.  They are made to cut human hair.  The blades are so thin and fragile, they bend or break when kicked off a grooming table, I wondered why they were using shears designed for use on human hair (barbers and beauticians shears) and not using a more rugged scissors/shears for the demanding use pet groomers put them through. As you will agree, pet groomers need shears that will cut the finest cat or puppy hair or the toughest Great Pyrenees dog hair. Then I finally realized the only place they could get scissors/shears was at barber/beauty supply houses.  So I decided pet groomers were in need of their own special use scissors/shears and if no one else was going to provide scissors for this special need, then I would do it..

Though pet groomers like the features that the better barber/beautician shears have, they are so expensive ($100.00 - $600.00) that pet groomers are mindful that an accidental kick off the grooming table could be disastrous.

I also observed pet groomers doing trim work on dogs with the long 8” and longer scissors.  One groomer even admitted to me that she “almost neutered” a dog while trimming belly hair.  I can see how this might happen if you are using long scissors and concentrating on what hair you want to cut and not being totally aware of where the tips of the scissors are.  This is especially true while trimming feet, ears and face.  Hardly a day/week/month goes by that a list member does not mention accidentally cutting a dog.

With these things in mind I set out to create a family of strong, rugged and yet comfortable scissors especially for pet groomers that will have an exceptionally sharp cutting edge and still retain this sharpness for an acceptable period of time.  I got in contact with a manufacturer in Pakistan who agreed to make some dyes of my design.  I received samples from him and let some local groomers test them for a couple of weeks.  Two of the groomers refused to give them back!!! And 100 percent of the remainder placed orders.

• All the 7 ½” DR78 models and 8 1/2” DR88 models are slightly heavier and have thicker blades than barber/beautician scissors, which should make them more likely to survive a fall from a groomer table.
• All models will have adjustment knobs like the most expensive shears.  This will allow you to just turn the knob a few clicks to the right or left until you find the adjustment you like.  No more having to tighten them with a screwdriver and having the screw head strip out, or have to use “loc-tight” to keep the screw from getting loose.
• All these scissors are made of Japanese J2 Stainless Steel and have a Rockwell hardness of 58, which will insure the sharpness and will last longer, but will not prevent re-sharpening when needed.. 
• All have a bright finish.  All you have to do is wipe them down at the end of the day.
• They are tested for sharpness on wet tissue paper and hard horse hair at the factory to insure that the hair does not “slip”.
• They are all hollow ground, which forms a razor cutting edge to insure sharpness. 
• All models have bumpers to decrease the “shock” you receive when cutting.
• The 8” shears have a short thumb shank, which is slightly offset to reduce fatigue and decrease the possibility of carpal tunnel disease.
• All models have finger rests.
• All have removable finger pads.
• The little DR45 trim scissor is 4 ½" long and has a 1 ½” long blade that is “perfect for Schnauzer ears” as quoted to me by one of the groomers who refused to give them back.  If you want your grooming product to look like a show dog, you will delight in using this little trim shear.

Now groomers will be able to afford good equipment.  Good equipment is necessary for the professional.

To see these scissors click on SHEARS

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I need to know what if anything can be done about this pair of shears I have that are TOO SHARP! SERIOUSLY they are too sharp. I cut myself  almost every time I use them, and today I cut the top of an ear with them and was not even close to closing the shears all the way. Got any ideas on what to do to DULL them?

The scissors are less dangerous to you and the animals when they are sharp. And, being sharp, they will cause less strain on your wrist.  Most of the complaints regarding using shears is carpol tunnel, which in a large percentage of cases can be traced to uncomfortable shears.  What you really need is a very small set of shears like the competition groomers use. They use the long bladed shears the same as you do, but when they get to the finer cutting, they switch to the small shears. You should not depend on just one shear for a complete grooming. The small shears will eliminate 99% of the nicks because the area you are NOT cutting will not be effected and will be in front of your eyes. Granted you will have to cut twice in some places to cover the same area, but you will not be cutting off the tip of an ear and the long blade wont be snipping something you do not want snipped. 

One embarrassed groomer called me and asked me to deliver her a small pair of finishing shears that I had shown to her a few days before.  When I got there, she told me she was trimming a male dogs belly and nipped his "private".  She said she would never use her long shears for finishing again.

I have just signed a contract with a scissor manufacturer in the Middle East who is making shears to my design.

These shears can be compared to Joel for quality. They are 100% less in price.

To see these scissors click on SHEARS

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I have several pair of shears, used for dog grooming, that need to be sharpened.  What is your price and what is the turn around time,

My turn around time is normally one day in the shop.  We charge $7.50 for domestic shears and $12.00 for imported shears.  Repairs are extra. You may send payment with the order, or you can let me send you an invoice by email and you can make payment with your credit or debit card to my account, daddyrays.net, at https://www.paypal.com, which is a secure payment site.

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I have been having my shears sharpened locally, by a man who does great on our blades, but I'm not always happy with the shears, and you will see, some have been ground down quite a lot. 

You mentioned that “…some have been ground down quiet a lot.”  Hair cutting shears and clipper blades should NEVER be ground to sharpen them.  Grinding should only be used as a last resort to repair a blade that has been nicked.  Grinding, as the word implies, grinds away steel and makes it very hot.  Shears and clipper blades are made from highly tempered metal.  Grinding will heat the metal and cause it to lose temper and soften the metal, which will cause it to need sharpening more often, then grinding it again will soften it some more, etc., etc.  Grinding is ok for seamstress, and leather scissors and most heavy duty scissors because they are much thicker and can take much more heat.  But the fine cutting edge of thin hair cutting shears MUST be polished with special equipment when they need sharpening. 

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My biggest complaint with my local guy, is with the longer shears, for some reason they usually have a dead spot about 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the tip.

If the blades of your shears have a dead spot, then they have become bent, usually from being dropped.  I can repair the bend in the blades of the shears before I sharpen them.  Always send me a note along with your shears, telling me what you think is wrong with them.

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I have Geib Super Gators with a serrated edge.  Also, can you put a serrated edge on a shear that doesn't already have one?

What you mean by "serrated edge" is corrugated.  Your Geib Super Gators come from the factory with one blade corrugated.  This corrugated blade should never be sharpened, unless it needs re-corrugating.  To re-sharpen a corrugated blade, the corrugation will have to be ground off, the blade sharpened, then re-corrugated.  To corrugate a blade the sharpener must use a diamond file to file the very small, evenly spaced corrugations into the tempered steel of a fine hair cutting blade.

When corrugated shears are sent to me for sharpening, I will sharpen the un-corrugated blade only, unless I have instructions to do something to the corrugated blade.  Be sure to send instructions.

Yes.  I can corrugate a blade that has never been corrugated before.

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Just a question  for when you get a minute.. We had a discussion  on the GL about the best way to store our scissors.  I just bought one of those magnetic strips you attach to a wall, and have really liked having the scissors in what seemed to be a safe, and to be sure -- a handy  place.  One of the groomers said she thought the magnet would damage the scissors. I've been looking on-line, and can't find anything that would confirm or disprove that, so I thought I would throw it over to a professional, and get your opinion:  Am I harming my scissors by hanging them on a magnetic strip?

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Hi, i wonder if the hair runs because of static electricity? maybe we could spray a little Downy water on the blades and wipe it off?

Daryl is correct about why the hair "runs" from the shears. First of all, I have been following your thread about the $6.00 scissors with the yellow handle. No wonder you are suffering from carpal tunnel. If I am correct, and you are using the Fiscars brand of yellow handle scissors, they are primarily used as home and office scissors and the blades are ground at a much different angle than hair shears. Hair cutting shears require a (slicing) angle of 25 degrees or more in order to slice through the hair. They also require the blades to be sharper than a razor. This will prevent the hair from running and the blade will just slice through the hair like silk. Hair alone will not damage the delicate blades of the hair shears. NEVER NEVER use them to cut anything else. The Fiscars scissors first of all are not designed to cut hair, but the blades have a wider angle that "chops" rather than cuts and they will avoid damage when cutting paper and other products.

The corrugations help on some shears when cutting heavy coated dogs, but they will not replace a finely sharpened pair of good shears. Also remember that the dust and dirt in a dirty coat on a dog that has not been shampooed will damage a fine pair of shears.

I hope this poor impromptu lesson helps when you pick a nice pair of shears.

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I have read you Internet info with interest. I like people obsessed with perfecting their skill, art. trade whatever!

I have questions:   I have been asked to help one of our employees who is left handed.  Her manager says she uses right hand shears . She complains that her shears dull very fast. The manager says that if she takes the shears and 'plays' with them, they usually start to cut better. I think that the pressures exerted by the lefties hands are upsetting the 'set' of the shears. I believe she told me the groomer uses the shears in her right hand can that be so?  Have you advice or comments?  We have several left handed groomers. Many who have purchased left hand shears tell me they cannot work with them.  I am grooming director for ******* 38 centers.  Our system is that we provide and sharpen a basic kit.  Not extravagant, but adequate, 11 blades, 2 shears,  2 thinners, 1 Andis clipper. Our center managers are supposed to keep a back up supply of all items so in the event of dulling or breakdown the item is instantly replaced.  How fast is your return service? What is cost (s)?   I do not encourage our center managers to use traveling grinders, but many do because of the convenience of not having to pack and ship items.

Thank you for your enquiry. First of all I can think of nothing that would cause a lefty to "DULL" shears faster than a right-hand groomer.  The  manager is probably confusing the misalignment with dull blades.

Unless the groomer in question is ambidextrous, she could subconsciously be applying pressure for left-hand shears even though she is using right-hand shears in her right hand. Ask your manager to supply her with lefties and watch her for a few weeks and see if this will help.

Those left hand groomers that say they cannot work with lefties have already trained themselves to use right-hand shears. Though left handed groomers don't realize it, it is more difficult to finish groom with the right-hand shears because of the position of the cutting blade.

To re-train themselves to use lefties would take time and patience. Think of yourself, as you use a pen in your right hand to write and/or sign your name. You know how to do so with your left, but how long would it take for you to be proficient. Habits are ingrained in your brain. I will ask you another question; when you brush your teeth every morning, which teeth and on which side of your mouth do you brush first? This is a good example of an ingrained habit. Every morning when your husband shaves, he will start on the same side and in the same place on his face. Ingrained habit.

If you have a training program in your company for new employees, I would suggest you immediately furnish each new employee with the correct (lefty or righty) shears. Then as they become proficient with the correct tool, they will have subconsciously formed the correct habit.

You mentioned "traveling grinders". We, at DaddyRay's, do not grind, we polish. Grinding quickly removes steel from the tool, which wears out the blade or shear quickly. Polishing the blade or shears is much like using a razor strop. It will bring back an edge to it's original sharpness without grinding away steel.

For the information regarding how fast is our return service; we need one week day in the shop for most service work.

We sharpen shears, clipper blades and de-matting combs. We re-corrugate shears and we also repair clippers and shears. You can find the cost of our services HERE.  This is our order form and you can see the price of each item. If you wish, you can print out this order form to send in your blades/clippers/shears. When we finish with the order, we will return it along with a new order form for future needs.   I hope this helps.