Advice For Buying Apprentice Haircutting Shears
February 16, 2024When it comes to buying your first pair or set of professional hairdressing scissors the possibilities and choices are endless.
As an apprentice you don't need the best of the best when it comes to your tool's especially when you are learning with them. If you invest in your expensive hairdressing scissors too early then you will find that you may drop them or damage them, as learning to cut can be an extremely awkward experience at first.
An apprentice needs affordable hairdressing scissors that can either serve the purpose while learning or carry on until you start cutting in the hair salon full time.
So today we have decided to give you some tips on what you should be investing in when you are trained, what is the most comfortable shear for a training hairdresser and just general tips that every apprentice needs to know.
What and Why to buy an apprentice starter kit
It's always a great idea to start off with buying an apprentice kit because firstly it's a cheaper way to get the main tools you will need and it's just a no brainer.
A starter kit will equip you with all the standard tools you need to kick start your learning.
Here at Scissor Tech we offer a starter barber kit that includes a standard comb, two pairs of scissors, barber razor, shaving brush and accessories to maintain your scissors. This is perfect for training barbers as you are getting a good quality pair of scissors and accessories that you will need to learn.
Why to buy a scissor set
It's always smart to buy a scissors set because you are getting more out of your money. Hair cutting scissors set's will normally include two different sized hair cutting scissors and Thinning scissors too.
If you are a hairstylist that is learning or upgrading their apprentice hairdressing scissors then a scissors set is the way to go, as normally investing in one pair of scissors at a time can be very costly.
When you're learning or still an apprentice and have started to work in the salon full time then a scissors set will have all the standard sizes and comfort you will need to be able to learn and grow as a hairstylist.
Only as a fully qualified hair stylist will you maybe start to spark interest in any specialized hairdressing scissors or even ergonomic hairdressing scissors that you may have to change out over time if you develop aches or pains.
For now the set is the best way to go and maybe even a newer set or an upgraded set could be something you choose to do in the future, as most stylists just see the value in sticking to a set.
Most recommended apprentice hairdressing scissors
It always comes down to design and price when it comes to choosing the best shear for you. It comes down to price when buying your first set of apprentice scissors. An apprentice may not be able to afford the most expensive hairdressing scissors first off, but that's okay because overspending at this point in your career would be a waste of money.
Below we have listed just some of our top picks for design and price for our Apprentices.
As discussed previously this kit is a really great kit to buy for aspiring barbers.
Not only is this kit good value for money but the larger barber scissors in the kit are really designed for a training barber. The barber's hair scissors have a micro serrated edge on the blade which means it grips the hair for you better while learning all the new hair cutting techniques.
Micro serrated scissors are ideal for a training stylist and you will either stick to that style as you progress or you will change out the hair scissors after sometime to a standard blade.
Serrated are best for blunt cutting and not slide cutting, when you learn you will be doing more blunt cutting anyways.
SOZU ORIENTAL SCISSORS TRIPLE SET
Sozu is a brand that is great value for money, this is because you get good quality Japanese steel but somehow at a fair price. If you're not aware, Japanese Steel is the best steel in the world for Haircutting Scissors, so for this price it's a steal!
The Sozu hairdressing scissors have an Ergonomic offset design which means they are comfortable while learning and comfortable for years after. Although a lot of aspiring hairdressers tend to choose this brand and design, a lot of other senior stylists tend to love this design and brand too.
This Jaguar design is perfect for an aspiring hairdresser as the classic design handle is suggested as being the most comfortable style for a hairstylist learning to cut. A classic handle will give you more control over any other type.
Jaguar are well known in the industry for making world class professional hairdressing scissors from German steel, so your shears will be strong and robust. A strong shear will be able to be able to keep up with the rough nature of an aspiring hairstylist.
To see all of our best hairdressing scissors for our apprentices, please click here and follow the link to our website.
What size hairdressing scissors are best for you
Size does matter when it's choosing the right size of scissors for you or for the type of hair cutting you will be doing.
When looking for barber shears the size of these hair cutting scissors could be anything that's 6 inches to 7.5 inches and sometimes longer. For salon cutting these scissors will be from 4.5 to 6 inches.
Now you're probably thinking that's a wide range of sizes for each type of shear and naturally what is best for you?
Well the best size for you all comes down to the size of your hands. So if you have smaller hands for salon cutting scissors, then you may find that 4.5-5 inches is the most comfortable. The standard size that most stylists find the most comfortable to work with is 5.5 inches. A 6 inch blade would really be for those who prefer a longer blade than usual or if you have naturally larger hands.
The same rules apply for Barber scissors really.. So if you have smaller hands or find working with a longer shear extremely awkward that a 6 inch barber shear is actually very popular and easy to work with. If you have a little more experience behind you or have a larger hand then anything 6.5 inches or larger is the best size shear for you.
But not always can a size of a shear be based on the size of your hands, very rarely can it be that a certain size way is what is most comfortable to you. So if your colleagues are so kind, ask to take a look at their scissors and try them out to see what will work best for you.