When it comes to finding the right hair shears as a stylist or simply for use at home, the most important thing you need to know is how many haircuts you can expect to perform with those shears. This is the basic measure of quality for hair shears; the longer they last, the better quality they are. If you buy a $200 pair of shears that only last for 100 hair cuts, that’s not a very good return on your investment. A $40 pair that lasts for 500 haircuts? Much better.

Your hair shears should be able to make 400-500 haircuts without any trouble, assuming you’re taking care of them and storing them properly. A few tips for caring for your hair shears include:

• Always clean them after use with soap and water
• Sterilize them with a formula that won’t damage the blade
• Store them in a dry place in a case or holster to keep them from getting moist
• Every week or so, if they are in constant use, oil them (every month or so for the home user should be sufficient)
• Keep them from rubbing against other tools (this will damage the blade)
• Only use your hair shears to cut hair, not anything else (even once!)

If you follow these basic rules for taking care of your hair cutting shears, there is no reason that even an inexpensive pair shouldn’t last for 400-500 hair cuts.

After that point, a pair of shears is going to need sharpening by a professional. You need to go to a professional shear sharpener’s; you want an edge that’s just as good as the original one, so that your hair shears will last for another 400-500 hair cuts.

If you invest in a pair of stainless steel hair shears that are in a lower price range, you can simply buy a new pair of shears when the old ones have come to the end of their use. There are many quality pairs of shears available in the $40 price range, and since the cost of shear sharpening and shipped back and forth can actually be more than that, investing in a new pair may be simpler and easier. Of course, this isn’t true if you’ve bought expensive hair-cutting shears, but it’s yet another reason to consider lower-cost ones, especially when they last just as long.

If you’d like to see some examples of long-lasting stainless steel hair shears that will last well beyond 400 cuts for a low price tag, check out our website at www.theshearsdepot.com.

Julie Sullivan - July 13, 2009