1. Cleaning Using a soft cloth towel, thoroughly wipe your shears and blades after every cut. This will reduce build-up of chemicals and debris, which may adversely affect the performance of your shears throughout your workday. Cleaning with alcohol is suggested. At the end of the day make certain your shears are thoroughly dry between the blades.
2. Lubrication After cleaning and drying your shears, carefully open to a 90 degree angle. Put one or two drops of top quality scissors oil provided with your shears into the "joint". It assists the cleaning process by washing out dirt and debris from under the pivot and leaves a wax like coating. This should be done at least once a workday. By doing so, your shears scissors will become long-lasting.
Why Oil and Clean Daily? Daily oiling and cleaning will enhance the performance and extend the cutting life of your shears. Regular cleaning and lubrication protects against rust and deterioration from chemical/moisture contact in the salon environment, build-up of bacteria attracting debris in the interior pivot and blade area, reduces friction from blade movement, and prolongs sharpness.
3. Adjusting Tension: Adjusting tension is an important part of getting the best results from your shears If the tension is too loose, it will allow your shears to fold the hair. If it is too tight, it will cause unnecessary wear and user fatigue. To test for tension, hold the shears with the tips pointed upward. Lift one handle up so the blade is in a ninety-degree angle and let the blade fall closed. If the blade falls completely closed the tension is too loose. Rather, it should close about two thirds of the way.
4. Storage When your shears are not being used, keep blades in a closed position. This will reduce the chance of nicking and accidental damage to the blades. Never use magnets to hold shears in storage. This can magnetize the blades attracting undesirable dust and other particles. How you store your shears is very important. For adequate protection and ease of travel, you should store your shears in a case. They should be secured in one position. Leather is the material that is most recommended for storage.
5. Sharpening Your shears, if maintained properly, will have a very long lasting edge. When the time does come for re-sharpening, the process must be done carefully through a professional sharpening service center that has the facility and experience to sharpen high quality Japanese style shears. Please do your research before allowing your shears to be sharpened by a center. Sharpening your scissor shears will ensure that you use it effectively and get the optimum result.
