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So, did you know that there is such a thing as double sided thinning shears? Yep you read that right! DOUBLE SIDED. Crazy right? Well, it's not so crazy if you have already heard of them or used them. While yes, they look intense and a little scary for some, others actually love them and can't work without a pair as a part of their tools. But why would you need double sided thinning shears and not just a normal single thinning shear? Better keep reading to find out!
Before we work out the why, let's go through the what. What actually is the difference between a double and a single thinning shear? A single thinning shear has the obvious - one of the blades is a normal straight cutting blade where as the other side of the blade is a single thinning blade that generally has anywhere up to 40 teeth, and on each tooth there are little groves on each tip that creates the thinning motion when both blades come together to cut out any unwanted weight in thick hair. When making these cuts with a single thinning side and straight blade (a standard thinning shear) every 2nd, 3rd or even 4th strand of hair is taken away creating the thinning action and not a whole chunk of hair is taken away. So essentially they are designed to help thin out thick hair, take unwanted weight out or more ideally a section of hair that may look too bulky for the type of haircut you're trying to achieve.
The double blade on the other hand is certainly different. Unlike the single thinning shear the double sided thinning shears have literally just that! Both blades are thinning blades with teeth on each blade and there is absolutely no straight blade on this type of shear. The double sided thinning shears are designed to of course thin hair but to also cut time in half when it comes to pumping out quality haircuts for your customers.
How does it cut time in half you ask? Simply because when you cut or thin hair with your standard thinning shears sometimes they can leave behind a visible line from the straight blade, so when using your double sided shears you don't have to worry about going back over the haircut to check for those visible lines, you can easily cut and comb the hair out in any direction without tearing/pulling or damaging the hair without the concern of potentially leaving a heavy blunt and thinned line behind. This being said, some might even call the double sided thinning shears a type of texturizing shears, because when thinning with standard thinners you are still essentially creating some form of texture, so with the double blade you're adding just that bit more texture to the hair. BUT don't get it confused with actual texture shears friends!
Like there are different types of professional hair cutting shears there are of course different types of professional hair thinning shears. Unfortunately not every haircut you do that requires thinning shears will need the same thinning shear as the last cut you did. Which is why there are multiple to choose from and aren't just limited to thinning, they can also be texturizing shears to add texture and take mass amount of hair away (depending on the haircut you want to achieve that is). Whether it's thinning or texturizing there will always be the perfect shear to fit the cut, so let's break it down further.
Thinning shears also known as blending shears can come in a range of designs and multiple teeth. A true blending or thinning shear will have a straight blade on one side of the scissors and on the other blade it will have anywhere from 25 to 42 teeth, and on the very tips of each tooth they will have little small grooves. These small grooves are designed to cut every 2nd, 3rd or 4th strand of hair (depending on how thick the section of the hair is) with each cutting action taken. These are best used on people with thick hair to remove any unwanted weight or just thinner hair in general, or to help blend a section of hair that may be too heavy in certain areas of the haircut you're trying to create. We don't recommend using these or any thinner on fine hair - we don't want them feeling like they have even less hair than they already do!
Double sided thinners however will obviously have far more teeth than your standard thinner, anywhere from 30 - 40 teeth each side. As we said above this thinner isn't your average thinner, it does the obvious thinning but also can add texture to a style and ensure there are no hard, blunt or heavy lines left anywhere on the cut. All our recommendations above for the standard pair also apply for the double sided pair, keeping in mind if you try using these as blending shears you can also run the risk of over blending. So, If it's your first time using a pair like these take it slow and get to know them but we're sure if you can use a standard thinner then you will have no problem with these bad boys.
Texturizing shears on the other hand are, yes, designed to add texture, but if used carefully can also be used to take weight out of the hair. Texturizing scissors generally have a lot less teeth on one side of the blade, anywhere from as little as 5 teeth up to 25 teeth, while the other blade is of course straight. The less teeth that are on a shear like this generally means there will be a wider gap and more hair will fall when making your cut and will see more hair removed in one snip which is why it's best using these to texturize rather than to try thinning or blending with them (Trust us, your client won't be happy if use it incorrectly)
So we've been through the what, now it's the why? Well, simply because as we mentioned above not every haircut you create will require the same scissors. Every stylist should have at minimum 2 - 3 pairs of scissors in their tool belt. Now we wouldn't tell an apprentice stylist that a double sided thinner is a must have or they absolutely need it so early but it's also not a bad idea to learn with. For the more senior stylists though, they should be far more confident in their cuts they create to use these scissors on. This being said, if you work in a busy salon and try to bang out your cuts as fast and as perfect as you can then these will help with that process! They not only remove unwanted weight in the cut but they can also add some texture as well, all while not leaving a single heavy or blunt lines within the cut, so this means there is no need to cross check your work or do 'touch ups' and you can get your client out quicker and ready for the next.
Another great feature is that while cutting with these shears it gives you the confidence to cut through any amount of hair knowing you won't be pulling or feeling like you are tearing through the clients hair and causing accidental damage to the hair (which can be done very easily). Whether it's blending, thinning or texturizing these shears can do no wrong, unless you're wanting to cut length with it, then it may take you a while of cutting in the same spot and waiting for the length to sift through the teeth after each snip made. Which is why we don't recommend trying to cut length with them, you're better off getting quality cutting shears for that.
Having the right tools for the job is a must. But how do you know which one is going to be the right tool? Sure we can tell you what we think would be the right tools, but how do you or we know if it's going to work for the hair you're about to cut? This is where you will need to use your past experiences and current knowledge on knowing what to choose. The difference you ask? Essentially you can use a single shear to do a double shears job to either remove a great amount of unwanted weight in the hair or be blending out those final touches, it just means it might take you a little longer to make sure you don't leave any blunt or heavy lines through the haircut because then of course you will have to remove them by blending them out. Whereas using double sided shears you can cut that process out and use only your comb and double sided shears to complete your perfect style.
It sounds like the double shears are the winners right now however, experience with single shears is needed first. Why? Because it's like riding a bike, you start with training wheels and as time goes on you take those training wheels off. Just like your shears. Start simply to get to know your finger and comb placement then next comes of course your blending, or thinning and once confident with your single, move on to your double. Practice makes perfect!
