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Using the proper pet grooming shears will impact the grooming speed and quality of your work and the health of your hands.
Here we offer information for a newbie groomer so that you can find the perfect OPAWZ shear that meets your unique, personal needs, preferences, and budget.
Being a pet groomer, one of the most important pieces of equipment you will use are shears.
Japanese 440C Stainless Steel
A good pair of shears that are made with harder steel which would be more durable. These premium types will also stay sharp longer and can usually be re-sharpened to extend their life.
The steel made in Japan is regarded as the best shears steel in the world. All our grooming shears are made with Japanese Stainless Steel, and 440C is considered high-end stainless steel, it is very resistant to corrosion.
Japanese Convex edge
Convex edges are hollow ground to an extremely sharp edge, giving a very quick and smooth action, sometimes referred to as “butter cut”, it allows the user to use all cutting techniques smoothly.
Size of shears
A fully equipped professional groomer should have a toolbox with several sizes of shears.
Most groomers choose to work with a 7.5” to 8/5” shear which is classed as a finishing shear:
OPAWZ Symmetrical A-shape Grooming Curve Shear – 7.5” (WG3)
OPAWZ Ultra Sharp Grooming Straight Shear with Larger Handles – 8” (WG4)
The reason for using longer shears is to take off more coat per cut. This increases efficiency and can also help achieve a smooth finish. For smaller shears, 5.5” to 6.5” they allow for good control and will work smaller areas with the least amount of stress to your hands. If you are not comfortable making big cuts, then don’t buy big shears yet. If your technique is still at the snipping stage, and you are mostly cutting with the top 1/3 of your blades, we would advise you to get a smaller shear and practice using more of the blade.
OPAWZ Asian Fusion Curve Grooming Shear - 6.5'' (AF1)
OPAWZ Asian Fusion Straight Grooming Shear – 6.5'' (AF3)
Straight or curved blades
Straight Grooming Shears: These are the most popular of all shears because they are made in a large selection of sizes and weights and have various blade lengths.
Curved Shears: These shears are curved slightly towards the tip of the shears. They are needed to easily trim and shape the fur around the contour of the dog’s body. Although you can do everything with a straight shear, curved blades can help with topknots, faces, ears, and feet. They can also help you set angulation. Every groomer should have a pair of curved shears.
Thinning Shears: Thinning shears are shears with two blades with notched teeth. Thinning shears are used to thin out the hair on a thick coat. They have one fine-toothed blade and one cutting blade, so if used to snip through the dog’s hair, they will only remove some of the hair, thinning it out, rather than cutting it away.
They can also be used to blend different lengths of fur on the coat, unlike a straight shear which will leave a defined edge. Uses for blenders include finishing teddy bear faces on Lhasa or Shih Tzu types so as to not look choppy and shaping around chest and necks.
Basically, blenders are great for any work where you want a softer definition. Thinning shears can save time and produce more uniform results when softening lines and corners, feathering, thinning bulk or adding volume. The fewer teeth, the less hair is removed, but they can leave more marks.
Maintenance
Shears must be cleaned and oiled daily. Even coats have been dried, hair will still hold moisture, which in turn will work onto your shears blades and the center screw that holds the shears together.
The most important thing that you should look for in shear after you have established what quality of shear you wish to purchase, is how it feels, not just in your hand, but how it feels to your whole body.
The wrong shear can contribute to carpal Tunnel syndrome, Tendonitis, Bursitis, rotator cup, another hand arm, shoulder, neck and back problems. The right shear can prevent these problems. Some groomers like a heavy shear, but most prefer a lighter one. Be aware of your preference and make sure that the weight of the shear is comfortable and that you have a feeling of control all the way to the tip of the blade.
A professional groomer will usually have a set of shears for different purposes to make sure they can do the best job possible for their customers’ dogs.