Which handle should you use for your hair scissors?

Choosing the right pair of scissors to cut the hair means considering all the essential elements involved. The grip will have an impact on everything from performance to comfort, making it a key option to do it right. The main elements involved in choosing the right grip for your hair scissors are: the handle design and the thumb treatments.

Choose the right handle design

The handle design will determine how comfortable you will feel while doing the work of your salon. 

Even handle or opposite handle: if you choose this handle position, most techniques will require raising your arm to a horizontal position. This shear will have handles of the same length that are symmetrically fixed to the central screw. This handle also requires bringing your thumb back to a point opposite the ring finger that is stressful to the tendon.

Offset handle: This type of handle is essentially an evolution with respect to the symmetrical handle and an attempt to make hair scissors more comfortable for the designer. They are designed with a longer grip and a shorter handle so that there is less pressure on the tendon during cutting. However, they still require the elevated position of the elbow, as the opposite grip.

Crane handle: if you don't like to lift your elbow while cutting, this is the style for you. The pruning shears of the crane are designed with a handle tilted down when the blades are horizontal. This not only eliminates the stress of the tendon, but also raises the client's hand when cutting the skin. Therefore, this type of shears are a great help for those who discover they have wrist aches or repetitive strain injuries.

Extended crane or neutral grip: With the extended crane type shear, the thumb hole has moved further forward and the thumb handle is shorter. The thumb is placed in front of the index finger, which is the neutral resting position of the hand, hence the name of neutral grip

The rotating crane handle: this design of these shears keeps the hand in an open and stable position like the neutral grip, and because the carriage wheel allows you to complete a complete cut without lifting the elbow once. 

You can "guide" your ban with the index and the medium, at any required angle. This is an excellent alternative to guide bans in other corners with the whole arm and shoulder. Learn more about swivel and adjustable thumb handles.

Thumb handle options

The thumb is a key figure in the cut with your hair scissors, which is why there are so many thumb handle options available, including a cut thumb handle, which has a notch in the back of the ring.

Another option is the anatomical thumb grip, which has the folded thumb retainer to allow a wider range of contact angles, or the rotating thumb grip that you will find with the crane's rotating shears.

Although there are many options available, the crane handle that is fixed, neutral or rotating is a shear that we recommend to hairdressers as it offers greater comfort and help with repetitive strain injuries.