Welcome back to my blog…..

2009-11-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Ever purchase a new shear that wouldn’t cut smoothly when you first tried them out. Here you are telling your first client how excited you are about your new shears only to be let down. Ever wonder why?

I have too. I’m so concerned about my clients not getting fleeced that I spend many hours of my day searching for companies I can trust. My list keeps getting narrower.

It’s now 8:15 pm as I write this article. I haven’t eaten my dinner yet. I am obsessed. I am driven to get answers. I will share some my conclusions in this essay.

Through my research I have uncovered some disappointing, disillusioning, and difficult to swallow news about the state of the scissor business today.

Whatever happened to the shears (like my Joewells I bought back in the 80’s) that just kept going and going without losing their edge. It’s a rare find these days. I’ve been buying shears from manufacturers long enough to know which companies I can trust and rely on. Mind you they are far and few between. Some companies I have been ordering from can no longer guarantee their shears will perform well when I receive them. They tell me “Just send them back if they don’t work well”. Excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me.
These shears sell for $600-800.00 Suffice to say I no longer order these particular shears from these companies. When they clean up their act I will reconsider.

Matthew Biagi of Sakura Shears (one of my favorites) suggests that most of the huge scissor companies we used to rely on year in and year out are now outsourcing the manufacturing of their shears. He says that even well known Japanese scissor companies regularly outsource in order to keep their costs down. It’s called cost containment and bottom line. Whatever happened to pride in your product? The Samurai sword was not only based on the income it would produce. It was a family tradition held in high esteem. The value was in the process.

George Leonard in his book “Mastery” suggests we cultivate a hobby or pastime like yoga, tai chi or bonsai gardening that can raise us to a higher realm. I became familiar with his writing when I took up tai chi back in the 1980’s. I still practice daily. Leonard took up Aikido in his 60’s and mastered it. It’s called enjoying the journey without looking for a reward or payoff. The reward, of course is in the process.

Great haircutters and hair designers have already figured this out and often burn the midnight candle seeking better ways to improve on their techniques and creativity. That’s why they can command $100-200.00 and up for a haircut. If you’re not enjoying the journey I would suggest you consider another profession.

Another subject I’d like to comment on is bargain hunting. Did you know the most successful people do not waste their time looking for the cheapest item they can find to work their crafts. They automatically go for the best they can find that will advance their skills.

According to Ellen Ruppell Shell who authored a book called “Cheap” subtitled,“The high cost of discount culture”. According to shell we have become a culture of bargain hunters. Ellen suggests that those in our culture often wait for the sale even if it affects or limits the kind of work they want to be known for. This is shear madness. We worry about going into debt often opting for a shear that’s a bargain. Are we all crazy?
A lawyer friend of ours suggested “we only go through life once” “Buy the house you dream about and stop compromising with what you really want” My wife and I figured out how we could readily pay for it, sold our house ourselves, (no one told us we could do that) and bought our dream house in 2008.

I have a suggestion. Buy your dream shear or at least a high quality one until you’re ready to move up.

Back to my search…

Without getting too technical about cobalt versus 440 C versus molybdnum Alloy steel I can only suggest my personal favorite which is Cobalt (with one caveat) As long as it is a true cobalt and not just stamped cobalt to impress the potential buyer. True cobalt will not adhere to a magnet. Stainless steel will.

The bottom line for me is…..

Does the shear come to me in mint condition?
Does the shear have the reliability factor?
Does the shear hold its edge?
Do I receive raves from my customers?
Do I know exactly where they are made?
Does the supplier have integrity? Will he/she stand behind his product?
Can I feel safe drop-shipping a shear without inspecting them and not lose sleep over it?
Will the shear deliver the high performance my customers expect?
Are they easy for me to sharpen? Or do I have to labor over them.
Does the company offer a variety of styles to suit the needs of my customers?

I’ve narrowed down my list.

Stay tuned for my next blog and newsletter where I will reveal the shears that have met my criteria.

Or, contact me by email at info@topnotchshears.com

We encourage you to comment about your own personal experience with a particular shear you like or dislike.

Regards to All

Irv

www.topnotchshears.com
irv@topnotchshears.com

HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR SHEARS

2009-08-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Be wary of sharpeners who put a beveled edge* on a convex* shear in order to make them sharper. This method of sharpening removes a great deal of material and diminishes the life of the shear. It will only work for so long. After awhile the shears start to look very thin and pointy instead of having a slightly rounded look. Shears sharpened this way are hard to restore and good sharpeners tend to shy away from repairing them in order to protect their reputations. Unless shears are extremely damaged from abuse where there is no other choice this method of sharpening will ruin the appearance of the shear often causing the blades to look uneven or wavy. Shears should never be left pointy risking the chance of jabbing yourself or the customer.

The question I am most often asked is; “Why is it my brand new shears are not cutting like they should?” Quite often the set (or bow) in the shear needs a slight adjustment and does not need sharpening at all. A skilled sharpener will check the set first before removing material.

Positive signs to look for after a fresh sharpening……

Shears look like they did when you gave them up for sharpening.
Points are properly rounded off and not sharp to the touch.
Shears cut easily, open and close smoothly and feel like new.
Edge is still rounded (Japanese style) and a line was not cut into the shear.

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Warm Regards,
Irv Hendel/ president

“ALL SHARPENING WORK CARRIES A 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE”

*A beveled edge is a distinct 45% line cut into the shear.
*A convex or rolled edge conforms to the original design of most Japanese style shears.
* Artificially tinted shears are nearly impossible to convex without removing color or blemishing the appearance of the shear. For this reason I am not a big fan of tinted shears.
* Please note that German steel requires a more aggressive edge.

Top Notch Shears

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HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR SHEARS