Hi, and welcome to Fred Stepkin’s weekly blog.
Hope you enjoyed last weeks topic: Monday: Razor Cut Basics
This Weeks Report: Monday January 6th 2020: Differences Between Cutting Hairs With Scissors or Razor?
As a hair stylist I use several tools to cut & shape hair. Scissors, razor, texturing shears and electric clippers. Each tool offers a difference in how they cut hair and how the hair looks after it is styled. For example, razored styles are often finger styled or straightened due to the jagged edges the razor creates.
Shears or scissors and razor are two of the most common tools I use. Shears vary little from style to style. The main difference between shears involves the length of the blades and various techniques required for special effects. Blade lengths range from 3 to as large as 7 inches. Each set of professional hair-cutting shears has sharpened cutting blades, a stationary blade and a finger rest on many. Razors vary in style. Some styles open up like “L” with the razor on one end and the grip, or handle, on the other end. Some resemble combs with a razor embedded deep among the teeth of the comb. I prefer using a straight edge with no guards or combs attached. I was trained with a straight-edge razor, it allows greater range for stylized effects.
Cutting Technique: The proper use of hair-cutting shears involves holding the shears in the dominant hand with the thumb and ring finger through the holes on the handle. The pinky finger is supported on the finger rest, and the thumb moves the cutting blade.
Razor cutting involves holding the instrument lightly in the dominate hand and moving the cutting blade with the tip of the index finger while utilizing a delicate rhythmic manner for consistency.
Results: Shears cut hair bluntly, resulting in an even cut across the length of the hair, but shears can be used to texture hair too! (We’re going to talk about that in next weeks blog. Texturing With Scissors.) The razor cuts the ends of the hair at various lengths and taper the ends of each individual hair rather then cutting the hair straight off. This results in movement, texture and a jagged appearance on the ends of the hair.
Editor’s view: As skilled hair stylist I know how to use a razor correctly, technically safe and in a creative manner. I love to create soft and edgy designs for tomorrow’s fashion and to reestablish metro styles that will compliment today’s fashions.
Return for next week’s Report Monday: Chopped & Sliced Hairs