All About Grooming Shears

Some people may not be comfortable with grooming their own dog, and that’s okay. Those owners will choose to go to a professional groomer. But for pet owners that are on a tighter budget or just want to experience that close bond with their dog, they will choose to do the grooming themselves. For those owners, it is important to have a good pair of grooming shears.

What are Grooming Shears?

Grooming shears are one of the most important tools that a groomer or a pet owner will use. A good pair of grooming shears will impact the speed and quality of the cut. Grooming shears come in many different designs, different edge types, handle types, shank types, materials, and other characteristics.

Types of Grooming Shears

Different types of grooming shears include:

Straight Shears: These shears are used to set patterns, handle shaping, and for finishing the overall cut.
Curved Shears: Curved shears are used to fine tune the shaping and provide angulations for certain areas. The larger the shear is, the more pronounced the curve is. Larger shears are better for larger dogs.
Thinning Shears: Thinning shears have a cutting edge on one of the blades and teeth on the other blade. These blades are used for more natural looks.

Edge Types

Serrated: Serrated shears have tiny grooves on one of the blades. These grooves hold hair in place and helps with overall efficiency.
Hollow Ground: Hollow ground shears have a sharper edge for smoother and more proficient cutting.

Handle Types

Opposing Grip: Opposing grip is considered the standard design.
Offset: Offset was designed to reduce hand fatigue.
Swivel Thumb: The thumb ring will move freely and follow the groomer’s hand while cutting.

Shank Types

Short: Shorter shanks allow the blades to open wider with less hand movement.
Bent: Bent shanks allow for an easier groom and won’t flatten the coat.

Materials

Carbon Steel: Carbon steel is made of an alloy of hardened steel which is made from iron and carbon. Always keep these dry and oiled.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is also an alloy of hardened steel, but it includes chromium. Chromium helps keep away rust and corrosion.
Ice: These shears are subjected to temperatures below zero in order to obtain hardness longer.

Additional Characteristic: Length

Rockwell Hardness Rating: The Rockwell Hardness Rating is a scale to measure how hard the grooming shears are. The harder the shears, the better the shears can hold an edge. However, the shears will have more brittle metal.

There’s a lot more to grooming shears than meets the eye. Most pet owners probably don’t even think of all these elements when dropping their pets off at the groomer’s. They should, as all of these elements will affect your pet’s cut.

Author Bio: Emma Anderson has been involved with dog grooming for the past 15 years and now wants to share her experience and knowledge with others.