To Serrate or Not to Serrate, That is the Question.

A serrated or corrugated edge is an edge that has ridges perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the edge along the bevel of the shear. They are found primarily in barber or groomer shears, although you’ll often find them in beauty schools. Usually, only one side is serrated and the better ones are German made. The serration design prevents the hair from slipping as it cuts and the scissors make a swish, swish sound as the blades close. These are the steps I take after pre-testing the scissors with a cut test on a single ply dry Puff tissue.

1. Sharpen the one non-serrated side in your usual fashion. If it cuts the dry tissue cleanly with little effort, better than it did on the test run. Consider yourself lucky and hand the shears back. If it cuts wet tissue, consider yourself blessed and celebrate! If it does not pass your test, go to step 2.
2. Gently sharpen the serrated side by hand using a ceramic file. I recommend flat extra fine ceramic files. File across the bevel, perpendicular to the edge, creating a very slight burr, and then cut the burr off. Smooth the inside of the blade with a cushioned nail buffer. Test on the tissue. If it still does not pass the test go to step 3.
3. Examine the serration. You will probably see parts missing due to deep nicks or previous sharpening by someone who only partially removed the serration. A fully serrated blade cuts well and the blade without serration cuts well, but a partial serration except in rare deliberate case like on the Bonika International Shear, will not, in my experience cut. Therefore, you will have to remove the entire serration completely. Since you are most likely talking to a stylist, explain to them you will be removing their serration. This will in truth make the shear smoother, quieter and create a sharper edge. Explain that if they do not like it better, they can call and you will return and put the serration back on for them. I have never had a stylist call me back to re-serrate their shears. After the serration is completely removed and the shears sharpened in your usual manner, they should easily slice through a wet single ply Puff tissue with no effort. Collect your money and go.

So what to do if the stylist was trained as a barber and really wants serration on their shears? (I can count on one hand the times in the last 20 years this has happened ) In that situation you can:

a) Serrate them by hand with a file (I recommend the Diamond Serration File)
b) Send them to us to serrate. We charge professional sharpeners and shear distributor a wholesale rate.
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c) Purchase and use the diamond serration wheel designed for 6” diameter flat hones (cost is $180.00) and return a factory precise serration in moment.

There are DVD’s that show choice a and c if you select these. One I would recommend is Scary Scissors filmed at the Sharpener’s Jam in 2006.

In summary, the question has not been for me, how to serrate a blade but whether to serrate. In my opinion, avoidance is the best policy.

Written by Bonnie Megowan, Bonika Shears. copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Reprinted witn modification from ON THE EDGE.

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