Have your scissors sharpened any time they’re not cutting like they did when they were fairly new. Send them to a service center recommended by the manufacturer. If you have an inexpensive pair, it’s time to purchase a new tool and use your old pair for practicing your cutting moves on a mannequin head.
Calling All Trimmers
Trimmers are a must for cleaning up hairy necks and shortening and shaping mustaches, beards, and sideburns. Trimmers — the petite cousin of larger, more powerful clippers — are meant to crisply trim the edges along the perimeter of the hair, and shape sideburns, beards, and mustaches. See Figure 2-3 for a comparison of trimmers versus clippers.
Style Craft (www.stylecraftus.com)
FIGURE 2-3: Trimmers versus clippers.
Trimmers work better and last longer when you properly maintain them. The maintenance process includes putting two drops of oil across the top of the blade while it’s running (at the end of each cutting day) and keeping debris from building up by frequently removing the blade and brushing away the snippets of hair. (For a more detailed step-by-step on how to maintain your trimmers, check out Chapter 8.)
GETTING CLIPPER HAPPY
Clippers are the grown-up version of trimmers. They are used for classic barber cuts, tight blending, or fading techniques, trendy haircuts, and to shorten the perimeter length of one-length hair.
Clippers are popular power tools with stylists, barbers, and home haircutters. Doing clipper cuts is also a specialty skill that deserves its own chapter. Check out Chapter 8 to get a good grasp on clipper basics and perform easy tutorials, as well as throughout Part 4.
You can find these handy machines at nearly all retail stores carrying blow-dryers and curling irons, beauty supply stores, and online. While not all trimmers are created equal — some are more powerful and cut closer to the skin — you can still purchase a fairly decent model for less than $20.
Short List: Tools and Supplies
There’s a good reason why styling stations include several drawers. Haircutting requires some tools and supplies that you need, and a few more that you just want to have around. Table 2-1 lists the bare minimum you should have on hand before having your spouse, your little cuties, or your friends sit in your chair.
TABLE 2-1 Tools and Supplies You Need for Home Haircutting
| Tool | Where You Can Find It | What It’ll Cost You |
|---|---|---|
| Haircutting scissors and/or clippers | Retail stores and beauty stores, and online | $15 and up |
| Trimmers | Retail stores, beauty supply stores, and online | $9 and up |
| Styling/Cutting combs | Retail stores and beauty supply stores, in person and online | $1 to $15 |
| Wide tooth/Detangling comb | Some retail stores, all beauty supply stores, and online | $1 to $5 |
| Tail comb or pintail comb | Some retail stores, all beauty supply stores, and online | $2 to $15 |
| Cutting capes (adult and child) | Some retail stores, all beauty supply stores, and online | $5 to $15 |
| Assorted hair clips | Some retail stores; best choices sold at beauty supply stores in person and online | $1 to $5 per pack |
| Spray bottle with mist setting | Most retail stores; best choices are sold at beauty supply stores | $1.25 to $4 |
| Haircutting/Salon towels | Sold at beauty supply stores and online; worn-out hand towels work great! | $1.25 and up each |
| Floor covering (such as newspaper) | Sold at newsstands, coffee shops, and various stores | $1+ |
Combing It Over
While there’s a dizzying array of combs on the market, most of them are for styling the hair. (Check out Chapter 19 and Chapter 20 for the lowdown on styling tools preferred by stylists, as well as many ways to make the hair bend to your will.) Table