Composition

• Cutting shears are composed of stainless steel and are manufactured in various countries. Japanese steel is considered the best steel for shears, as it holds an edge well. Look for shears with .95 to 1.2 percent carbon additive for hardness. Products with a higher carbon content should not be used for dry cutting. Molybdenum and manganese are additional hardening elements. Chromium adds corrosion and heat resistance. Cobalt and titanium are premium lightweight alloys which decrease weight while imparting strength.
  
  

Design

• Thinning shears are either cast or stamped in one piece, or they are hand-forged. Forged shears are more expensive since the handle and blade are cast in separate molds and the two pieces are welded by hand. This process facilitates product balance and correct blade alignment and produces a long-lasting product. Cast and stamped shears may pull and need resharpening more often than forged products. Shears are available in different handle designs.The handles align vertically in straight or opposing shears. This arrangement places stress on the hand, wrist and upper body. Offset or crane handle shears, where the handles are angled, are a better ergonomic choice. Shears are available with a fixed, removable or adjustable finger rest. Finger inserts are plastic rings used to provide a custom fit. Some thinners use a revolver thumb grip that allows the stylist to adjust her thumb to any angle. Shears with an adjustable tension system allows the stylist to tighten or decrease the amount of resistance the blades employ when cutting.
  
  

Shear Types

• Thinning shears have one solid blade and one with 30 to 50 teeth. These shears are used to feather layer corners, or where the front hair lines meet the back and sides. A double-toothed blender is used to eliminate the lines created in a straight cut. Texturizers have 13 to 16 teeth which are thicker and spaced further apart. These shears have teeth on one or both blades and create a fractured or slightly spiky look without extreme edges. Chunking or notching shears remove big hair chunks and are used to achieve an extreme spiked hairstyle. These shears have five to nine teeth. The fishbone shear adds texture, cuts facial fringes and removes bulk from wigs and hairpieces. The teeth in a fishbone shear are wider at the bottom edge of the blade.
  
  

Price

• Thinning shears vary in pricing, depending on product material, manufacturing process, style and number of teeth. On-line retailer My Styling Products (mystylingproducts.com) offers shears from $123.99 to $1,994.99 as of this publishing date. These products come with warranties which vary from one-year to lifetime. MarloBeauty Supply (marlobeauty.com) has thinning and texturizing shears from $7.47 to $209.97.