The scissors have 6 different parts that we are going to talk about. They are the tang, finger grip, thumb grip, thumb vise, moving blade, and stationary blade. The tang is the small piece of metal that extends from the finger grip. This finger grip is for you to rest your little finger when you are cutting for stability and control. The finger grip connects to the tang and is the round opening where the ring finger of the dominant hand would go. The finger grip extends along the length of the scissors diagonally to meet the stationary blade. The thumb grip is the round opening below the finger grip and is the opening where the thumb would go. The thumb grip controls the moving part of the blade. In the center of the scissors you will notice the thumb screw. This serves the scissors in a couple of different ways. On the one hand, it holds the two blades together. It can also be tightened or loosened. When you tighten the thumb screw, the scissors become more difficult to open and close. When you loosen the thumb screw, the scissors will open and close more easily. This completely depends on your personal preference.
Clippers are another necessity for cutting boys’ or men’s hair into a buzz cut or fade. Most clipper sets come with a matching trimmer for detailing around the hairline, around the ears, and any facial hair. If not, you can buy the trimmer individually or you can choose to use their clippers to get the job done. I must warn you that without experience in the use of detailing razors; you are at greater risk of cutting your hair without intending to do so.
You’ll also need to invest in a set of slicer guards if your slicers don’t already come with them. As with everything else, clipper guards come in many sizes. You only need four different sizes. They are the blender, 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch. The blender cuts the hair closest to the scalp and the 1/2 inch guard leaves 1/2 inch of hair on the head. If you want the hair to be longer than that, you can transition to using your scissors for that section. For example, if I had to do a fade where I wanted the hair at the nape to be very short and I wanted the hair at the top of my head to be an inch and a half, I would start at the nape. using the blender guard then as you go towards the back of the head you would switch to a 1/4 inch guard then 3/8 then 1/2 inch and finally blend the sides and the top with your scissors.
Find out everything you need to know about how to cut men’s hair.
