Have seen a number of demonstrations in which the stylist puts the index finger of the left hand on the end of the comb when parting.
Looked and it appears the finger is behind the end of the comb and it seems to follow the comb in the part line. At the end of the part it pulls the hair away from the part line in one direction and the comb pulls the end away in the opposite direction. This seems to give a clean part in one stroke.
I have seen this so often by knowledgeable people that I am convinced this has to be an efficient way to form part lines with the fewest number of strokes.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Rotating the comb to change the size of teeth being used
Was practicing the exercise of parting, securing the section and then cutting. Noticed the wide teeth of the comb worked better for the initial comb through and the initial part lines. The fine teeth seemed more controlling for combing out the section.
Would start with the wide teeth and then go to the fine teeth by placing the comb in my left hand and then picking it up again. Figured there had to be a more efficient way to do this and went back to review some DVDs.
The one that seemed easiest for changing from the wide teeth to the fine teeth was to twirl the comb around the fingers so what had been up was down.
I slowed the playback down so I could see it. Would suggest this be practiced with the shears in the hand in the safe position with the points not going to the model's head.
Hold the comb in the usual combing position with the thumb on the side of the comb near you and the first two fingers on the side away from you. The shears are already in place using whatever safe position you like with the points either pointing up or down. I used the one with the points going down so the tang of the ring finger hole was between the second and third finger.
Lift the first finger up and move it from the side away from you to the side near you. Then release the thumb and the comb will begin to rotate with the top going away from you. Stick the thumb under the end of the comb near you and push it up to continue the rotation. This will trap the comb between the first finger and the thumb.
Only adjustment is to curl the first two fingers to you slightly before starting the rotation. This will keep the rotating comb from hitting the tang of the shears and from hitting the third and fourth fingers.
I enjoy this move and the one to rotate the shears to the point down position because the are quick and seem to make the work more efficient.
Would start with the wide teeth and then go to the fine teeth by placing the comb in my left hand and then picking it up again. Figured there had to be a more efficient way to do this and went back to review some DVDs.
The one that seemed easiest for changing from the wide teeth to the fine teeth was to twirl the comb around the fingers so what had been up was down.
I slowed the playback down so I could see it. Would suggest this be practiced with the shears in the hand in the safe position with the points not going to the model's head.
Hold the comb in the usual combing position with the thumb on the side of the comb near you and the first two fingers on the side away from you. The shears are already in place using whatever safe position you like with the points either pointing up or down. I used the one with the points going down so the tang of the ring finger hole was between the second and third finger.
Lift the first finger up and move it from the side away from you to the side near you. Then release the thumb and the comb will begin to rotate with the top going away from you. Stick the thumb under the end of the comb near you and push it up to continue the rotation. This will trap the comb between the first finger and the thumb.
Only adjustment is to curl the first two fingers to you slightly before starting the rotation. This will keep the rotating comb from hitting the tang of the shears and from hitting the third and fourth fingers.
I enjoy this move and the one to rotate the shears to the point down position because the are quick and seem to make the work more efficient.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Real practice of parting and vertical sectioning
Followed up by practicing the material in the post about parting, sectioning, holding and cutting and got mixed results. The good news was that the whole process got to be more fluid the more it was done. The other part of the good news is that the general shape of the cut hair was more uniform and seemed to conform to what would be expected. It looked better.
The bad news was that cross checking did not give a nice smooth line when horizontal sections were taken through the cut vertical sections. There was a gradual increase in the length of the hair especially at the top of the sections. This was not a huge screw up, but it was not the precision hoped for.
Several attempts were made to discover the cause of this. The first was to be sure I had pulled the section correctly with the top of the section being even with the part at the top of the section and that the sides were cleanly sectioned. This had no significant benefit so I must have been doing this already.
The second was to be sure the guide was clearly seen. I changed the way I looked for the guide. The method of just looking through the section to see the guide was still good but did not always work. The other method was looking through the section as the hair in the section was being combed from the holding fingers to the end. This also worked some times. The change was to move the holding fingers near to where I thought the guide should be and to then use the spine of the comb to push the uncut part of the hair away from the cut area. If you had started cutting in the front of the head, then the uncut hair would be in the back of the head and the hair in the section would be pushed to the back. The cut line of the guide could frequently be found this way when the other methods were not completely clear. It may have been that I also made the mistake of using the guide at the top of the section for the whole section without clearly seeing it all along the line to be cut.
Looking at cutting on the top to see what was different from cutting on the side.
Again the cut sections looked fairly decent but they were still not precise. To try to solve this I went to the top of the head and made side to side sections across the head. These were cut flat and parallel to the ceiling. The hair was cut overhand with the hair being held between the first two fingers with the pads of the fingers near the scalp and the hair being cut near the back of the fingers on top.
It was clear that the guide was more visible than it had been on the sides. It was also clear on cross checking that there was no increase in length as I progressed from section to section.
Went back to cutting vertical section on the side in the palm to palm method and finally noticed that the shears were tilting toward me and away from the model's head at the top of the section. The result was that the handle of the shears was closer to me and the point of the shears was closer to the head of the model. The effect was that a slight bit of unintended graduation was being cut into the hair.
This added one more thing to check when preparing to cut. Once the hair was secured, the section was checked on all sides, the guide was found and the shears had been placed on the second finger, the last thing to check was that the shears were straight up and down from the ceiling to the floor.
Doing all the checks there was some improvement. I am certain this has not seen its final refinement.
I am guessing that at the top of the head it was easier to see that the shears were flat with the cutting line.
In the sloppiness category I was not putting the shears in a safe position between cuts and while combing the next section. Had to force myself to be sure to rotate the shears around the ring finger to get the point out of the way and then to swing them back up for cutting. There is a previous post on how to do this. Post is dated 1/24/10.
Summary
Continue to check as in previous not but add:
a. Look for guide all along the cutting line. See additional method above for finding the guide.
b. Check that shears are vertical which should be parallel to the cutting line.
c. Put shears in safe position before starting to comb.
The bad news was that cross checking did not give a nice smooth line when horizontal sections were taken through the cut vertical sections. There was a gradual increase in the length of the hair especially at the top of the sections. This was not a huge screw up, but it was not the precision hoped for.
Several attempts were made to discover the cause of this. The first was to be sure I had pulled the section correctly with the top of the section being even with the part at the top of the section and that the sides were cleanly sectioned. This had no significant benefit so I must have been doing this already.
The second was to be sure the guide was clearly seen. I changed the way I looked for the guide. The method of just looking through the section to see the guide was still good but did not always work. The other method was looking through the section as the hair in the section was being combed from the holding fingers to the end. This also worked some times. The change was to move the holding fingers near to where I thought the guide should be and to then use the spine of the comb to push the uncut part of the hair away from the cut area. If you had started cutting in the front of the head, then the uncut hair would be in the back of the head and the hair in the section would be pushed to the back. The cut line of the guide could frequently be found this way when the other methods were not completely clear. It may have been that I also made the mistake of using the guide at the top of the section for the whole section without clearly seeing it all along the line to be cut.
Looking at cutting on the top to see what was different from cutting on the side.
Again the cut sections looked fairly decent but they were still not precise. To try to solve this I went to the top of the head and made side to side sections across the head. These were cut flat and parallel to the ceiling. The hair was cut overhand with the hair being held between the first two fingers with the pads of the fingers near the scalp and the hair being cut near the back of the fingers on top.
It was clear that the guide was more visible than it had been on the sides. It was also clear on cross checking that there was no increase in length as I progressed from section to section.
Went back to cutting vertical section on the side in the palm to palm method and finally noticed that the shears were tilting toward me and away from the model's head at the top of the section. The result was that the handle of the shears was closer to me and the point of the shears was closer to the head of the model. The effect was that a slight bit of unintended graduation was being cut into the hair.
This added one more thing to check when preparing to cut. Once the hair was secured, the section was checked on all sides, the guide was found and the shears had been placed on the second finger, the last thing to check was that the shears were straight up and down from the ceiling to the floor.
Doing all the checks there was some improvement. I am certain this has not seen its final refinement.
I am guessing that at the top of the head it was easier to see that the shears were flat with the cutting line.
In the sloppiness category I was not putting the shears in a safe position between cuts and while combing the next section. Had to force myself to be sure to rotate the shears around the ring finger to get the point out of the way and then to swing them back up for cutting. There is a previous post on how to do this. Post is dated 1/24/10.
Summary
Continue to check as in previous not but add:
a. Look for guide all along the cutting line. See additional method above for finding the guide.
b. Check that shears are vertical which should be parallel to the cutting line.
c. Put shears in safe position before starting to comb.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Practice parting, sectioning, cutting vertical sections
Intro
Almost all of the DVDs I have on haircutting assume you already know how to part hair, section hair, hold hair and then cut the hair. If you don't know these, the following exercise will help in all of the areas.
The following lists tells how this practice will be described.
1 How to section the side of the head from the top using a horizontal part.
2 How to make a vertical part for the vertical sections.
3 How to pick up the new section and secure it in between the first two fingers of the non-cutting hand.
4 How to check the new section on both sides to see if it is clean before cutting.
5 How to check for the guide by two different methods.
6 How to hold finger and hands to be sure section is where it should be for cutting.
7 How to cross check the cut sections to check on accuracy of the partings and the cuttings.
1 Taking a horizontal part to separate top of head from side.
Make a part about two inches above the model's right ear that is parallel to the floor. It will go from the front hairline to the crown. Clip the hair above this part to the top of the head. The exact location of the horizontal part is not critical for this exercise. We are working on the right side of the models head.
The hair below this horizontal parting will be used for parting off the vertical sections.
2 Parting for the first sections.
The first section will begin at the front hairline and will be about 1/2 inch wide. Go to the horizontal parting described in 1 above and move in about 1/2 inch from the front hairline and make a parting directly down from that point to the hair line below. With the head upright this will give a line that is straight up and down. Comb the hair for the new section to the front of the head and comb the rest of the hair to the back of the head so the part line is clear.
3 Picking up the first section.
Almost all of the DVDs I have on haircutting assume you already know how to part hair, section hair, hold hair and then cut the hair. If you don't know these, the following exercise will help in all of the areas.
The following lists tells how this practice will be described.
1 How to section the side of the head from the top using a horizontal part.
2 How to make a vertical part for the vertical sections.
3 How to pick up the new section and secure it in between the first two fingers of the non-cutting hand.
4 How to check the new section on both sides to see if it is clean before cutting.
5 How to check for the guide by two different methods.
6 How to hold finger and hands to be sure section is where it should be for cutting.
7 How to cross check the cut sections to check on accuracy of the partings and the cuttings.
1 Taking a horizontal part to separate top of head from side.
Make a part about two inches above the model's right ear that is parallel to the floor. It will go from the front hairline to the crown. Clip the hair above this part to the top of the head. The exact location of the horizontal part is not critical for this exercise. We are working on the right side of the models head.
The hair below this horizontal parting will be used for parting off the vertical sections.
2 Parting for the first sections.
The first section will begin at the front hairline and will be about 1/2 inch wide. Go to the horizontal parting described in 1 above and move in about 1/2 inch from the front hairline and make a parting directly down from that point to the hair line below. With the head upright this will give a line that is straight up and down. Comb the hair for the new section to the front of the head and comb the rest of the hair to the back of the head so the part line is clear.
3 Picking up the first section.
Put the index finger of the left hand beside and behind the part line for the vertical part. The finger is pointing up with the pad of the finger facing you and the back of the finger is on the scalp. Comb the hair from the new section onto the index finger of the left hand and grasp the hair of this section between the index finger and the second finger of the left hand.
After the first section has been cut, following sections will be done in a like manner. The part for the next section will have about 1/4 inch of uncut hair and a similar amount of cut hair. Again comb the section forward and put the index finger of the left hand beside and behind the part at the back of the section. Then comb the section from the front of the section over the index finger and grasp the whole section between the index finger and the second finger.
4 Check all borders of the section to see if they are clean.
With the non-cutting hand still near the scalp look to see if the front and back border of the section are clean. They will have straight up and down borders if they are. If there is hair in the section that should not be included, take the comb and redo that section border while still holding the section with light tension. This will clean up the section boundaries and pull the misplaced hair out of the section. If hair has to be added to the section, the section may have to be re-done and then re-gripped.
In the first section only the back border exists to be checked. On subsequent sections there will be a front and back border to check.
5 Find the guide by two different methods.
This only applies to the second and subsequent sections. The guide will have to be cut in the first section according to the desired length.
In the second and following sections while still holding the section in the first two fingers of the non-cutting hand, use the teeth of the comb to slowly comb the section from the fingers toward the end. Watch to see where the guide is as you comb through it. It will be visible as a line of cut hair. It may be easier to see by combing the section back to pull the uncut hair from the guideline. This is the first way to look for the guide.
The second way to find the guide is to comb the hair in the section away from the holding fingers while looking through the uncut hair toward the front of the head. If the section is thin enough the guide will be visible through the uncut hair.
Either method is okay for finding the guide. If neither works, go back and redo the section taking a thinner section and try to locate the guide again. Do not move to the next step until the guide is clearly seen. Don't get impatient.
6 How to hold fingers and hands to be sure section is where it should be for cutting.
Once the guide is seen, slide the holding fingers out the section until the guideline is close to the fingers. Check the section. The hair on the top of the section should be coming straight out from the head at the level of the top horizontal part. The hair at the front and back of the section should also be coming straight out. Fingers should be pointing straight up and down and not be tilted either forward or backward. The top of the section is level with the top horizontal part so it is not sagging or elevated.
For shear cutting open and close the blades a few times to get the feel of them and to be sure the hand is relaxed.
Now place the blade of the shears controlled by the ring finger on the second finger of the holding hand. The point of the shears is pointing down while the holding fingers are pointing up. The blade of the shear should be along the guide. Placing this blade on the second finger will stabilize the blade and the shears for more consistent cutting.
Leave the stable blade on the second finger and move it down the finger while cutting along the guide. If the section is too long to cut in one holding of the section, pick up the next part of the section with the comb before dropping the current part.
Look at the cut and see if you are happy with it. Trim it up to the guide if needed.
7 Cross check the cut sections to check on accuracy of the partings and the cuttings.
Cut enough vertical sections to cover about two inches along the top horizontal part. Now comb these sections all down and beginning at the top take horizontal sections through the cut hair. These should be small about 1/2 inch sections. Pull them out straight from the head with no elevation above the horizontal part and no leaning to either side. Check to see the line at the end of the cut hair in this horizontal section. With this method of cross checking you will be able to see how accurately you parted the vertical sections and how well you kept a consistent guide from one section to the next. If there are no deviations in the straight line, you did a great job. If deviations are all less than a couple of milimeters trim them off. If they are longer than a few milimeters, start over and redo the vertical sections. Don't get discouraged. If you don't feel like re-cutting the vertical move on and keep track of your improvement in the next group of vertical sections.
Soapbox
a.There is no such thing as a section that is too small.
b. You cannot cut along the guide too slowly.
c. Do not hurry any part of this process. If a step is not done to your liking don't move on.
d. Speed comes with practice. Be accurate first.
e. In general holding-fingers and blades of shears should be parallel to the part.
f. Body should be upright and hair should be close to shoulder level for cutting.
g. Keep body relaxed especially the hands for smooth well controlled movements.
h. Modify any of these suggestions for what works best for you.
Summary
A method of practicing parting, holding sections, finding the guide and cutting along the guide
will hopefully give you more control over your results.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Fundamentals of haircutting Parting the hair
In haircutting I am looking for the fundamentals of making a haircut. In reviewing DVDs of haircuts and looking back on notes about haircuts it seems they are mostly about the geography of dividing the hair into larger and smaller sections. Large sections or panels are subdivided to small packets of hair which can then be cut to give final shape to the haircut.
In all of these, it seems that the fundamentals of haircutting are assumed to be known. It is like they are teaching algebra and expect one to already know how to do the basics of arithmetic. The emphasis on the DVDs and classes is to concentrate on how to achieve a design.
Parting the hair is a fundamental. It should be precise in location, content, and direction. This is demonstrated in most of the teaching I have received. I don't always find narrative on the parting technique.
Location of the part is where exactly on the head the part is placed. A factor in where the part will be placed is how much hair is to be included in the new section. This content should be chosen with several ideas in mind. The first is the desired result of the cut in the new section. Some results will require a thin consistent section where the part is easily seen and uniformity of the cut is a priority. Others may want a wide section in order to develop longer length of the hair at the front, middle or back of the section( this could also be seen as developing length or shortness at the top, middle, or bottom of the section).
Direction of the part will be determined by how much weight the cut line will carry. For example an up and down vertical part will carry less weight in its cut line than a horizontal cut line. In cutting up and down sections, only some of the hair will be in the cut line. In horizontal lines cut at a single length all the hair will fall to the same line making it weightier.
Another point about the direction of the part is how this part will be used to determine the cut line. In some instances, the cut line will be parallel to the part line.
A consistency in parting will allow all parts aimed at the same goal to be the same size, and to be pulled with the same direction, over-direction, or elevation. They will be developed with a technique in which the guideline is easily determined by the same method again and again. For example in an earlier post, I wrote about a stylist who used the method of gripping the section in her first two fingers with her palm facing her and the back of her hand close to the head. She would take the hair close to the scalp and hold it while she combed the uncut hair in the section away from the cut hair. This allowed her to see the guideline. She then pulled the fingers away from the head watching the guideline or cut line until it was where she wanted it relative to where she would cut. The uncut hair was then released from the comb and she could cut with confidence.
Under the fundamentals of parting, a crucial point is that the parting leads to a section in which the guideline can be seen. In my experience the majority of errors I have made have concerned not seeing the guideline clearly. Frustration has led me to impulsively cut assuming I was close enough. The result was a haircut with a lopsided style where one section was longer or shorter and the following sections contained the same problem. Occasionally when not able to find the guide I would measure the original guide length on the comb and then try to transfer this measurement to the section where I could not find the guide. This was an attempt to get around the problem of not seeing the guide. Unfortunately it did not lead to an improved parting technique which would let me see the guide consistently.
A number of teachers have emphasized the need for "clean parts." This meant that the part was made with a line that clearly included some hair and clearly excluded other hair. If at some points along the part you cannot tell if strands of hair are in the section or out of it, don't be satisfied with this part. Redo this part until the inclusion/exclusion boundaries are clear. If you cannot make clean parts you will not be able to repeat the parting technique. You will not be able make the content of the sections consistent with your goals. You will not be able to determine the direction of your part. You will not have a consistent guide from section to section. You will not have consistent over-direction, direction, nor elevation.
Cross checking is a way of checking on your parting technique. Cross checking can be done by going back to the cut hair and sectioning in the opposite way from the way it was cut. A panel in which the hair was cut in vertical sections would be checked by dividing the panel into horizontal sections and seeing if the lines are even. This can correct some problems, but it the cross checking is way off, the section should be redone. My understanding of this is that the guide was not followed closely enough to make a good consistent cut that could stand the test of cross checking.
Summary
1 Parting is a fundamental of haircutting
2 Partings must be clean
3 Partings must be repeatable consistently
4 Partings must be done in a way that allows for a consistent determining/seeing of the guide
5 Partings are done with other specific goals that determine size, content and direction
6 Partings are checked for good technique by cross checking the cut hair. This can correct some errors.
7 Parting errors can also be corrected with a recutting of the section
In all of these, it seems that the fundamentals of haircutting are assumed to be known. It is like they are teaching algebra and expect one to already know how to do the basics of arithmetic. The emphasis on the DVDs and classes is to concentrate on how to achieve a design.
Parting the hair is a fundamental. It should be precise in location, content, and direction. This is demonstrated in most of the teaching I have received. I don't always find narrative on the parting technique.
Location of the part is where exactly on the head the part is placed. A factor in where the part will be placed is how much hair is to be included in the new section. This content should be chosen with several ideas in mind. The first is the desired result of the cut in the new section. Some results will require a thin consistent section where the part is easily seen and uniformity of the cut is a priority. Others may want a wide section in order to develop longer length of the hair at the front, middle or back of the section( this could also be seen as developing length or shortness at the top, middle, or bottom of the section).
Direction of the part will be determined by how much weight the cut line will carry. For example an up and down vertical part will carry less weight in its cut line than a horizontal cut line. In cutting up and down sections, only some of the hair will be in the cut line. In horizontal lines cut at a single length all the hair will fall to the same line making it weightier.
Another point about the direction of the part is how this part will be used to determine the cut line. In some instances, the cut line will be parallel to the part line.
A consistency in parting will allow all parts aimed at the same goal to be the same size, and to be pulled with the same direction, over-direction, or elevation. They will be developed with a technique in which the guideline is easily determined by the same method again and again. For example in an earlier post, I wrote about a stylist who used the method of gripping the section in her first two fingers with her palm facing her and the back of her hand close to the head. She would take the hair close to the scalp and hold it while she combed the uncut hair in the section away from the cut hair. This allowed her to see the guideline. She then pulled the fingers away from the head watching the guideline or cut line until it was where she wanted it relative to where she would cut. The uncut hair was then released from the comb and she could cut with confidence.
Under the fundamentals of parting, a crucial point is that the parting leads to a section in which the guideline can be seen. In my experience the majority of errors I have made have concerned not seeing the guideline clearly. Frustration has led me to impulsively cut assuming I was close enough. The result was a haircut with a lopsided style where one section was longer or shorter and the following sections contained the same problem. Occasionally when not able to find the guide I would measure the original guide length on the comb and then try to transfer this measurement to the section where I could not find the guide. This was an attempt to get around the problem of not seeing the guide. Unfortunately it did not lead to an improved parting technique which would let me see the guide consistently.
A number of teachers have emphasized the need for "clean parts." This meant that the part was made with a line that clearly included some hair and clearly excluded other hair. If at some points along the part you cannot tell if strands of hair are in the section or out of it, don't be satisfied with this part. Redo this part until the inclusion/exclusion boundaries are clear. If you cannot make clean parts you will not be able to repeat the parting technique. You will not be able make the content of the sections consistent with your goals. You will not be able to determine the direction of your part. You will not have a consistent guide from section to section. You will not have consistent over-direction, direction, nor elevation.
Cross checking is a way of checking on your parting technique. Cross checking can be done by going back to the cut hair and sectioning in the opposite way from the way it was cut. A panel in which the hair was cut in vertical sections would be checked by dividing the panel into horizontal sections and seeing if the lines are even. This can correct some problems, but it the cross checking is way off, the section should be redone. My understanding of this is that the guide was not followed closely enough to make a good consistent cut that could stand the test of cross checking.
Summary
1 Parting is a fundamental of haircutting
2 Partings must be clean
3 Partings must be repeatable consistently
4 Partings must be done in a way that allows for a consistent determining/seeing of the guide
5 Partings are done with other specific goals that determine size, content and direction
6 Partings are checked for good technique by cross checking the cut hair. This can correct some errors.
7 Parting errors can also be corrected with a recutting of the section
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Holding shear while combing. Cutting along finger
Holding the shear while combing
In school I had been taught to palm the shears while holding the comb for combing. This places the point of the shears up and away so the client is not stabbed while combing with the shear hand. In several videos I have seen stylists point the shears down while combing. I have tried this and find it easy with a little practice.
The key for me is to put the shears in the hand with the thumb, third finger and pinkie all in place for cutting. Thumb is in the thumb hole, third finger is in its hole, and the pinkie is resting on the tang. Now rotate the hand so the point of the shears is pointing up. The hand will be in a position for extending it into a handshake.
From that position release the thumb from its hole and take the pinkie off the tang. The pinkie is pulled away from the tang by pulling it away from the other fingers. The hand remains in the position it was in when the point of the shears was pointing up.
When the thumb and pinkie are released the scissors will fall rotating around the third finger. The tang will hit the second finger and the pinkie should then close to the other fingers trapping the thumb hole between the third finger and the pinkie.
The effect of this is to point the shear down and away from the client's head. In this position the thumb and first two fingers are free to hold the comb for developing the desired shape of the next cut.
To return the shear to the proper position for cutting release the pinkie again and the shear will begin to rotate around the third finger. Encourage this rotation by rotating the thumb side of the hand in a clockwise direction if you are right handed. This will bring the point of the shear to an upright position where it will be stopped by the first finger and the thumb can hold it there. From there put the thumb in its hole and the pinkie on the tang.
Cutting with the blade along the finger
Was practicing a demonstration from a DVD. Had some vertical sections on the side of the head and was using palm to palm method to hold and cut the hair. Once the section was defined and the guide was seen I held the section by the first and second fingers of the left hand. I put the blade controlled by the third finger on the second finger of the left hand and left it there while I cut along the guide. This gave me a sense of stability and accuracy while cutting. I plan to try this some more to see if it improves anything. In the past I have cut with the shear off the finger and with the guide some distance from the holding fingers.
In school I had been taught to palm the shears while holding the comb for combing. This places the point of the shears up and away so the client is not stabbed while combing with the shear hand. In several videos I have seen stylists point the shears down while combing. I have tried this and find it easy with a little practice.
The key for me is to put the shears in the hand with the thumb, third finger and pinkie all in place for cutting. Thumb is in the thumb hole, third finger is in its hole, and the pinkie is resting on the tang. Now rotate the hand so the point of the shears is pointing up. The hand will be in a position for extending it into a handshake.
From that position release the thumb from its hole and take the pinkie off the tang. The pinkie is pulled away from the tang by pulling it away from the other fingers. The hand remains in the position it was in when the point of the shears was pointing up.
When the thumb and pinkie are released the scissors will fall rotating around the third finger. The tang will hit the second finger and the pinkie should then close to the other fingers trapping the thumb hole between the third finger and the pinkie.
The effect of this is to point the shear down and away from the client's head. In this position the thumb and first two fingers are free to hold the comb for developing the desired shape of the next cut.
To return the shear to the proper position for cutting release the pinkie again and the shear will begin to rotate around the third finger. Encourage this rotation by rotating the thumb side of the hand in a clockwise direction if you are right handed. This will bring the point of the shear to an upright position where it will be stopped by the first finger and the thumb can hold it there. From there put the thumb in its hole and the pinkie on the tang.
Cutting with the blade along the finger
Was practicing a demonstration from a DVD. Had some vertical sections on the side of the head and was using palm to palm method to hold and cut the hair. Once the section was defined and the guide was seen I held the section by the first and second fingers of the left hand. I put the blade controlled by the third finger on the second finger of the left hand and left it there while I cut along the guide. This gave me a sense of stability and accuracy while cutting. I plan to try this some more to see if it improves anything. In the past I have cut with the shear off the finger and with the guide some distance from the holding fingers.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Finding guide, Body position, hand position.
Again watched a demonstration from American Crew Menswork to look for the geography of the head sections and the techniques the stylist used. The geography is heavily commented on in the narrative on the DVD. Some of the following details I mention below are not mentioned and I found them helpful.
How high the head should be for cutting
The first thing was that the sections being cut were vertical section which initially started in the area of the front hair line at the temple. The hair was being pulled out at ninety degrees or straight out from the head. The point of interest for me was that it was pulled to her body slightly below her shoulder level. I would estimate it was an inch or two below the height of the shoulder. This was higher than my usual height for cutting so I adjusted this in trying to copy her cut.
As a follow up on finding the guide, I recalled that Don Haidl at a course at Sassoon in Chicago had told me to take 1/4 of new hair and 3/4 of cut hair in forming a new section. Prior to this I had seen people recommend taking 1/2 and 1/2 measures. Taking the smaller section of uncut hair made it easier to see through to the guide. I could not tell exactly how wide the sections were in the demonstration , but when you watched the cutting they all seemed thin. She continued to look for the cut line or guide by combing the uncut hair away until she could see the cut line.
Use ear lobes to determine back hairline
One other thing was the position of the back hair line. With the head upright, this hair line seems to be at the level of the bottom of the ear lobes or within an inch of this line. This may turn out to be a useful reference to tell where to start the tapers in the back.
Use extra light to see guide
In practicing this cut on a mannequin, I brought a floor lamp close to the head to be sure the cutting area was getting a lot of light.
Evaluation
I saw some improvement in the general shape and in the uniformity of my cut. I expect that paying attention to these points of cutting will help me to be more consistent in cutting.
How high the head should be for cutting
The first thing was that the sections being cut were vertical section which initially started in the area of the front hair line at the temple. The hair was being pulled out at ninety degrees or straight out from the head. The point of interest for me was that it was pulled to her body slightly below her shoulder level. I would estimate it was an inch or two below the height of the shoulder. This was higher than my usual height for cutting so I adjusted this in trying to copy her cut.
When the stylist was cutting across the top of the head the hair was being pulled straight up for cutting. These sections were cut at a level some where between the level of her chin and her lips. I made this adjustment also.
Keeping back straight and body at a slight angle
The next was that the stylist remained with her spinal column erect. In my previous attempts to copy these demonstrations I found I was frequently leaning to my left by bending at the waist. This was to aid me in seeing the guide. This stylist stood slightly behind the section to be cut with her left shoulder closer to the head and her body on a slight slant to the head. She would comb the section she was going to cut and comb the uncut hair away so she could see the cut line or guide from the previous section. The uncut hair was to her right so she would peek around the section so she could see the cut line from the previous cutting.
Keep fingers vertical and check where hair falls when cut
The fingers of the stylist were vertical to the floor. What I had been doing was allowing the tips of my fingers to tilt to the front of the head and the bottom of my hand to go toward the back of the head. In effect I was cutting with a diagonal back angle within the section. I used the example to help me to keep my fingers vertical to the floor while cutting. Watching her cut in this situation you could see the cut pieces of hair fall to her open palm. When I copied this position the hair pieces fell on my palm and wrist. If it was not falling there I knew my fingers were no longer vertical to the floor.
Keeping the fingers vertical also lets you check that the hair is pulled straight out and is neither over directed nor elevated all of which is covered in the commentary. Checking this was helpful.
How long is each cut of hair
The stylist would cut with long cuts of up to 2 inches in a palm to palm manner when this length was available. I have not mastered this and frequently cut in smaller cuts.
As a follow up on finding the guide, I recalled that Don Haidl at a course at Sassoon in Chicago had told me to take 1/4 of new hair and 3/4 of cut hair in forming a new section. Prior to this I had seen people recommend taking 1/2 and 1/2 measures. Taking the smaller section of uncut hair made it easier to see through to the guide. I could not tell exactly how wide the sections were in the demonstration , but when you watched the cutting they all seemed thin. She continued to look for the cut line or guide by combing the uncut hair away until she could see the cut line.
Use ear lobes to determine back hairline
One other thing was the position of the back hair line. With the head upright, this hair line seems to be at the level of the bottom of the ear lobes or within an inch of this line. This may turn out to be a useful reference to tell where to start the tapers in the back.
Use extra light to see guide
In practicing this cut on a mannequin, I brought a floor lamp close to the head to be sure the cutting area was getting a lot of light.
Evaluation
I saw some improvement in the general shape and in the uniformity of my cut. I expect that paying attention to these points of cutting will help me to be more consistent in cutting.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Finding Your Guide
Was practicing a haircut from the American Crew Menswork DVDs and noticed some difficulty seeing my guide. This is a chronic problem in the cuts I perform.
Went back and reviewed the demonstration of the cut and noticed that the stylist used a repetitive routine to comb the hair into the shape she wanted and to then see the guide before cutting. She was cutting vertical sections about 1/2 inch wide moving from the front right temple area toward the back of the head. For a new section she seemed to take about half of the section from the last cut section and half from the uncut hair. She was pulling it out 90 degrees from the head and cutting it flat with the wall. That is straight up and down and not making the cut follow the head shape.
When she had parted off the section she would grab the hair between the index and middle fingers with the back of the fingers close to the head and the fingers pointing up. With a grip on the hair, she then used her comb to comb the uncut hair back so she could determine her guide by clearly seeing the line the cut hair made. With this in view she would slide her fingers away from the head until she had the hair fully extended from the head and the guide was along her finger. She then released the uncut hair and watched it as it fell to the guide. She then cut palm to palm being careful not to overdirect or elevate the hair.
In the past I had noticed this technique and had supposed it was put into the demonstration to show she was cutting along the guide. In the cut I watched yesterday she did this maneuver on all cuts requiring a guide.
In other course work I had been told repeatedly that if you could not see your guide this meant the section you had taken was too wide and a smaller section should be taken. This technique seems to give another option for finding the guide.
I have sung the praises of this American Crew Menswork course before. This confirms my beliefs.
Went back and reviewed the demonstration of the cut and noticed that the stylist used a repetitive routine to comb the hair into the shape she wanted and to then see the guide before cutting. She was cutting vertical sections about 1/2 inch wide moving from the front right temple area toward the back of the head. For a new section she seemed to take about half of the section from the last cut section and half from the uncut hair. She was pulling it out 90 degrees from the head and cutting it flat with the wall. That is straight up and down and not making the cut follow the head shape.
When she had parted off the section she would grab the hair between the index and middle fingers with the back of the fingers close to the head and the fingers pointing up. With a grip on the hair, she then used her comb to comb the uncut hair back so she could determine her guide by clearly seeing the line the cut hair made. With this in view she would slide her fingers away from the head until she had the hair fully extended from the head and the guide was along her finger. She then released the uncut hair and watched it as it fell to the guide. She then cut palm to palm being careful not to overdirect or elevate the hair.
In the past I had noticed this technique and had supposed it was put into the demonstration to show she was cutting along the guide. In the cut I watched yesterday she did this maneuver on all cuts requiring a guide.
In other course work I had been told repeatedly that if you could not see your guide this meant the section you had taken was too wide and a smaller section should be taken. This technique seems to give another option for finding the guide.
I have sung the praises of this American Crew Menswork course before. This confirms my beliefs.
Monday, January 18, 2010
W: One length haircut- same length front, back and sides
I reviewed the directions I have for cutting the one length haircut. When the sides, back and front are all the same length this is also called a square one length haircut.
One thing that distinguishes the differing directions is whether or not to use a center part or a natural part for the hair cut. From what I can tell using a center part is more useful for clients who want to move their part around or who always use a center part. If the hair is then parted to a side it will not be exactly a one length cut but the difference will be less than if a natural part had been used and then the part was moved to the other side.
Using a natural part is better for those who always use the same part. A na
tural part is determined by combing the hair straight back and then pushing the hair forward from the crown area and seeing where the part line develops. If a natural part is used it is taken back to the crown area where it is connected to a central part going from the crown to the hairline at the bottom of the nape. The connection is a slightly slanted part from the end of the natural part to the top of the back central part.
The other part used in the set up for this haircut goes from the top of the crown to behind the ears. I have seen this part starting any where from the apex to the bottom of the crown in different instructions. Most seem to start at the top of the crown and come down behind the ear but close to the ear. It has come down to the top middle of the ear for some directions. It divides the back of the head from the front.
Once these two parts are in place, the head is divided into four sections.
The next distinguishing mark for the different directions is whether or not the head is upright or tilted slightly forward to start the hair cut. Tilting the head slightly forward seems to let the hair in the final shape curl under slightly at the bottom instead of giving a totally flat surface at the bottom. Tilt of the head is decreased so the head is more upright the higher the sections/parts go up the head. This makes these sections have slightly longer hair than that from the lower sections.
Most directions start in the back two sections and near the bottom hairline on the neck. Directions are given to divide off a bottom section of hair approximately 1/2 to 1 inch in width . Some describe the part for this section as horizontal and some say it is slightly diagonally forward which means it starts in the middle and has a slight slope down as it goes toward the sides. I don't know the respective benefits of these parts. The slightly diagonal forward part may adjust the part to fit the curvature of the neck?
All the directions call for combing the hair to natural fall. They also all call for zero elevation or no lifting of the hair for cutting.
Natural fall means the hair falls down following the direction it is growing. In the back, the hair falls down the back of the head. On the sides, it falls down the side. The back and sides are separated at the back corners of the head. The back corners are found by putting a comb on the back of the head at the occipital bone. The comb is parallel to the floor and it is lying left to right on the back of the head. To find a corner on the left side, place a second comb on the left side of the head at the same level as the comb in back. Where the comb on the side intersects the comb in the back is where the corner is. Move straight in from the corner to the skull and this is where the corner of the head is. The corner on the right side is found the same way.
The corner is important because it tells you where to change your body position for cutting a one length haircut. Behind the corners in the back you stand behind the head. Then comb the hair straight down in the back. Once you reach the corner of the head, you move to the side of the head and comb the hair straight down on the side.
The length of the hair cut is determined in consultation with the client before the hair cut and after inspection of the clients scalp and growth patterns.
The hair is most frequently described as held in the wide teeth of the comb to secure it for cutting. One set of directions says to hold it against the skin with the side of the little finger to secure it. The cutting is done with you standing in front of the hair to be cut and with the comb parallel to the floor. The forearm and wrist holding the comb are also parallel to the floor as are the shears and the wrist-forearm holding the shears.
These sections can also be cut with a clipper. This is frequently a quicker way to cut the hair. The comb is held the same way as for the scissors. The hair is then cut by running the clipper along the comb or by pushing the clipper teeth into the comb parallel to the teeth of the comb. Going along the comb's length is faster because you don't have to repeatedly reposition the clipper.
The cutting action of the shears has been demonstrated as one long cut parallel to the comb and floor or as a series of little cuts along the length of the comb. I have not heard the benefits of the two different cutting methods.
When the bottom section is finished another horizontal parting is made 1/2 to 1 inch further up the nape and the hair is cut to follow the guide established in cutting the first section at the bottom of the nape. If the guide cannot be seen through the new section then this section should be done as a thinner section so that the guide can be clearly seen. Each back section can be cut alternating sides or one section can be cut all the way up to the part that divides the back of the head from the front before cutting the other side. Remember to change the body position as you go around the corner.
When all the hair in the back is finished a part is taken on a side that is horizontal to the floor and about 1/2 to 1 inch above the ear. This section contains some hair from the back section that has already been cut to act as a guide for cutting the side length. If you have started with the slightly diagonal forward parts in the back of the head, these can be continued to be used into the sides. On the sides the hair is combed into natural fall and cut parallel to the floor to match the length from the back of the head.
When cutting below the ears, comb the hair down and then tap the section above the ear either with the closed scissors or with the little finger of the hand holding the clipper. The tapping draws the hair up before it is cut so that there is extra length to make up for the ears sticking out.
Continue to take parts up the head until the natural part or center part is reached.
The other side is done in a like manner.
What I still don't understand:
1. Why use a natural part or a central part.
2. What is the explanation for horizontal parts as opposed to diagonal forward parts.
3. What is the purpose of the head tilt away from the cutting area. Is it only to give an undercut appearance to the cut?
4. What is the best method of cutting the perimeter. Is it better to cut in one long cut or to break it into several steps of cutting partially across the line?
One thing that distinguishes the differing directions is whether or not to use a center part or a natural part for the hair cut. From what I can tell using a center part is more useful for clients who want to move their part around or who always use a center part. If the hair is then parted to a side it will not be exactly a one length cut but the difference will be less than if a natural part had been used and then the part was moved to the other side.
Using a natural part is better for those who always use the same part. A na
tural part is determined by combing the hair straight back and then pushing the hair forward from the crown area and seeing where the part line develops. If a natural part is used it is taken back to the crown area where it is connected to a central part going from the crown to the hairline at the bottom of the nape. The connection is a slightly slanted part from the end of the natural part to the top of the back central part.The other part used in the set up for this haircut goes from the top of the crown to behind the ears. I have seen this part starting any where from the apex to the bottom of the crown in different instructions. Most seem to start at the top of the crown and come down behind the ear but close to the ear. It has come down to the top middle of the ear for some directions. It divides the back of the head from the front.
Once these two parts are in place, the head is divided into four sections.
The next distinguishing mark for the different directions is whether or not the head is upright or tilted slightly forward to start the hair cut. Tilting the head slightly forward seems to let the hair in the final shape curl under slightly at the bottom instead of giving a totally flat surface at the bottom. Tilt of the head is decreased so the head is more upright the higher the sections/parts go up the head. This makes these sections have slightly longer hair than that from the lower sections.
Most directions start in the back two sections and near the bottom hairline on the neck. Directions are given to divide off a bottom section of hair approximately 1/2 to 1 inch in width . Some describe the part for this section as horizontal and some say it is slightly diagonally forward which means it starts in the middle and has a slight slope down as it goes toward the sides. I don't know the respective benefits of these parts. The slightly diagonal forward part may adjust the part to fit the curvature of the neck?
All the directions call for combing the hair to natural fall. They also all call for zero elevation or no lifting of the hair for cutting.
Natural fall means the hair falls down following the direction it is growing. In the back, the hair falls down the back of the head. On the sides, it falls down the side. The back and sides are separated at the back corners of the head. The back corners are found by putting a comb on the back of the head at the occipital bone. The comb is parallel to the floor and it is lying left to right on the back of the head. To find a corner on the left side, place a second comb on the left side of the head at the same level as the comb in back. Where the comb on the side intersects the comb in the back is where the corner is. Move straight in from the corner to the skull and this is where the corner of the head is. The corner on the right side is found the same way.
The corner is important because it tells you where to change your body position for cutting a one length haircut. Behind the corners in the back you stand behind the head. Then comb the hair straight down in the back. Once you reach the corner of the head, you move to the side of the head and comb the hair straight down on the side.
The length of the hair cut is determined in consultation with the client before the hair cut and after inspection of the clients scalp and growth patterns.
The hair is most frequently described as held in the wide teeth of the comb to secure it for cutting. One set of directions says to hold it against the skin with the side of the little finger to secure it. The cutting is done with you standing in front of the hair to be cut and with the comb parallel to the floor. The forearm and wrist holding the comb are also parallel to the floor as are the shears and the wrist-forearm holding the shears.
These sections can also be cut with a clipper. This is frequently a quicker way to cut the hair. The comb is held the same way as for the scissors. The hair is then cut by running the clipper along the comb or by pushing the clipper teeth into the comb parallel to the teeth of the comb. Going along the comb's length is faster because you don't have to repeatedly reposition the clipper.
The cutting action of the shears has been demonstrated as one long cut parallel to the comb and floor or as a series of little cuts along the length of the comb. I have not heard the benefits of the two different cutting methods.
When the bottom section is finished another horizontal parting is made 1/2 to 1 inch further up the nape and the hair is cut to follow the guide established in cutting the first section at the bottom of the nape. If the guide cannot be seen through the new section then this section should be done as a thinner section so that the guide can be clearly seen. Each back section can be cut alternating sides or one section can be cut all the way up to the part that divides the back of the head from the front before cutting the other side. Remember to change the body position as you go around the corner.
When all the hair in the back is finished a part is taken on a side that is horizontal to the floor and about 1/2 to 1 inch above the ear. This section contains some hair from the back section that has already been cut to act as a guide for cutting the side length. If you have started with the slightly diagonal forward parts in the back of the head, these can be continued to be used into the sides. On the sides the hair is combed into natural fall and cut parallel to the floor to match the length from the back of the head.
When cutting below the ears, comb the hair down and then tap the section above the ear either with the closed scissors or with the little finger of the hand holding the clipper. The tapping draws the hair up before it is cut so that there is extra length to make up for the ears sticking out.
Continue to take parts up the head until the natural part or center part is reached.
The other side is done in a like manner.
What I still don't understand:
1. Why use a natural part or a central part.
2. What is the explanation for horizontal parts as opposed to diagonal forward parts.
3. What is the purpose of the head tilt away from the cutting area. Is it only to give an undercut appearance to the cut?
4. What is the best method of cutting the perimeter. Is it better to cut in one long cut or to break it into several steps of cutting partially across the line?
Saturday, January 16, 2010
American Crew Menswork
I bought the American Crew Menswork three book, five DVD collection on a recommendation from Ivan Zoot. It is the best haircutting instruction I have ever seen. It is a system of teaching you how to see the geography of the head and then how to cut to the head form for different goals. The writing is superb for systematic consistency and clarity. The method moves you along as you develop understanding and get some practice in their techniques. The goals of techniques are well described in the text. The demonstration cuttings are all done by the same stylist. They are clear in the physical demonstration and in the commentary.
It does require studying and repetition. I am currently on my fifth go. In the first I made hand written notes on the text and demonstrations. The tools for cutting are shears, clippers with replaceable blades, and razor and they are all demonstrated repeatedly and with different goals. It will take me at least two more times of going through the text and DVDs and I expect these will continue to be good references for the foreseeable future. From the beginning, the lessons changed the way I planned and executed a haircut. Final form is becomming more predictable.
See http://haircutsformen.net/discussions/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=137 for several posts about American Crew. Some comments relate to the history of this company and I have no knowledge about this. Others point out that some of the haircuts are not things you will use much in a barbering situation. I have heard this type of objection addressed by others in two different situations which made sense to me. The most recent was by Don Haidl in the Sassoon ABC cutting course I took in Chicago. He pointed out that learning to do leading-edge styles was not so they could be repeated on inappropriate clients, but so they could be modified to fit the client for a suitable haircut. This makes sense to me. A similar explanation was made by a person who pointed out how the mohawk started out for a fringe group and has been modified to fit a larger part of the mainstream as a fauxhawk. Unfortunately I cannot recall this person's name.
I have not taken the classroom courses by American Crew. In the past, I have found that teachers always greatly improve the learning compared to just studying on my own. The information offered by teachers has frequently been the key for unifying the teachings in the text. I suspect the same benefit would come from the classroom work from American Crew.
I found the American Crew haircuts to be loaded with techniques which are applicable for either long or short hair on either men or wormen. In addition the analysis of headform topography is useful in cutting hair on women as well as men.
With the American Crew Menswork course and Ivan Zoot's clipper videos on YouTube there are lots of empowering techniques for cutting men's haircuts.
It does require studying and repetition. I am currently on my fifth go. In the first I made hand written notes on the text and demonstrations. The tools for cutting are shears, clippers with replaceable blades, and razor and they are all demonstrated repeatedly and with different goals. It will take me at least two more times of going through the text and DVDs and I expect these will continue to be good references for the foreseeable future. From the beginning, the lessons changed the way I planned and executed a haircut. Final form is becomming more predictable.
See http://haircutsformen.net/discussions/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=137 for several posts about American Crew. Some comments relate to the history of this company and I have no knowledge about this. Others point out that some of the haircuts are not things you will use much in a barbering situation. I have heard this type of objection addressed by others in two different situations which made sense to me. The most recent was by Don Haidl in the Sassoon ABC cutting course I took in Chicago. He pointed out that learning to do leading-edge styles was not so they could be repeated on inappropriate clients, but so they could be modified to fit the client for a suitable haircut. This makes sense to me. A similar explanation was made by a person who pointed out how the mohawk started out for a fringe group and has been modified to fit a larger part of the mainstream as a fauxhawk. Unfortunately I cannot recall this person's name.
I have not taken the classroom courses by American Crew. In the past, I have found that teachers always greatly improve the learning compared to just studying on my own. The information offered by teachers has frequently been the key for unifying the teachings in the text. I suspect the same benefit would come from the classroom work from American Crew.
I found the American Crew haircuts to be loaded with techniques which are applicable for either long or short hair on either men or wormen. In addition the analysis of headform topography is useful in cutting hair on women as well as men.
With the American Crew Menswork course and Ivan Zoot's clipper videos on YouTube there are lots of empowering techniques for cutting men's haircuts.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Replaceable Blades
Some cleaning methods I use while cutting with replaceable blades.
1. Use a nail brush or a tooth brush to brush hair off of clipper and blade both in open and closed position on the clipper. Spray with a disinfectant spray front and back. I use Andis Cool Care Plus because it has a lubricant in addition to the disinfectant. Have heard that Oster makes a good disinfectant but have not tried it. Follow time directions.
2. Brush hair off of clipper and blade. Dip the running blade into Andis Blade Care Plus until no more hair is being flushed out of blade. So far I don't spray this with a disinfectant but it could be useful since this product only contains a decontaminant. Oster makes Blade Wash which does not have a disinfectant either from my reading of its label. Both Blade Care Plus and Blade wash seem to need a disinfectant spray following the cleaning. Blade Wash does not list a lubricant so may need to add oil to blade after disinfecting. I do not use these except as needed, but they do clean the blade of bits of hair the brushes don't reach.
When a client is used to having hair cut with clippers using the number one guard, the number one replaceable blade may give too short a length. It is only 1/32" shorter but some clients are not happy with this. They may not have recalled the right number for the guard. I generally start with a 1 1/2 or 2 for cutting a test patch around the sideburn area.
Cutting with the grain
Have been told that cutting with the grain of the hair is equivalent to having a half a guard number higher. For example cutting with a 1 guard in the direction of hair growth instead of into the grain is like cutting with a 1 1/2 guard or replaceable blade. This gives a lot of problems where there are tight, complicated growth patterns that make it hard to detect the direction of growth. In these areas the hair is cut across the grain or into the grain and it is too short for the rest of the pattern. In my experience, I do better using the higher number blade or guard and cutting the usual into-the-grain method.
1/18/10 Update. Got some more experience with haircuts where the client wanted the hair cut with the grain. The clients were teenage, African American brothers who both had horizontal waves in their hair going from side to side. Both wanted the hair reduced in height over all the head while preserving the wave pattern. Each wanted to have a cut that would make the hair all about the same height when finished. Mom supervised and I was told to cut with the grain. We used a number 2 replaceable blade on the older son and little hair was removed so we dropped down to a 1 1/2 for him. Overall results were received with very mild enthusiasm. Lining the perimeter was a very significant part of the hair cut. On younger son the hair was denser and curlier but he had the same wave pattern with the waves separated by about 1 cm. Cutting with a number 2 blade did not remove much hair any where on the head when used with the grain. Going against the grain on the sides made the hair shorter and left the smaller waves intact there. On the top he and Mom did not want the against the grain cut but they did want the volume of hair reduced. To do this the hair was combed and brushed up and back against the grain. This produced a height of about 1.25 cm. This was then cut free hand against the grain like cutting a flat top. The clipper was suspended off the hair to take off the ends of the hair. It left the hair just over a centimeter or 10 mm long. They were happy with this.
In looking at the replaceable blades again after the haircut I noticed that the 3 1/2 blade cuts at 9.5 mm which would have been a good approximation to what the free hand cut did. It would have been a much easier cut to make. The number 2 would have cut the hair at 6.3 mm if used against the grain. Going from a number 2 to number 3 1/2 left the hair 50% longer. This will be my new rule of thumb: When cutting with the grain and getting a minimal reduction in hair volume, go to the blade that leaves hair 50% longer and cut into the grain.
I tried Radio Shack Dust Remover Spray to clean hair out of the clipper blades. It left too much hair especially if there were any lubricant to hold onto the hair. Your mileage may vary.
1. Use a nail brush or a tooth brush to brush hair off of clipper and blade both in open and closed position on the clipper. Spray with a disinfectant spray front and back. I use Andis Cool Care Plus because it has a lubricant in addition to the disinfectant. Have heard that Oster makes a good disinfectant but have not tried it. Follow time directions.
2. Brush hair off of clipper and blade. Dip the running blade into Andis Blade Care Plus until no more hair is being flushed out of blade. So far I don't spray this with a disinfectant but it could be useful since this product only contains a decontaminant. Oster makes Blade Wash which does not have a disinfectant either from my reading of its label. Both Blade Care Plus and Blade wash seem to need a disinfectant spray following the cleaning. Blade Wash does not list a lubricant so may need to add oil to blade after disinfecting. I do not use these except as needed, but they do clean the blade of bits of hair the brushes don't reach.
When a client is used to having hair cut with clippers using the number one guard, the number one replaceable blade may give too short a length. It is only 1/32" shorter but some clients are not happy with this. They may not have recalled the right number for the guard. I generally start with a 1 1/2 or 2 for cutting a test patch around the sideburn area.
Cutting with the grain
Have been told that cutting with the grain of the hair is equivalent to having a half a guard number higher. For example cutting with a 1 guard in the direction of hair growth instead of into the grain is like cutting with a 1 1/2 guard or replaceable blade. This gives a lot of problems where there are tight, complicated growth patterns that make it hard to detect the direction of growth. In these areas the hair is cut across the grain or into the grain and it is too short for the rest of the pattern. In my experience, I do better using the higher number blade or guard and cutting the usual into-the-grain method.
1/18/10 Update. Got some more experience with haircuts where the client wanted the hair cut with the grain. The clients were teenage, African American brothers who both had horizontal waves in their hair going from side to side. Both wanted the hair reduced in height over all the head while preserving the wave pattern. Each wanted to have a cut that would make the hair all about the same height when finished. Mom supervised and I was told to cut with the grain. We used a number 2 replaceable blade on the older son and little hair was removed so we dropped down to a 1 1/2 for him. Overall results were received with very mild enthusiasm. Lining the perimeter was a very significant part of the hair cut. On younger son the hair was denser and curlier but he had the same wave pattern with the waves separated by about 1 cm. Cutting with a number 2 blade did not remove much hair any where on the head when used with the grain. Going against the grain on the sides made the hair shorter and left the smaller waves intact there. On the top he and Mom did not want the against the grain cut but they did want the volume of hair reduced. To do this the hair was combed and brushed up and back against the grain. This produced a height of about 1.25 cm. This was then cut free hand against the grain like cutting a flat top. The clipper was suspended off the hair to take off the ends of the hair. It left the hair just over a centimeter or 10 mm long. They were happy with this.
In looking at the replaceable blades again after the haircut I noticed that the 3 1/2 blade cuts at 9.5 mm which would have been a good approximation to what the free hand cut did. It would have been a much easier cut to make. The number 2 would have cut the hair at 6.3 mm if used against the grain. Going from a number 2 to number 3 1/2 left the hair 50% longer. This will be my new rule of thumb: When cutting with the grain and getting a minimal reduction in hair volume, go to the blade that leaves hair 50% longer and cut into the grain.
I tried Radio Shack Dust Remover Spray to clean hair out of the clipper blades. It left too much hair especially if there were any lubricant to hold onto the hair. Your mileage may vary.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Begin
Will chronicle the steps and questions I have as I try to develop skills in haircutting.
In the last 8 months I have accumulated a number of haircutting DVDs and have attended haircutting classes at the hair shows in Atlanta and Orlando. The most useful of those were the Ivan Zoot courses which centered on the use of Andis clippers (http://www.andis.com/)
Taking Ivan Zoot courses led me to his many YouTube clips which greatly expanded what I knew about how to use clippers, care for clippers and how to apply clippers to cuts typically done with shears. If you would like to view these go to YouTube and search on Andis, Ivan Zoot, or Clipper Guy which is how Ivan is also known.
Trying to apply these lessons in cosmetology school was one of the most fun things I did in school. Like all other things, these had to be reviewed a few times for me to get the hang of them.
The DVDs were bought at hair shows or on EBay. I hope to talk about these in coming posts.
My current tools are: 6" shears and 6"tapering shears by Bonika. The Bonika shears had been recommended by two school teachers who work for Bonika. The most convincing endorsement came from a young stylist picking up her sharpened shears at the hair show in Atlanta.
Most of the clipper work I do is with BGRc which is an Andis clipper with replaceable blades. I found a very good deal on Ebay for the clipper and a set of 10 ceramic blades. The blades are: a) 00000 which cuts to a length of .2 mm, b) 000 which cuts to .5 mm, c) 0A which cuts to 1.2 mm, d) 1 which cuts to 2.4 mm, e)1 1/2 which cuts to 4 mm, f) 2 which cuts to 6.3 mm, g) 3 1/2 which cuts to 9.5 mm, h) 3 3/4 FC which cuts to 13 mm, i) 5/8" HT which cuts to 16 mm, and last j) 3/4" HT which cuts to 19 mm.
I use the BGRc because I like the fineness of the cut it gives.
Before this I used the Andis Speed Master with replaceable guards. I made the switch after noticing that many of the teachers at the hair shows used clippers with replaceable blades and some of the student teachers at the cosmetology school used them also. Those who used them reported a more refined cut with the replaceable blades. Ivan Zoot had told me that the change is made when you feel your haircutting is ready for the improvement. These may not have been his exact words but it is what I got out of it. Finding the good buy on EBay let me make the change even though I knew little.
The results with blades with no guards is similar to cutting with a clipper with a guard and then refining with a scissor over comb technique to smooth it out.
Many other teachers at school and at hair shows used the clippers with guards and found them more than adequate. Try them. Your mileage may vary. I did not see any students cutting with replaceable blades.
You may notice that the size of the replaceable blades does not exactly equal the size of the guards. Guards are typically numbered from 1 to 8 and each one represents a length of resulting hair from 1/8" for number 1 to 8/8" for number 8. There is more range with the replaceable blades. If you are used to cutting with guards, it may take a little time to decide which replaceable blades gives the length you want. Knowing how many millimeters are in an inch is helpful. There are 25.4 mm in an inch. It is a pretty quick adjustment. I will talk about the blades I use and their purpose in other posts.
My trimmer is the Andis Outliner II.
I have a number of different types of clipper combs, general cutting combs and barber combs. I will make an effort to sort out the ones I use later.
In the last 8 months I have accumulated a number of haircutting DVDs and have attended haircutting classes at the hair shows in Atlanta and Orlando. The most useful of those were the Ivan Zoot courses which centered on the use of Andis clippers (http://www.andis.com/)
Taking Ivan Zoot courses led me to his many YouTube clips which greatly expanded what I knew about how to use clippers, care for clippers and how to apply clippers to cuts typically done with shears. If you would like to view these go to YouTube and search on Andis, Ivan Zoot, or Clipper Guy which is how Ivan is also known.
Trying to apply these lessons in cosmetology school was one of the most fun things I did in school. Like all other things, these had to be reviewed a few times for me to get the hang of them.
The DVDs were bought at hair shows or on EBay. I hope to talk about these in coming posts.
My current tools are: 6" shears and 6"tapering shears by Bonika. The Bonika shears had been recommended by two school teachers who work for Bonika. The most convincing endorsement came from a young stylist picking up her sharpened shears at the hair show in Atlanta.
Most of the clipper work I do is with BGRc which is an Andis clipper with replaceable blades. I found a very good deal on Ebay for the clipper and a set of 10 ceramic blades. The blades are: a) 00000 which cuts to a length of .2 mm, b) 000 which cuts to .5 mm, c) 0A which cuts to 1.2 mm, d) 1 which cuts to 2.4 mm, e)1 1/2 which cuts to 4 mm, f) 2 which cuts to 6.3 mm, g) 3 1/2 which cuts to 9.5 mm, h) 3 3/4 FC which cuts to 13 mm, i) 5/8" HT which cuts to 16 mm, and last j) 3/4" HT which cuts to 19 mm.
I use the BGRc because I like the fineness of the cut it gives.
Before this I used the Andis Speed Master with replaceable guards. I made the switch after noticing that many of the teachers at the hair shows used clippers with replaceable blades and some of the student teachers at the cosmetology school used them also. Those who used them reported a more refined cut with the replaceable blades. Ivan Zoot had told me that the change is made when you feel your haircutting is ready for the improvement. These may not have been his exact words but it is what I got out of it. Finding the good buy on EBay let me make the change even though I knew little.
The results with blades with no guards is similar to cutting with a clipper with a guard and then refining with a scissor over comb technique to smooth it out.
Many other teachers at school and at hair shows used the clippers with guards and found them more than adequate. Try them. Your mileage may vary. I did not see any students cutting with replaceable blades.
You may notice that the size of the replaceable blades does not exactly equal the size of the guards. Guards are typically numbered from 1 to 8 and each one represents a length of resulting hair from 1/8" for number 1 to 8/8" for number 8. There is more range with the replaceable blades. If you are used to cutting with guards, it may take a little time to decide which replaceable blades gives the length you want. Knowing how many millimeters are in an inch is helpful. There are 25.4 mm in an inch. It is a pretty quick adjustment. I will talk about the blades I use and their purpose in other posts.
My trimmer is the Andis Outliner II.
I have a number of different types of clipper combs, general cutting combs and barber combs. I will make an effort to sort out the ones I use later.
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