What each part does
- Blade tip
- The first centimetre does the detail work — point cutting, notching, around-the-ear precision. Cobalt-alloy tips chip rather than bend when dropped, which is why drop tests and floor saves matter.
- Cutting (convex) edge
- The ground face that meets the hair. Japanese-style shears use a convex edge for glide; German-style use a tougher bevelled edge. The grind decides how the shear feels more than any other part.
- Ride line
- The contact line where the two blades meet as they close. An even ride line is a hallmark of quality manufacturing — you feel it as a smooth, consistent close from pivot to tip.
- Pivot & tension screw
- The joint the whole tool lives around. The screw or dial sets tension: too loose folds hair, too tight tires your hand and wears the edge. See the tension troubleshooting guide.
- Shank
- The arm between pivot and ring. Its length and angle set the shear's balance, and bending it is how makers create offset and crane geometries.
- Finger & thumb rings
- Fit matters more than looks: a ring that's too big makes you grip, which costs control. On an offset handle the thumb ring sits forward for a more relaxed hand; a swivel thumb rotates to spare the wrist.
- Finger rest (tang)
- The small hook beside the finger ring where the little finger rests. It stabilises the hand for scissor-over-comb and long sessions; some are removable.
For the full vocabulary — steels, edges, techniques — head to the glossary, or see how the parts add up brand by brand in the directory.