Shears to start off with, suggestions? Tips?

[oxsabrinaxo]

Hello everyone! I'm a complete beginner. I had my own clipper and blades for awhile but I've decided to join a grooming academy and make a career of it. So I need some help with my shears. I need

8 1/2 straights
8 1/2 curves
6 1/2 straights
6 1/2 curves ball tip
6 1/2 thinners

I can't afford anything too TOO expensive but I don't want complete ****. I was searching through this forum and doing some research. Geib seems good and popular. Orginally I was looking into paw brothers but I was told they are ****. Is that true? I was told if I buy the cheaper Geibs - say $50, $60 ones - I should buy Wolff instead. He said his Wolff shears are comparable to the $130 pair of Geibs he owns. What do you think?

Also where should I order from? I seem to only be able to find Wolff on their own website. I was looking at Geibs from petedge. Anything I'm missing?

Any suggestions on brands would be great. Thank you all so much for your patience with this newbie too!

[Shano]

I just bought oster blue super steel shears, off petedge. I tried em out, and i love em. The best part is, they come with a free 26 tooth blender shear (also fabulous) It ends up being 130 total...for two pairs of oster scissors, which is a smokin deal. You can also order a curved shear, and get another 26 tooth blender, lol. You could maybe sell the second blender, and buy shorter shears. Its a good deal though =)

[Moonpiepoodlz]

Geibs are nice beginning shears...I have about 4 different pairs of straights and curves.

Kenchii 5 stars are also a good beginning set.

Good luck

[bulldogmom]

Don't know much about Wolffs, but the Geibs are a decent starting shear. If you can spare the money, I would put more $$$ towards the 8.5" straights, curves, and the thinners. I have no use for 6.5" shears, the more surface area I can cut the better! I actually own a pair of Paw Brother thinners that are really very good, it's their 7.5" 48-tooth thinner. Hope that helps!

[oxsabrinaxo]

Hmmm I'll look into that.

I was thinking about getting the Master Grooming Tools 5200 Rainbow Series Value Shear Kit. Is that pretty good?

[oxsabrinaxo]

Nevermind, I just got reviews for the Master Grooming, apparently horrible. I'm going to look into Geib more. I'm thinking that's the way to go. I don't want to spend too much up front, I'm just required to have this to start. I'm going to an expo in September and I hope to buy much better grooming supplies there. Thank you everyone!

[Moonpiepoodlz]

Hmmm I'll look into that.

I was thinking about getting the Master Grooming Tools 5200 Rainbow Series Value Shear Kit. Is that pretty good?

My husband had a couple pairs of their shears and they actually aren't all that bad. I used them a couple times.

maybe we got lucky then and got a good pair since they're normally ****..

[mylady]

Wolff are way too heavy for me. I never cared for the ones I had, they just hurt my wrists too much.
I would suggest getting the Gieb Entree over the economy Gators. Not much more price wise but I like them a heck of a lot better. I prefer the Kenchii Scorpions over either of the entry level Geibs and they run about $85 I think. You can get the Entrees for about $50 a pair any size at a show and through Geib I think they are normally $67 or something like that. I also know a lot of groomers who love Heritage and i've been very pleasntly surprised by them. I picked up a pair off my coworkers table thinking they were Kenchii and started scissoring away (we would swap and share shears all the time) and he asked me how I liked his new Heritage. I wish I knew the model, but he had gotten them at a show for about $35. Don't know how well they held an edge but they cut well and were well balanced.

[lightning]

Did you check out the Jodi Murphy Shears? That's my next purchase

[lyttleravyn]

Geib has a nice beginner set of Crocodile shears with a (I think) 8 or 8 1/2" straights, curves and thinning shears. Kenchii also has great beginner sets in their Scorpion and Five Star series. It really depends on your hands though. I have smaller, thinner hands and fingers so Kenchiis work beautifully for me. I've found that most Geibs had shanks and finger holes that were too large and heavy for me. If you can get to a trade show near you that would be great so you can try out different shears in your hands before buying them.

3 pairs (1 straights, 1 curves and 1 thinning) is plenty to start with. I don't have any 6 1/2" pairs, I'm not even sure what companies make them that length; I've only seen 7" to 10" lengths. As you start grooming you'll start developing your scissoring technique and you'll have a better idea of kinds of shears and what they do. Personally I'm a shear-fanatic and can't have too many pairs! I've got 7 pairs of thinning shears (different lengths, # of teeth, and metal weight), 8 straights and 4 curves. When I did my ISCC certification I found their information on shears and scissoring very helpful. Jodi Murphy also has a great video on shears and scissoring too.

[windfall4]

The master grooming shears are ****. I took mine in to get sharpened and the guy told me that they aren't even worth sharpening they are so cheaply made.
As for Geibs, they are pretty nice. The only thing I've noticed is they don't hold up well when using them for everyday pet grooming. They are wonderful for hand scissor work and detailed finish work...but they can't handle much more than that. I use to use my Geibs on a daily basis and I was having to get them sharpened all the time.
As for the Paw Brothers brand...that's what I use for my everyday pet grooming. They are VERY durable. Yes, they don't put quite the same finishing touch as the Geibs, but they are great for pet grooming. I drop mine, they get kicked around on the table etc etc, and they still go strong. I think they are the most durable shear for the money. I work with a groomer that has been grooming for 30 years, she also breeds and shows poodles. She has some VERY nice shears she uses for her poodles, but she says that when is comes to her everyday pet grooming for the money you really can't beat the paw brothers shears. I totally agree with her. I think the paw bro shears are great for starting out.

[wet noze]

I would go with the Geibs. Excellent quality and they'll last a long, long time.

Why do you need 6 1/2 shears? Way to small imo. If you buy them I'm thinking you'll never use them. Who said you need this size?

[PAWS]

I've never used Geib, so I can't comment on the price. For decent, inexpensive shears, I like the Aussie Dog brand. I love their 3 finger curved shears. If you are trying to keep costs down, why not start with just the shorter length shears? For instance, get a 6 1/2" straight and curved that are good quality. Then you can decide if you want additional lengths or want to get a good set of thinning shears. Thinning shears are not necessary to have, but BOY do they make the job easier to get a smooth finish! They really help erase 'oops' marks, too.

I have had my business for 6 years now. When I first started I bought the cheapest **** (we are talking $25 - $50 top performance!!!), but I got so good at using those tools, then when I upgraded bit by bit it was like I was a new groomer! I mean, the better tools were effortless to use and the end result just looks amazing. I am currently using Arius-Eikerts (4 different shears) and my Aussie Dog curves, plus my Oster Blenders. The most expensive pair I own are those blenders at about $140 ish. I am at the point where I would really like to upgrade my shears. I am finding that although every pair I have worked beautifully when I first bought them, as they have been sharpened again and again (hint hint lower grade) they just aren't effortless as they used to be. Now that I know what size shear I like to use, I feel more comfortable investing more $$ into hopefully a much better, longer living tool.

[cindi]

I bought a blunt tip roseline straights that I think are 6.5" and they have been great. I did pay around $100.00 for them. I just ordered a cheap pair of thinners but I have a feeling that you get what you pay for in this business.

[sheilabgroomer]

IMO Monk also has decent, affordable "starter" shears as well. The biggest problem w/ordering shears (besides the head banging dilemma of deciding which ones to order...lol) is you really need to get your hands on them to make sure they feel right and that the weight is good for you. If at all possible try to go to a trade show or to a actual vendor so that you can try the shears to your hand before you buy them.

I also agree that 6 1/2 shears will probabaly stay unused in your box or become ribbon scissors. You would be better off using that money towards a good pair of blenders or thinning shears.