A swivel shear is one where the thumb ring can rotate a full 360°, allowing for a customizable grip. It keeps the wrist straight and elbow down throughout every haircut.
This is not only an ergonomically sound choice to prevent or mitigate stress injuries common to hair stylists, but allows for more accurate positioning for different types of cutting.
That's according to Jesse Linares, Sam Villa ArTeam Member and stylist at Structured Hair in Franklin, TN. He breaks down how to make the transition.
“What’s great about a swivel shear is, while your thumb gets to stay inside the ring, you can pretty much achieve any grip or position you would like," he says. "It allows you to get to hyper extension, or places where you might be lifting high and point cutting, or going from underneath and working a vertical line across a perimeter."
The Benefits of Repositioning
“A swivel shear is arguably the most ergonomically correct option available to us," Linares says. "The rotating thumb ring allows our hand to find its most natural and comfortable place in any cutting position."
Using a swivel shear prevents improper positioning that can lead to injuries of the hand, arm, wrist, elbow, upper body, and back, he says.
"Many cutting positions force us to remove and reposition our thumb, whereas a swivel shear allows us to maintain our full grip on the shear while moving through different hand positions," Linares says. "This helps us more easily maintain a beneficial ergonomic stance: shoulders low and elbows close to the body."
Making the Jump to a Swivel Shear
Linares says that while a proper fitting is essential to get the most out of any scissor, this is especially true of a swivel shear. "This means that the rings of the shear need to have the right spacers for our fingers," he says.
"Ideally, the scissor ring that goes over our ring finger should not be able to slide past the second knuckle, and the thumb ring should only allow the tip of our thumb to be inserted.
"The full weight and balance of the shear should be controlled by the hand without the thumb, and the thumb should smoothly move the action blade up and down — not "push" into the ring."
The motion can take a little getting used to, Linares acknowledges. "The swiveling thumb ring can usually be loosened or tightened to suit our taste, so a little experimentation helps," he says. "Many stylists find that taking the shear home after work and 'playing with it' can speed up this process. While we're reading or watching television, we can hold the shear and move through different positions—tie a rubber band around the blades!
"In time, our muscles will develop the memory to use it comfortably.”
See Linares' demonstration here.
Learn more about Sam Villa Swivel Shears here. Book a class with Jesse Linares here.