Dull Hair Scissors: Why They Fold Hair and How to Fix Them

Most dragging scissors need one of three things: a clean, a tension tweak or a sharpen. Work through them in that order, quickest first.

What’s making your scissors drag?

Match what you’re feeling to the likely cause. Whatever it is, start with a clean: it’s free and it rules out build-up.

What you notice	Likely cause	Try this
Hair folds between the blades	Loose tension or a worn edge	Tension check, then sharpen
Hair pushes out along the blade	Worn edge	Book a sharpen
Catches at one spot	A nick, or the screw setting	Look for a nick, then check tension
Stiff or gritty to open	Hair, product or no oil in the pivot	Clean, dry, then oil
Squeaks as it closes	Dry pivot	Oil, if your maker says
Blades grind	Tension too tight	Loosen a little
Feels loose and floppy	Tension too loose	Tighten a little
Dropped, or a nick you can see	Blade or tip damage	Stop. Send for service

Most of these causes come straight from Joewell’s FAQ (in Japanese), KAI USA’s Kasho FAQ and Yasaka’s precautions. A catch at one fixed spot points at a nick, which our guide to a chipped or nicked edge covers.

How to fix dragging scissors

Here’s where to look on the pair before you start.

1. Brush and wipe the blades

   Brush the hair out of the pivot and wipe both blades. On a thinner, clear between the teeth. If they open and close smoothly again, it was build-up.

2. Dry the pivot, then oil it if your maker says to

   Put a drop of oil where the blades cross, open and close a few times, then wipe off the extra. Kasho’s Millennium and X-treme Perfection series need no oil.

3. Do the tension check

   Hold the scissors tips up, open them into a cross and let one ring go. It should drop a little. The full check is below.

4. Look along the edge for nicks

   In good light, look down each blade from the pivot to the tip. A nick or a bent tip means stop and send them away.

5. Still dragging? Book a sharpen

   If they still push or fold hair after all that, the edge is worn. Send them to a sharpener who works on salon scissors, with a note on what they’re doing.

How to check scissor tension

Kasho’s FAQ gives the simplest check. It’s for every Kasho series except Millennium and X-treme Perfection:

1. Hold the ring without the finger rest, with the tips pointing up.
2. Open the other blade until the scissors form a cross.
3. Let go of that ring.
4. Watch it drop. A little is right. If it falls a long way, the tension’s too loose. If it doesn’t move, it’s too tight.

Cutting left-handed? Do the same check with your hands swapped.

Adjust in small turns and check again. Each maker does it a little differently:

Maker	How to adjust
Kasho	Check the tension daily and adjust it with a tension adjuster. Millennium and X-treme Perfection need no adjusting.
Joewell	Its flat screw turns with a coin 1.7 mm thick or thinner. Joewell’s FAQ warns against loosening the screw too far.
Yasaka	Open the scissors with no fingers in the rings. If they close under the handle’s weight, tighten. If they feel stiff, loosen a little.

Our maintenance kit comes with a tension key. Check it fits your screw before you turn anything.

How often should you sharpen hair scissors?

For a working pair, about once or twice a year:

• Joewell: about every 6 months to a year, as a guide.
• Kasho: about once a year on average. KAI USA says higher-end shears like the Millennium can go closer to 2 years.

Kasho adds that hair texture, wet or dry cutting and how often you cut all change that. Its FAQ says to book a sharpen soon once the shears start pushing hair instead of cutting it, so go by the feel as much as the calendar.

Don’t sharpen them yourself. Skip the foil, sandpaper and kitchen sharpener, and send them to someone who sharpens salon scissors. Kasho’s US site says only Kasho technicians should sharpen its shears.

When to stop and send them away

Put the pair aside and use your backup if:

• They’ve been dropped, even if they look fine. Yasaka warns a drop or knock can chip the blade.
• There’s a nick. Kasho says not to cut with nicked blades until they’re fixed, because the damage can spread.
• They still push or fold hair after a clean, oil and tension check.
• They still grind after you’ve loosened the screw a little.

Common questions

How often should hair scissors be sharpened?

About every 6 to 12 months for a working pair. Joewell’s guide is every 6 months to a year, and Kasho’s is about once a year. Get them seen straight away after a drop or chip.

Why do my scissors fold hair?

Usually loose tension or a worn edge. Do the tension check first. If the tension’s right and they still fold hair, they need a sharpen.

Can I sharpen my own salon scissors?

Don’t. Send them to a sharpener who works on hair scissors. KAI USA says only Kasho’s own technicians should sharpen Kasho shears.

Should I tighten scissors that fold hair?

Only if the tension check says they’re loose. Turn the screw a little at a time with your maker’s tool, then check again. Blades set too tight grind as they cut.

My new scissors won’t cut properly. What now?

Wipe off the factory oil first: Joewell says to wipe off the oil its scissors ship with before you use them. If they still catch, stop and contact us before you adjust anything.

Next step

Still dragging after the checks? Ask us about sharpening with the brand, model and what they’re doing. The sharpening prep guide shows how to describe the problem and pack them.