Even the sharpest shears fall flat if they never leave your top drawer. Combine this planner with our maintenance checklist to keep every pair cutting cleanly while you juggle rosters, climate swings, and sharpening appointments.
Why rotate your shears?
- Balanced wear: Splitting time between primary and backup pairs stretches edge life and avoids emergency servicing mid-week.
- Sharpening buffer: You always have a ready pair when another is in transit to the lab.
- Hygiene & colour control: Dedicate specific pairs to colour work, dry cutting, or barber chairs.
Rotation schedule template
| Week | Pair A (primary) | Pair B (backup) | Maintenance focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | On-floor | Cleaned, stored with silica gel | Oil + drop test nightly |
| 2 | Rest & deep clean | On-floor | Book sharpening if due |
| 3 | On-floor | Travel kit / mobile work | Review tension logs |
| 4 | On-floor during day / Pair B for colour evenings | Rest | Inspect edges under bright light |
Repeat monthly, adjusting for peak seasons. Download the printable planner below to allocate exact dates and technician bookings.
Seasonal strategy (customise per city)
| Season | Actions |
|---|---|
| Summer humidity (Brisbane, Sydney) | Store silica gel with both pairs, wipe blades twice daily, plan mid-season sharpening via mobile techs. |
| Autumn event season (Melbourne, Adelaide) | Ensure backups are sharpened before Spring Racing/Fringe festival; rotate weekly to keep edges fresh. |
| Winter dry cutting push | Pair your crane/sword shears with a swivel backup so hands share the load; log any pain flare-ups. |
| Holiday rush | Switch to a two-week rotation, send backups for sharpening by mid-November, and log new blades early January. |
Use the city directories in the Stockists & Sharpening hub for local freight timelines.
Printable planner
Monthly Rotation Planner
------------------------
Salon / Stylist: _______________________
Climate focus (humidity/dry/cold): _______________________
Pairs in rotation:
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. (Optional) ___________________________
Week 1:
- Primary pair: _________________________
- Backup duties (colour/mobile): ________
- Maintenance notes: ____________________
Week 2:
- Primary pair: _________________________
- Backup duties: ________________________
- Maintenance notes: ____________________
Week 3:
- Primary pair: _________________________
- Backup duties: ________________________
- Maintenance notes: ____________________
Week 4:
- Primary pair: _________________________
- Backup duties: ________________________
- Maintenance notes: ____________________
Sharpening schedule (dates + technician):
________________________________________
________________________________________
How to integrate with your operations
- Store the planner in your back-room binder or salon Slack channel.
- Log adjustments using the maintenance checklist.
- Set calendar reminders for sharpening windows (use phone alerts or shared salon calendar).
- Update team training so apprentices know which pairs are rotation-ready and which stay for colour.
- Review quarterly to see if a third pair or persona-specific upgrade is needed—refer to the Starter Kit Personas guide.
Need help customising the planner for your roster? Share your client volume, service mix, and city via the contact page. We’ll tailor a rotation map and highlight the stockists who can deliver backup pairs fast.