Recently, I have received a few questions regarding why groomers chunkers either lock or catch while being used.

I wanted to shed some light on why this may be happening to your chunkers.

Firstly, always carefully check your scissors when they arrive. While we endeavour to provide you with the best quality scissors and send them as securely as possible, scissors are fragile tools, and their transportation can be detrimental to them. If this is the case, please contact me immediately or from whom you purchased the scissors. I am more than happy to advise you on what to do next. Please be aware that there is a 28-day returns policy, so please make sure you do this as soon as you possibly can.

Now for the nitty-gritty stuff. A proper scissoring technique is always crucial to aiding your scissors producing the finish you wish to create. So, you may ask "what is a good scissoring technique?"

An excellent scissoring technique means that the scissor is used lightly by the groomer and is not forced to cut. A dog groomer’s thumb must never be allowed to protrude through the thumb hole. If this happens, the pressure on the thumb can bend at the first knuckle and pull the blade back towards the palm. As a result, this places a significant amount of pressure on blades as they pass each other and the friction created at this point, causes the teeth to lock or catch. I have tested this action many times, and each time I apply too much pressure to the thumb hole on a pair of chunkers (or indeed on any type or model of dog grooming scissor), the teeth automatically catch and end up locking.

For a helpful tip on correct scissor technique, please take a few moments to watch this clip.

https://www.facebook.com/evesomersscissors/videos/890851544345237/

If you find that your thumb is sliding through the thumb hole, it may be a good idea to invest in rubber finger inserts to help prevent this from happening. Also, your hands may become used to the thumb position, therefore plenty of practising the change of the new thumb position on clean dog hair is worth doing.

If you are finding that you need to apply more pressure on your chunkers or indeed any of your scissors, to cut, then I would advise that it is time to have your collection sharpened and reset. Here at Abbfabb Grooming Scissors, we offer this service. Keeping your scissors and clipper blades sharp and in good working order, is a vital part of being a dog groomer. It is essential for you to have your scissors sharpened at least every two months and after any grooming competitions, exams or even large dog trims which may have required a lot of scissor work. Having a healthy selection of scissors is also a great idea as it enables you to continue doing all your hard work while some of your scissors are in for a pampering.

If your chunkers have locked or caught, please don’t worry, our experienced sharpening engineer can correct this for you regardless of the make or model of grooming scissor you have. Please click here for details.

Why are Abbfabb Grooming Scissors different?
There are many different types of dog grooming scissors available, and all have their qualities. Here at Abbfabb Grooming Scissors, every pair of our scissors are ergonomic in design. Now what does that mean and how does owning this type of scissor, benefit you as the groomer?

Why are ergonomically designed scissors so crucial to a dog groomer?
An ergonomic scissors design puts the least amount of stress on the hand, arm, shoulder and back. The handles are designed to be in an offset position, preventing the finger and thumb from moving, therefore, creating a comfortable grip. The spacing between the finger and thumb holes helps prevent the groomer’s hand from cramping. A downwards bend in the thumb hole, allows the groomer to straighten the wrist and drop the shoulder and elbow.

So how does this benefit you?
It is an occupational hazard that dog groomers can suffer from some form of hand, arm, shoulders, neck and back pain or even long-term problems throughout their working life. Using ergonomically correct dog grooming scissors can help alleviate these problems and keep you enjoying the job which you love!

I hope this little article has been useful to you.