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Advice on thinning scissors please!

Posted: 05 Sep 2011, 14:03
by jaegervalder
I have trawled throught all the previous threads on this but still haven't really grasped what I am meant to be doing!!! I would like to use them to blend her jacket into her skirt but just am not sure at what angle to hold them to get the desired effect. I read that I should 'hold in the direction of the hair growth but surely I would be cutting into thin air then? Or am I being really stupid.......

Re: Advice on thinning scissors please!

Posted: 05 Sep 2011, 14:32
by MTJ
Sorry but I take my dog to a mad lady who is just starting out. It would be interesting to find out so I can let her know! Good luck.

Re: Advice on thinning scissors please!

Posted: 05 Sep 2011, 15:38
by Caramomo
I'm sure Jo or Dannie will provide the professional answer shortly, but from a home groomer here's my interpretation, yes you should cut in the same direction as hair growth but if you hold the scissors so they push into the coat slightly (as oppose to resting on it if you see the difference) then you will cut hair. I work on the theory with thinners that I'm after taking off a little bit, have a look at how it looks, take off a little more, have another look etc. It can be hard to imagine sat in front of a computer, but get the dog on a table, hold the thinners how you would normally and now just change their direction so they point the same way as the hair and you'll quickly see that they do cut. As an example, if you were thinning hair on the dogs back the point of the thinners would be aiming at the tail, the finger holes at the head end, following the spine and the hair growth.

One tip from experience; do NOT cut a line 90 degrees to the direction of hair growth (for the example given above don't cut in the same direction as the ribs!), you get a stupid dotted line through the coat that takes a fair bit of work to make normal looking!

Re: Advice on thinning scissors please!

Posted: 05 Sep 2011, 15:48
by jaegervalder
Ok. I think I understand!!!!!!

Re: Advice on thinning scissors please!

Posted: 07 Sep 2011, 21:16
by Sianny
Great post Elaine - one to print out for ye old grooming booklet!