Does the length of your shear really matter when cutting hair?

What Is The Length Of Your Shear?

I was teaching a class recently and a student asked me about his shears. “I have a 7-inch shear, what does that mean? Is the blade 7 inches or is the entire shear 7 inches? From what point to what point do I start and end the measurement of my shear?” These are all great questions so I thought I would share with y’all the answer. I figured if he didn’t know, im sure there are many other people who don’t know as well.

Overall Length

If a fellow barber, stylist or shear salesperson talks to you about a shear’s length, they are most likely talking about the overall length of the shear unless specified otherwise. Anytime you see a shear for sale online with a measurement in the title, it is the overall length as well. The overall length is measured from the tip of the shear blade to the point at which the tang (finger rest) and finger hole connect. The tang (finger rest) is not included when measuring the overall length.

Blade Length

Another important measurement to know about when talking about shears is the length of the blade. You can find out the blade length by measuring from the tip of the blade to the center of the pivot. If possible, ask the shear salesperson if you are able to demo the shears. That way you can give them a test run to see if you like them or not.

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