Feathering Technique and Your Scissor
The Purpose
The feathering technique is useful for softening and texturizing perimeters. This is not a cutting technique like the texturizing technique "Slide Cutting". The feathering technique is especially useful for breaking up lines and blending layers. Great for shaggy looks!!
The Technique
Feathering can be performed on both wet and dry hair. The section is held tight
and the scissor is fanned or feathered across the hair shaft, cutting in the forward direction as shown in the photo. Hold your scissor between 80 and 90 degrees
against the hair and about TWO THIRDS open. You are cutting the end of the hair shaft so extend the section holding on to the end firmly. Start your action close
to your fingers and moving away, cut the hair with a fanning motion, moving up to 10cm away from your fingers depending on the effect you are trying to achieve.
Don't try to take too large a section, go easy! The scissor is used like a razor and you are cutting the ends of the hair on the "V" of the scissor where the two blades
meet. Again don't hold your scissor too far open as the scissor will catch. As always, this technique requires practice and I would suggest that you start with a new
doll's head that has long hair. The Scissor
The best type of scissor for this technique is cobalt alloy or a medium precision scissor with a cutting edge of around 45 degrees. In fact, a scissor that is six months old will perform this technique better than a new pair! Gasp - that is right! (no, this doesn't mean an old, chipped and rusty pair, but scissors that have run in). This may seem strange to some of you but this is quite true. A high precision scissor is too sharp and the edges too fine for this technique, the scissor tends to catch and skin the hair. Because you are working the scissor at 80 degrees, a sharp scissor will damage the hair and produce split ends. I learned this many years ago from servicing scissors for hairdressers who tend to use feathering. The sharper I made their scissor, the more they complained that the scissor was catchy. Cobalt alloy scissors are by far the best for this technique but a quality pair of medium precision (semi convex or a stepped edge) stainless scissors are good after they have run in. So, now you have a good use for that old pair of scissors. A professional bladesmith will be able to set them up for you to use as a spare and as your feathering scissor.
- Choosing Your Scissor Man |
- How Scissors Are Sharpened |
- Keeping Your Scissors Sharp |
- Scissors for Blunt Cutting |
- Feathering Technique and your scissor
- Point Cutting and your scissor |
- Scissors for Advanced Styling Techniques |
- Slicing / Slithering / Carving and your scissors |
- The Left Handed Scissor |
- Scissor Design and RSI |
- Your First Scissor |
Happy Cutting!
Frank J. Pate
Owner: The Cutting Edge Advantage