There is a mysterious little secret that the sharpening industry doesn't want you to know... The cutting angle on a scissor, whether beveled or convex, changes from where it starts at the pivot and ends at the tips. For Instance: If the finished edge angle is supposed to be 45 degrees, in reality the finished edge angle at the tips is slightly less. This engineered design has been used by the scissor manufacturers forever. This angle change at the tips is directly related to blade length. In other words, the longer the scissors' blade, the higher the degree of angle change. In some cases, we have measured the finished angle difference in excess of 11 degrees.
Why is there a blade angle change?
Because there is less mass at the scissors' tips, this section of the blade is the weakest part. The ANGLE CHANGE provides greater cutting ability at the tips. Combined with proper tension and set, this angle change design also allows the tips of the scissors to cut as smoothly and with the same force as the scissor cuts at the pivot point. This slightly less angle at the tips also offers a bit more of edge protection where they are most prone to nicks.
Why does the industry ignore the angle change?
On many occasions, we have been told by this industry, "If you can't achieve it, you don't need it." This is not the attitude that we at Kuda Sharpening Systems choose to live by, nor is it the attitude that we expect our customers to be forced to live with! The reason this industry ignored the angle change or twist, is because until now, the only way to duplicate it, was to learn the art of free hand sharpening as it has always been done by factory craftsman.
In the past, most people interested in learning to sharpen shears were quickly intimidated t the prospect of learning to sharpen by hand. In an effort to help sharpeners be more confident, the industry started offering fixed jigs with their machines. This gave the would-be sharpener a higher level of confidence. As expected, it also greatly increased machine sales. Unfortunately, fixed scissor clamps ad holding devices physically removed the angle change from a scissor. They do allow the sharpener to achieve a consistent angle, but at the expense of "grinding" out that very important angle change at the tips. Acknowledging the angle change or twist would force the industry to admit that the only way to properly follow blade shape is to free hand, once again limiting machine sales.
Kuda Sharpening Systems has never adhered to this method of marketing that has become so prevalent in the industry today. We have not and will not, promote untruths to increase our profits. It is not fair to our customers or yours. We quietly continued teaching the art of free hand sharpening to those willing to learn and relentlessly continued our research ad development of a truly unique sharpening tool. We have finally developed a clamping device that will duplicate the slight "twisting" action needed to accurately reproduce the angle change. Until now, this was only possible by free hand sharpening. We are proud to introduce...The "Torsional Edge" Clamp.
Who will benefit from the Kuda "Torsional Edge Clamp"?
For a stylist or dog groomer, the scissors will cut and perform the way the scissor was intended to from the factory. They will be able to perform slide cutting with the main body of the blade and be able to blunt cut and chip with the tips. They can expect their scissors to be sharper than new, but maintain the factory "feel" that made them purchase the shear in the first place. More importantly, they will benefit from the fact that less metal is removed while servicing their shears. This will greatly extend the life of their treasured scissors.
As a sharpener, you will be able to service all types ad sizes of scissors using our patented "Torsional Edge" Kuda Clamp. We felt it was important for you to need only one tool. not only are conventional clamps restrictive, they are not versatile. A sharpener usually needs a completely separate clamp to do left-handed shears. We know all scissors are not made the same. Most are right-handed, but some are left. Most have angle changes or twisting, a few are straight. Some are long and some are short. The unique twisting action of The Kuda "Torsional Edge" Clamp, can be turned on or off, for both right and left handed shears, with the turn of a knob. Whether you prefer to sharpen with the scissors assembled or separated, the versatility of the Kuda hand piece gives you the option of choice.
If you are using a conventional clamp, you have been unsuspectingly removing the angle change from your customer's scissors. This causes extreme thinning of an already fragile tip and greatly diminishes the life of the shear. Dramatic changes to the set must be made in order for the tips to cut properly. Over-setting a scissor that has had its angle changed removed will only create a whole host of other problems. Our clamp allows you to follow the original shape of the shear consistently...every time. You will feel confident knowing that you are removing as little metal as possible, because you are actually duplicating the factory's original edge. You will spend less time, remove less metal, do less setting and produce a level of quality sharpening that you never knew existed.
Whether you service the beauty or the dog grooming industry, the "Torsional Edge" Clamp will take your business to the next level. We feel one greatly overlooked business opportunity is the dog grooming shears. The current trend in dog grooming has them using higher quality and improved scissor design. Long convex shears and razor sharp beveled edges are becoming the tools of choice. Groomers are now spending more money on higher quality shears, and expecting a higher level of service. If you ever wanted to see an angle change scissor, look no further than scissors with blade lengths in excess of 8". Using a vertical wheel machine with it's restrictive clamps so commonly used for grooming shears, destroys the angle change that is so prevalent on these longer blades. Our Kuda sharpening Systems allows you to tap into this ever-growing industry confidently knowing you can provide the very best service available.
Want to see the angle change or twist in a scissor?
Perform a basic scratch test with your conventional clamp. This test has to be performed on a shear that has never been sharpened. mark the back of your new, unsharpened shear with a black sharpie. Mark a thick line, starting from the cutting edge at the pivot, all the way down to the tips. Make sure most of the back of the tips are colored. Clamp the new shear in your conventional clamp at the angle you feel is correct. Do a light hone from pivot to tip, as if you were doing a beveled edge. Flip the scissor over and you will see your hone mark that has been left on the black marker. Your hone line will match the cutting angle for about 2/3 of the blades length until it reaches the twist in the blade. Looking at this hone line across the back of the tips, makes it easy to visualize how much unnecessary metal has to be removed before your fixed angle can transfer to the actual cutting edge.
