Little Bo Boop Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 I ordered a pair pair of hand shears the other day. Got them in, went down to try them out, (wanted to trim my Dorpers up a little, lots of wool hanging off) the shears wouldn't cut through butter ;-( Do they come having to be sharpened? These weren't the most expensive ones they had, middle of the road price..made in England. Do I need to send them back or just get them sharpened? Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 From what I remember from the clinic I took with Kevin Ford (blade shearer) the shears are sharp when you get them, but the angle on the blades isn't quite right. He always resharpens anything he gets and did that for all the shears he sold that day. That said, I have had good luck with plain old scissors. I know someone with wool sheep who swears by quilting shears (Fiskars brand). I recently bought some Westcott titanium 9" scissors and did the rug on my dorper cross with them and they worked like a charm! So maybe you could send the hand shears back and just go to the local sewing store or sewing department at a big box store and get something that will work as well, if not better. J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 You are a brave woman - I used hand shears (probably duller than rocks) to try and shear our several-year-old walking carpet, Daisy. I managed to clip her back. She no longer looked like a walking carpet but she had a sheep version of a mullet. I think she was grateful for the day we butchered her... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bo Boop Posted July 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Hmmm, well thanks for the input gals :-) I have a sharpening stone, and I sharpened them a little, and was able to cut some poster board with them....but kind of makes me mad they came so dull ;-( Maybe I'll have them sharpened and still buy the quilting shears....they can't be that pricey, I'll give it a shot. It's just a lot easier to cut up under the matted hair/wool, without having to get out the electric clippers, and I only have to use them on a couple of the Dorpers....the Karakuls of course I wouldn't even attempt with hand shears LOL and my god, does their wool grow back fast or what!!?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Bo Boop Posted July 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Well I went down and tried them again, after sharpening them....They seem to work ok on the karakul wool, I used them to trim up some of the wool around their head and necks, that I hadn't gotten with the electric clippers, worked pretty good (dang the stickers about tore me up though gloves and long pants for sure! The shears are worthless on the Dorper hair....guess I'll try the quilting shears or go back to the clippers.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Never a *dull* moment, huh? Sorry, couldn't pass that one up, but I should have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Betty, The long staple of the karakul wool is the reason most folks shear them twice a year. Just what you wanted to hear, right? And I didn't think about the hair vs.wool thing, because I don't think I've ever used my hand shears on anything but wool sheep. For the hair sheep it's always been either scissors or electric shears... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted July 15, 2010 Report Share Posted July 15, 2010 Hair sheep provide a workout for sharp blades, whether powered by electricity or elbow grease. The edge that comes on most hand blades is very fragile, cut at a very low angle so it's sharp until the first time it runs up against resistance. I don't know what Kevin Ford gets for rigged blades these days, but they are worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Posted July 19, 2010 Report Share Posted July 19, 2010 I blade shear And you need to change the angle. You need Burgon and Ball- Kevin Ford's book shows you how to sharpen them but you can also send them to Ivory's Also Burgon and Ball make a hand sharpener that works well, AFTER you get the real edge on them. Blade shearing on an open fleece or one with a good break on a warm day is a joy! But....I take my machine shears to every job because a sheep with three years worth of fleece, cotted and a mess will be a pain. And if a big sheep....fat...open....it will kill you and take away your joy of living. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted July 20, 2010 Report Share Posted July 20, 2010 it will kill you and take away your joy of living. In that order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea Posted July 20, 2010 Report Share Posted July 20, 2010 You know that one makes me think......? I guess it can work in either order! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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