Custom scissor opportunity...

scottickes

scottickes

Joined
Oct 27, 2005
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I have a friend who is a well known Master Stylist and Platform Artist. His name is Curtis Foster. Curtis travels the country for different hair style companies as a consultant/showmen/platform and runway hair artist. He asked me to do a custom pair of scissors for him in Damascus. This is beyond my abilities, so I suggested that I start a thread here.

He wants a unique pair of scissors that will be spectacular when in front of customers/other artists/show attendees etc. Curtis has the ability to cut hair as well blindfolded as he can cut it when using his eyes. He has designed a unique pair of scissors that has been made for him by some of the suppliers that he represents, but also wants something beyond what they can supply. Factory scissor suppliers don't work in damascus, or the fancy handle materials that we do. Curtis has asked that anyone interested in talking to him about making this pair of scissors please email him at:

curtisgfoster@aol.com

The person that he ends up working with on this project will be someone that can take his design and make it work as intended, while looking fantastic.

He is aware that the price for this will not be inexpensive.

Scott Ickes
 
I have several designs drawn out for damascus shears but I'm not the guy for the job since my skills are not yet to the level of executing my designs. =( All the shears I have seen of high quality are flat ground on the outside and hollow ground on the inside of the blade. I really want to make a pair but they would have to be precise in there construction. If you get this going for him make shure to keep us updated and post pics. =D

Dustin
 
This sounds like it would be a cool project.I would like to see a pattern for a good set of the shears so I could try a set and see if I could even do them,before I committed myself to taking any kind of order or even talk to anyone about making some.....Anyone have a pattern they would be willing to share so I could try a set...

Email me at beknives@avsia.com

Thanks,
Bruce
 
Bruce Evans said:
This sounds like it would be a cool project.I would like to see a pattern for a good set of the shears so I could try a set and see if I could even do them,before I committed myself to taking any kind of order or even talk to anyone about making some.....Anyone have a pattern they would be willing to share so I could try a set...

Email me at beknives@avsia.com

Thanks,
Bruce
Click to expand...

Bruce,
I think Curtis has drawings of what he's after. He might have something that you would find doable. He's a really great guy and pleasant to talk to. I just wish I had the skills to pull something like this off, because I think he'd be one of those people that would be great to design something with.

Scott
 
Anybody google "damascus scissors"? These are pretty bada$$ with a "nice:rolleyes:" price!
http://prohairscissors.com/damascus/shears.html

I've been sitting here staring at a pair of high quality surgical scissors for awhile, wondering how in the heck you figure out the bends and grinds in the blades without a whole lot of experiments.
 
That site helps..Now that I think about it I have a old set in the manicure box that I could use as a pattern to try a set....

Thanks Fitzo for that link...
Bruce
 
yes the price is wild aint it even "just good " std shearers are hhmm" pricey" (there are a few cutters in the fam)
a good reg set might run 500+
 
Those are really pricey....Bet the girls at the beauty school would be willing to test some out for me to see what Damascus cuts the best..

If I can do this I will contact your friend,if he already has someone else working on them then I guess I will do some just for something different.
Bruce
 
Another thing is that the way the handles come together when closed. Talking with a hairdresser friend of mine he was very picky about the action. He said that the blades should come to a full close without closing the scissors the whole way so that he is not hitting the handles together as he cuts. It sounds like the guy who wants them has the details in mind but whoever takes this on, I would go talk to your hairdresser and examine a few shears. Interesting project.
 
I will copy this pair of old ICE Brand shears I have setting in front of me,may be able to get a few cuts in a trade from them...Once I figure out how to make them then making a set from a pattern should be a little easier...

Let me ask you guys this,do you think the cutting edges should be at a harder rockwell than for a knife that way it holds the edge longer,most beauticians I used to work with had people to sharpen for them and they used little machines so the harder edge shouldnt hurt...

Also do you think the new stainless Damascus might be a better choice,I have never used any so I am not sure what the edge holding is like..

Bruce
 
I was just playing with this set and it does actually have a slight hollow grind in the back and a flat ground blade..Never noticed that before,it is cool.
Bruce
 
Bruce Evans said:
Those are really pricey....Bet the girls at the beauty school would be willing to test some out for me to see what Damascus cuts the best..

If I can do this I will contact your friend,if he already has someone else working on them then I guess I will do some just for something different.
Bruce
Click to expand...

Bruce,
He has some kind of an innovation to standard scissors that he uses to make it really easy to cut hair with them. He explained it to me a few months back, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

I can tell you this though, that if you do end up working with him on this, you'll be making a pair of scissors that work differently than any other pair of scissors in the world.

Ickie
 
That would be cool.....But as the saying I heard the other day went...

"To start something new,you must go back to the begining" (Pleases forgive my spelling)

So I will do a basic pair just to make sure I can make them then I can try a new style.

You know when you think about it,making shears or scissors is not that far off from making knives.All cutlery stores sell both.Heck all the old knife factories made scissors also.I have a pair of Case shears in the shop,yes the knife company case ....The old California makers like Will and Fink even made them...

This would ba a whole differnt market with allot of buyers,bet there is allot of knife collecters whos wives or family members cut hair and would love to buy them a custom set of shears,if for no other reason,look what I bought you honey,so she doesnt think about the new high end custom he just bought...LOL

This is just a new thing to learn,
Bruce
 
had to finish one up today so I will probably make the Damascus for this project this weekend or next week..
Bruce
 
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