Which shear do I need?
Most groomers do not buy the wrong shear because they picked a bad brand. They buy the wrong shape for the coat they actually cut. This page is the order we would walk a new groomer through, in the shop.
1. Start with the coat, not the size
Ask what the dog in front of you has, not what the last video used.
| Coat | What it wants | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dense, woolly, double coat (doodle, spitz, shepherd) | Straight or lightly curved, 7 in and up | You need blade length per cut and something that will not fold in the coat |
| Fine, silky, drop coat (shih tzu, yorkie, spaniel) | Curved, 6–6.5 in | Shorter blade gives control; curve follows the body instead of fighting it |
| Faces, feet, hocks, sanitary | Curved, 6–6.5 in | You are cutting around corners all day. A straight blade makes you lift your wrist |
| Blending a transition | Thinner, not a shear | A shear leaves a line. A thinner removes weight without one |
2. Straight or curved
Straight is the default for length work. It cuts a flat plane, which is what you want on toplines, legs and anything you are squaring off.
Curved is not a "finishing" tool or an upgrade — it is a different job. A 30° curve tracks the contour of a head, a hock, a paw pad. On those surfaces a straight blade forces your wrist to rotate, and the wrist is what gets tired first.
If you are buying one shear, buy straight. If you are buying the second, buy curved. If you do mostly faces and feet, reverse that.
3. Length: 6.5 or 7
Length is about blade travel per cut, not about the size of the dog.
- 6–6.5 in — more control, easier on detail and on curved work. The safer first shear.
- 7 in — fewer cuts per body, better on large or dense coats. Harder to control on a face.
- 7.5 in and up — full-body work on big dogs. Not a first shear.
A 7 in shear on a toy poodle face is not "more professional". It is just harder.
4. Thinner, chunker, blender
These are not shears with teeth. Each one removes a different amount of weight and leaves a different mark.
- Thinner — removes weight, leaves the length. The tool you blend with.
- Chunker — removes chunks, creates texture. A finishing look with visible bite.
- Blender — in between; softer transition than a chunker.
Tooth count and blend rate matter more here than brand. Ask for the number before you buy.
5. Right or left hand
A left-handed groomer using a right-handed shear is fighting the finger rest and the tension screw all day. Mirrored shears exist and they are not the same tool flipped — the edge, the rest and the screw all move to the other side.
If you are left-handed, buy left-handed. This is not a preference.
6. What we would tell a student
- One straight 6.5 in, one curved 6.5 in. Nothing else until those two feel like extensions of your hand.
- Spend the money on the steel, not on the handle colour.
- Learn what "sharp" feels like before you learn what "expensive" feels like.
- Buy from someone who will tell you which shear not to buy.
Which steel
Our opening range is 440C and VG-10. 440C is the easier steel to sharpen and the sensible place to start; VG-10 holds an edge longer and costs more. ATS-314 and SG-2 follow later.
If you are unsure, take 440C. A sharp 440C cuts better than a dull VG-10, and it will be sharp more often because it is cheaper to keep that way.
Still not sure
Tell us the breed mix you see most and what you currently use. We will tell you what we would put in your hand — including when the answer is "not ours".