Cutting Corners by Casper Kiser

As this is my first blog on this site, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself.  My name is Casper Kiser and I am originally from the Aruis Eickert Co. in Fremont Ohio. I am grateful to be a part of the I.S.S.A. and look forward to writing many blogs in the future to hopefully help my fellow sharpener navigate a sharpening business that is filled with conflicting information and perilous pitfalls.  What I write is my own personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect that of the I.S.S.A. or the business in which I represent.  Thank you for reading and I hope to be a help to you in your quest to master your profession.

                In my first blog I would like to discuss the issue of cutting corners in order to complete the sharpening job faster.  I will discuss the benefits (yes there are some) and downfalls of doing so.  From the days when I was going from salon to salon sharpening scissors, I got the impression that most stylists or barbers were in a hurry.  The more heads of hair they cut, the more money they would make in most cases.  This can also be true for us.  The more scissors we sharpen, the more money we can make.  The one thing in this whole scenario that is missing is perception.  How would you perceive your stylist if he or she washed, cut, and styled your hair in under 10 minutes?  I would be willing to bet that our answers will be all over the board as we all perceive things differently.  Some will say they must be great at their job to be able to do it so quickly.  Others will argue that if they finished so fast, the job must be second rate and corners had to be cut (no pun intended) somewhere.  While others may simply think that this is how much time should be taken, and as long as my hair looks good, who cares how long it took?

                When a sharpener friend of mine entered into the business, he confided in me that he would finish sharpening a pair of scissors in 10 minutes.  Because he feared that his customers would not feel he could do a proper sharpening in 10 minutes, he would then proceed to clean his van for 20 more minutes.   So for every 1 pair of scissors that he sharpened, he could have done 3.  In this instance, he was doing a proper job; he just feared the perception that would come with charging $20 for 10 minutes work.  If that stylist finished your hair in 10 minutes and faked cutting around your head for another 20, would you feel better about your haircut?  My point is, a job well done is a just that: done.  Wasting time is not in your interest or your customers.

What is also not in the interest of your customer is a job poorly done.  Sometimes we can get into a rush and want to skip operations or steps in order to get more done.  There are some steps that are not as critical as others.  It is important to know what your customer’s expectation is and try to meet that to the best of your ability while still producing a profit.   We all know that there are also some customers who will chose not to be satisfied no matter how good the work performed is.

 When sharpening scissors you should look at the steps and operations you will be performing in two different categories:  functional and cosmetic.  A functional operation is any operation that has to do with the performance of the scissor.  Examples can be: edge, hone, alignment, deburr, ect.  A cosmetic operation is everything that enhances the looks of the scissor:  buffing, polishing handles, ect.  A functional operation should never be skipped or marginalized the interest of time.  If these operations are done poorly, you are not performing your primary function as a sharpener, and that is to recondition the tool to work as good as or better than when it was new.  A cosmetic operation can vary depending on cost of sharpening, time allotted, and customer expectation.  Sharpeners should beware that trying to make every scissor look like a flawless gem can turn into a huge waste of time and lost profits.

In no way am I advocating a sharpener skip the cosmetic operations on a sharpening job.  Every job should be evaluated and the need should be addressed based on the interest of you and your customer.  I believe there is a happy medium.  You should take steps to ensure that your customer is getting full value for their money in the services you are providing, while still being business conscience enough to understand that it is not in your interest to remove every scratch that the handle has endured over the life of the scissor.  

Overall, how much or little you choose to perform a cosmetic operation is entirely up to you and will not have nearly the impact as the functional operations will.  Sometimes buffing, polishing, and smoothing can give you that edge over your competition that you have been looking for.  Other times the customer may not even notice the extra 30 minutes you put in to make that blade a mirror finish. 

Thanks and good luck,

Casper Kiser