Born in the USA

Some things are still made in America. We saw that first hand when we were granted a tour of the Oster Plant in McMinnville, TN. The logistics were worked out in the spring through Casper Kiser, the plant superintendent of Oster. Gene and I have known Casper since 1997 when he was with Arius Eickert in Fremont, OH. We were delighted when we heard he was in charge of the shear production at the Oster plant facility. Frank Davis, Ed Wozniak and our Bonika staff, Harry, Jay, Mystie, Gene and I along with a handful wives were able to see the entire facility. This was made even more exciting since tours are rare and we had never seen photos of their operation since photography and videography are strictly forbidden.

What did we see? We saw skilled, efficient friendly Tennesseans each with decades of experience making shears and clippers. Stanley Gross, the business team leader of the blades department proudly gave us a tour of the clipper production area. The facility was enormous and all the Oster clippers are made right there with the exception of the screws and some of the newer small trimmers. The housing and parts were created from raw materials to the final product. We watched heat treat process and cryogenic freezing process of the clipper blades and individually hand sharpened, assembled and tested. Modern machines wound copper wire for the motors and lasers etched the name on each blade.

What did we learn? The comb or upper blade of the Oster clipper is ground flat and the lower blade or cutter is ground hollow at an incline angle on the plate that is a proprietary secret. We also learned innovations are coming based on feedback from the customers and clipper repair folks.

We ended our tour in the area of my interest, shears. Since Oster purchased Arius Eickert a few years back the scissor factory there went through a lot of changes and innovations since they were in Ohio. Now, only the finishing operation, the part that makes the shears cut is made in the factory. We were told the shears are coming in semi-finished from Asia (none from Pakistan). In other words, the 440C shears come with handles attached and polished before they reach the states. The hone, hollow and finishing is completed there in Tennessee. That means the part that actually does the cutting is in fact made in the US.

Although we were not allowed to see the actual clamping mechanism we had a general demonstration on how the hollow is put in the inside of the blade and how the so called “twist” is formed. I was impressed with the small size of the wheel (about 3” diameter), which is much smaller than those I’ve seen in other factories. The deeper hollow makes the ride or hone line easier to create and for us sharpeners to maintain. The initial convex shape was created free hand on a large flathone and the final edge precisely ground using a modified clamp on three smaller 6” stone flathones using progressively finer and finer grit. Final alignment tweaking was done with a brass bending block rather than hammers. Between each step of the operation, an inspector tests every shear before in proceeds to the next step on the production line.

Our observation of the shear making process impressed on us the importance of the hollow and the hone as well the skills and abilities of the scissor workers. Casper will be giving a more in-depth understanding of the process when he speaks at the Sharpeners Jam the last week-end of July in Atlanta.

My day today sharpening and how it was changed by the JAM

I rarely sharpen anymore due to my schedule and arthritis, but there are a limited number of salons that insist that I am their only sharpener. So I charge $30 per shear with no quantity discounts.

Today I am eager to sharpen for one of these accounts and put into effect the things I learned at the week-end sharpeners Jam. It is pouring rain and as usual I get lost which I always do going to that salon. So I travel down familiar roads which turn out to be wrong roads. Eventually I back track and find I was on BriarLake and not BriarCliff and find the small shop. I park in the alley in the back because it is closer to the door. The salon is packed, busy and hopping. There are 9 stations in this booth rental shop with only one station not occupied. The owner greets me and helps me clear off this spare station loaded with Avon orders, purses, product and usual salon debris.

I set up my machine using the positioning proposed by Johnny Cash of Tallahassee. It has become my position of choice since the clamp and shear rests on the arm, yet I can clearly see the bur as it pops up. I try setting up my station like Jay Hunter, neat and organized with all my tools set out before I need them. Everything is set up in about 3 minutes and I’m ready for my first shear.

Ted, the only male stylist in the shop … in fact the only male in the shop, hands me his shear. Ted is new. He surprises me when he gives me a swivel thumb Vortex. It surprises me because I know it’s the most expensive shear in the shop except the ones in my case. I am surprised because he has never seen me and gives me his expensive shear. But, I am even more surprised because 2 days ago David Trissel of Virginia, Jay Hunter and I had a thorough discussion of this same shear. David was concerned about sharpening the white Teflon ride on this shear. Jay said he always hangs the ride off the stone when doing the inside hone, I said I always place it on the ride. David had heard that working the Teflon area could embed tiny pieces of metal in the ride causing noise. He also said the Teflon needed to be higher than the metal to work correctly. The first observation seemed reasonable and could be solved by using a clean waterstone. The second observation did not seem reasonable since I had sharpened shears with the Teflon popped out, and the shears still functioned.

So, now confronted by this same brand of shear with a Teflon ride I use a clean hone, which I might not have one week prior. I also lay it on the hone and lift it off in the method Jim Turner had demonstrated at the Jam.

I wash off my micron pads before sharpening like Frank Davis’ suggestion. I did notice a better shine. I sharpen at a 40 degree angle in my usual manner. (I used 40 degrees since the shears were severely nicked and I assumed by observation that Ted rarely did slide cutting… he was doing a roller set.) After sharpening I now test them in a different way from a week prior… I use very wet toilet paper. Horrors! I would have died rather than test a shear like that seven days ago, but David Trissel two days earlier was using toilet paper (cheap Cosco brand) and wet it thoroughly. I wanted to prove his method was inferior but in a comparison test, his toilet paper caught some flaws that passed my wet single ply Puff. So I have adapted and changed.

I continue sharpening and set out my shear tray and select shears for the stylists to try based on what they are currently cutting with. I am actually taking my time sharpening the shears so that there is plenty of time for them to test the shears. I chat with a stylist’s ten year old daughter who is watching me and tells me she wants to work in a hospital when she grows up. I say doctors need their tools sharpened, too and that sharpeners work in hospitals. She is interested in what I am doing now.

Another stylist drops by and I hear about her frustration with her son-in-law. In the conversation I accidently sharpen a convex edge and put on a bur at 30 degrees (the setting from the last bevel edge Tondeo scissors). I knock off the bur and redo the ride on that blade and resharpen at 40 degrees. I finish up the shears and they cut perfectly. I can not tell the blade I made the mistake on.

I take back a Kuroto shear. (I’ve never seen this brand anywhere else. It’s marked “Japan”. The stylist has been cutting with the Disco and the Promaster. Everytime I’ve been in I’ve tried to sell her a pair of shears because I have been sharpening these same Kuroto shears for 14 years. She says, “I haven’t bought a new pair of shears in 20 years, maybe it’s time.”

I agree, “You deserve it,” I say.

She tells me she has just turned 65 and now has Medicare. She wants to spend the money the would normally pay for her health insurance. “How much?” she asks.

I tell her the Disco is $119 and the ProMaster $199 fully expecting her to pick the Disco. “Why does the Promaster cost more?”
“Better steel, better workmanship. They are made in Taiwan, not China.” She buys the ProMaster.

I finish sharpening. One shear is a Diane shear for the stylist at the station next to where I am working. I would have been surprised if the shear cost more than $25 and I am sharpening it for $30. I apologize for the price. “I can’t charge differing prices, but I feel bad charging you $30 for this. You really need to upgrade your shear.”

“Yes, I have had these since beauty school but I can’t buy without talking to my husband.” She pay me $35.

“That’s too much.”

“No, the $5 is a tip.” It is my only tip that day.

I explain handle styles and hand positioning and help her in a selection in case shear purchases later. Meantime the Kuroto stylist walks over and peruses my tray of shears. “I think I might need a thinner, too.”

“The second shear is half price,“ I reply.

“Sold,” she says.

I’m caught up on my sharpening and the shop owner is ready to give me her shears. She has 2 thinners, a Tondeo, a Dovo, a Prism and a Kaleidoscope. All but one thinner and the Tondeo she has purchased in the past from me. I test them all first and decide two do not need sharpening.

She likes the rainbow color shears and selects a blue Disco from my case. After I sharpen she says, “I think I’m ready for another pair. These cut nice and they are pretty.” I add them to her receipt. As I am leaving she asks what the other stylist bought.

“She bought two shears, a ProMaster and a thinner.”

“She bought two?” she asked surprised.

“The second is half price.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I want to save money, too. What thinner did she buy?”

I showed her and she bought it. I then set up an appointment for February. This was a suggestion from Jay that I would not have done last week. They are excited to get an appointment card because they prebook all their appointments.

I briefly think about putting my head into the spa and nail area to see if anyone needs sharpening but decide against it. It’s 2PM and I’ve been there since 10:30. I walk out in the rain to my car with over $600 in my wallet.

Last adventure is getting out of the alley. It seems I’m blocked in. I get so frustrated I call Gene to come rescue me but as I find out later he has forgotten his cell phone. I suck it up and decide I’m a big girl and slowly, carefully in the pouring rain back out with my rear wipers working frantically.

Mystie is happy with my receipts each marking the name of each shear sharpened and the angle.

Night at Jillians at the Sharpener's Jam 2008

A group of the Sharpener's Jam attendees went to Jillians at Discover Mills Mall in Duluth, GA for some R&R. This was a family event although I snapped a quick photo of a smooch from sharpener Ray Steele (age 87) placed on Kim Greene aka Jezebel(the newest sharpener).

Jim Turner gave us some hints to help us beat the coin push game. Ron Ellis and Carla racked up on the tickets as did Frank and Shirley Davis.

Chuck Bigelow challenged Kim to a Jet Ski race. This seemed to be a greater night than even last year's Medieval Times. Everyone who attended said it was fun and the food was delicious!