Showerthought: the way you hold your scissors changes everything

This older stylist I apprenticed under in Portland noticed I was holding my shears too tight and told me to grip them like I'm holding a baby bird. She said it takes 3 weeks to break the habit but after forcing myself to loosen up, my hand stopped cramping by the end of my shifts. Has anyone else had to relearn their basic grip after years of doing it wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

rayy8326d ago

Man that baby bird thing is genius, I gotta remember that one. I had the same problem with my kitchen knives for years - I was strangling the handle like it owed me money and ended up with calluses and wrist pain. A chef friend finally told me to hold it loose like I'm holding a pencil, and it fixed everything. Did you notice it changed your cutting control too, or just the cramping?

jennifersmith26d ago

Oh wow, I actually read something about this exact thing a few weeks back. There's this old motorcycle mechanic who talked about holding tools the same way - he said if you're gripping anything too tight you're fighting the tool instead of using it. I remember he compared it to holding a tube of toothpaste, just enough pressure to not drop it but not so much that you're crushing it. Makes total sense for scissors too. Your mentor's baby bird thing is way more poetic though, I gotta remember that one.