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Piker20

Tapering scissors.

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I've finally got around to buying a new pair of tapering scissors (dog hair scissors, my last ones were human ones) and they don't seem to give a good tapered effect on the synthetic materials this time round.

With the synthetic hair type fibres are folk wetting that first or are am I better with normal scissors and just cutting in?

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I don't know what tapering scissors are. I use regular scissors.

Should I be looking for a pair of tapering scissors?

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Yep but the Teeth on my new ones are M shaped. The previous pair were more like your photo Norman.

 

I don't think I'm going to persist with them. I'll just go back to old way of tapering material before tying in then using scissors to trim the little that's left.

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Ah ... I believe they called those "thinning shears" in my neck of the woods.

 

No, I don't have any of those, either.

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Last time I saw a pair of those was in the mid 90's.

 

Jeff

Sally Beauty Supply has them. Almost a required necessity tying EP flies if there's a bit too much material for tapering.

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Yeah they thin EP and similar well but I used to use the older ones on hair type fibres like Super hair and slinky fibre etc.

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It doesn't taper it thins so the blades only cut a few of the hairs at a clip instead of all of the hairs. Pull the hairs into a taper before tying and thinning isn't needed, at least with ep. Can't say I've ever used Congo hair and I'm sure a few others out there but I would say, for me, thinning shears are definitely not needed.

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It doesn't taper it thins so the blades only cut a few of the hairs at a clip instead of all of the hairs. Pull the hairs into a taper before tying and thinning isn't needed, at least with ep. Can't say I've ever used Congo hair and I'm sure a few others out there but I would say, for me, thinning shears are definitely not needed.

My old pair with blades like Flytire showed, you could run them down the fly and it would add a tapered effect to the tail/wing if you had not got the tying in right. And it was less chance of mistake than cutting in with normal scissors. The new pair don't seem to like it. I'll keep them for EP type material but rarely use that. Stick to old method for hairs.

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I never thought of this use, we have several pairs that came with hair cutting kits over the years. i'll have to play with this idea

<$4.

https://www.amazon.com/CONAIR-80016-Professional-Thinning-Shears/dp/B0006ZL31E/ref=sr_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1539960222&sr=8-6&keywords=thinning%2Bshears&th=1

 

I think I'd run a file down the straight blade of the old pair and see if they didn't get sharp.

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I wish you said, I've got a pair of specialist fly tying ones here, Anvil ice ones. Bought them many years ago at a show in Kings Hall, Belfast, so we are looking at 15 years ago at the very least. Used them about 3 or 4 times since then. You could have had those, you still can if you like. Let me know if you are passing I'll pop them on the meter cupboard as usual.

 

Cheers,

C.

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I wish you said, I've got a pair of specialist fly tying ones here, Anvil ice ones. Bought them many years ago at a show in Kings Hall, Belfast, so we are looking at 15 years ago at the very least. Used them about 3 or 4 times since then. You could have had those, you still can if you like. Let me know if you are passing I'll pop them on the meter cupboard as usual.

 

Cheers,

C.

That's a great offer Alan, Im not sure when I'll be down in Golspie next but I'll drop you a message.

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