Scissor Sharpening with a Curve- Xzacta Shears Ride Honing Plate

Scissor Sharpening Machines, Training, & Systems
The Xzacta Shears Ride Honing Plate
“scissor sharpening with a curve”

The Ride Honing Plate was developed after years of frustration with trying to hone the “curved” ride portion of scissor blades with flat “stones”. The physics of this is simple…. It doesn’t work well!

When I first came up with the idea of a stone, glass, or metal plate with a curvature to match that of the curvature of a scissor blade (commonly called the set), I spent well over a week trying to make this by hand. The curvature is so slight that I kept getting multiple flat spots, so I gave up and went to my machinist. After a complicated mathematical formula, some prototypes, some educated guessing, perseverance, and a little luck, we were ready for production.

It takes nearly three hours to machine just one, and of course it has to be done, like anything in a machine shop, in quantity to make it affordable.

Please click on following link 
http://www.youtube.com/user/xzactashears#p/u/7/5p0ZDmRUShM
to view YouTube Video on the Xzacta Shears Ride Honing Plate.  You might wish to check out the other Xzacta Shears videos as well on:
http://www.youtube.com/user/xzactashears

There are several key factors to the success of the Ride Honing Plate.
1. The other scissor or shears sharpening processes must be done correctly.
2. The Ride Lines on many if not most scissors are done incorrectly at the factory. Many factory ride lines are too wide with way to much angle on the ride line. The ride line, to function properly, should be thin with a “microscopic” angle. This is so the cutting edges come very close to engaging, but never touch. Too much factory angle, and the hair cutting will feel crunchy even though the blades may be razor sharp. Xzacta Technicians are taught to correct this in successive sharpenings, usually about three. To correct this in one scissor sharpening would tremendously decrease the serviceable life of the shears. If the shears have to much factory angle, you will be polishing on the portion of the ride line closest to the hollow grind without ever coming close to the cutting edge. Corrective procedures for this are taught in class and not covered here. They are just too delicate.
When the ride line is “sweet” (proper), the Xzacta Shears Ride Honing Plate will deliver a mirror-like polish to the entire ride line with a microscopic angle. The microscopic angle is developed because the blade slightly sinks into the micron film. Xzacta uses water to attach the film because it allows for more cushioning than that of a psa attachment. The results are outstanding.
3. In the real world of scissor sharpening, the Xzacta Shears Scissor Sharpening Techs don’t see a lot of new scissors or shears. What we see are shear after shear of improperly sharpened or “destroyed” shears ….the by-products of grinders, as well as many flat honers. Many, many of our so-called competitors do not take the scissors apart to sharpen and do nothing at all to the ride line other than maybe a swipe across their jeans to try and remove a little burr. It is just incomprehensible! In fact many times there will be absolutely no ride line left. If they do take them apart, then they use a curved blade on a flat honing stone to attempt to re-establish a ride line. The results at best are poor, resulting in over-worked tips, and a “flat” ride line if they actually did establish one. The flat ride line will result in the cutting edges making direct contact which dulls the edges very quickly or folds the cutting edge over if it doesn’t break out, …and worse yet…nicking.
The “sweet” honing of the ride line is possibly the most important step in the scissor sharpening process. If you do this part incorrectly, it really doesn’t matter what kind of machine you’re using.
The Xzacta Shears Ride Honing Plate will gently re-establish a non-existent ride line with mirror finish and the very important microscopic angle. The results are nothing short of superb when combined with the Xzacta Shears Ultimate Scissor Sharpening Machines, Systems, and Training. However, the Ride Honing Plate will increase the quality of your scissor sharpening even if you are using a competitor’s scissors sharpening machines. This is just light-years ahead of the conventional flat honing stones that are traditional in the scissor sharpening industry.


For The Xzacta Shears Ultimate Scissor Sharpening System and information on purchase and training, please visit…

http://www.xzactashears.com/

And please check out all of our competitors before you make a decision on the purchase of a scissor sharpening machine. I want you to know what you are getting into. The world doesn’t need more mediocre scissor sharpeners. Hair stylists need great scissor sharpening. I’ve said it before, and I seriously mean it… “If I couldn’t use the Xzacta Shears Ultimate Scissor Sharpening System, then I would not be a scissor sharpener”. That’s the truth!

“Spend More, Spend Less, Xzacta’s The Best”

Thank you,
Ryan Parrish
Xzacta Shears LLC
Sales@XzactaShears.com
352-690-9817