Thinning Shear Tooth Shapes: Flag, Straight and Other Types

Main types of thinning shear teeth

There are several main tooth designs used in thinning shears.

Flag-shaped teeth    

The most common and professional option.

✔ M-shaped tooth design
✔ provides stable hair grip and high control

👉 Result:

• clean and even cut
• stable performance
• high control

👉 Suitable for:

• everyday salon work
• women’s and men’s haircuts
• soft and medium thinning

📌 This is the type most commonly used by professional stylists.

Straight teeth (without flag design)    

✔ rectangular tooth shape
✔ provides less control during cutting

👉 Result:

• less stable cut
• hair may slip
• more difficult to control the result

⚠ These teeth are more common in simpler models or after poor-quality sharpening that has damaged the geometry.

Teeth with micro-serration    

✔ fine serrations on the teeth
✔ improve hair grip during cutting

👉 Result:

• less slipping
• more precise control while working

👉 Features:

• the cut feels less soft
• require more frequent maintenance

Combination teeth    

✔ combination of different tooth shapes
✔ mixed geometry

👉 Result:

• balance between control and softness
• more versatile performance

 How tooth shape affects the result    

• flag-shaped teeth → control and clean cut
• straight teeth → less control during cutting
• micro-serration → precise cut without slipping

👉 Even with the same thinning percentage, the result can be completely different.

A common mistake stylists make

Many stylists focus only on the thinning percentage (for example 30% or 40%).

But:

👉 same percentage + different tooth shape = completely different result

Sharpening thinning shears and tooth shape    

The tooth design is the most sensitive part of thinning shears.

Improper sharpening can:

• alter tooth geometry
• reduce hair grip
• create a “chewing” effect on the hair

👉 This is especially important for flag-shaped teeth, which require very precise adjustment.

Important for stylists    

If your shears:

• pull hair
• snag hair
• do not produce a clean cut

👉 the issue is usually related to adjustment or sharpening, not your cutting technique.

👉 We work throughout Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. We accept tools via parcel lockers.

📌 Instructions: How to send tools for sharpening via parcel lockers

Professional thinning shear sharpening    

We provide:

• thinning shear sharpening
• tooth geometry adjustment
• hair testing after sharpening

👉 After sharpening, the shears work accurately again without “chewing” the hair.