JUST AN UPDATE

Sorry for the lack of posts. My brother and sister-in-law have been in the States this past week, so that's taken up a good bit of my time. They flew back to China this past Sunday, so I'll be catching up on posts this week.

If you have any questions or need help with anything, just give me a call. Also, there are still a few seats left for the California Show if you'd like to come.

Image: My brother-in-law and my oldest son.

IT'S OKAY TO SAY NO

I recieved a call from a sharpener today. He was asking if I might be able to fix a pair of texturizing shears he came across in his area. Apparently the previous sharpener sharpened all the notches off the teeth and it got worse from there. After listen to him describe all the problems, I suggested that he tell his customer it's time for a new pair. He told me that was what he figured I'd say. The stylist was quite upset with this other sharpener, she loved the shears so he was hoping something could be done.

One difficulty we have as sharpeners is the temptation to try to fix everything. Not everything can be fixed, and many others shouldn't be. While there was the slim possibility that that texturizer could have been fixed to where it would work again, how well would it serve her? She makes her living with her shears and sometimes the most responsible thing we can do is insist that a new shear be bought.

Image: Wolffind.com

ANOTHER VIDEO I USE IN CLASS

Last week I mentioned that I show a video by Alton Brown about the make up of steel to my students. Another video I also often show during class is on the Fan Out Website. It walks the viewer through many of the steps that go into manufacturing beauty shears. It shows hollow grinding on a mill, creating the inside line, hammering set, and more. Click here to go to the Fan Out Site and view the video.

Image: rogersmith

MISTAKES WE MAKE

The Start Up Blog wrote a post today titled, Classic Mistakes, Part 1: The Over the Top Entrepreneur. Christopher and Gregg make some good points, but the ones that hit home for me (and they are areas I see many other sharpeners struggle with too) were the sections about Lack of focus and Excessive drive and competitiveness. Click here to take a look at the post, and be sure to check back for part 2.

Image: ihtatho

WHAT GOES INTO STAINLESS STEEL

When training, I discuss stainless steel and the different kinds of metals that are mixed into it. One of the tools I use to explain this is a video by Alton Brown about Shun knives. In the video, Alton compares the make up of steel to cake. It's a simplistic, but great illustration. Click here to watch.

Image: guidepostsmag.com

AIMING HIGH ENOUGH

A good friend of mine just went out on his own to sharpen full time. He came to me to train on clipper blade sharpening and discuss some of his goals for his business. In the course of our discussion, I realized he was setting his goals low so he wouldn't be disappointed with his results. I told him he was aiming too low. After all, if you aim high and miss your mark, you're still hitting pretty high right?

Never be afraid to set your goals higher than you think you may be able to reach. Having lofty goals will help you stay focused and drive you to accomplish more. Do you have written goals? Are they detailed? If not, click here and read over this post at Orangebloom. It will help you understand the difference between a goal and a good idea.

Image: gareandkitty

TWICE AS SHARP GIVE AWAY AT THE WOLFF/ HUFF SHOW

Wolff Industries will be giving away a free Professional Twice-as-Sharp at the October Wolff/ Huff Show in Anaheim. To qualify for the drawing, you need to be present at the meeting. All names will be put into a bowl and we will draw the lucky name at the end of the show.

There are still some seats available, so sign up soon! If you have any questions about the show, please don't hesitate to give us a call. The dates for the Show are October 17th - 19th. Click here for more details.

SORRY IT WAS QUITE HERE LAST WEEK

Sorry for the silence last week. I ended up getting pretty sick and it took all the wind out of my sails. Time to jump back in though!

While perusing the web, I found these two links:

hairsaloon.com - A new styling franchise concept that targets men.

and

The gentleman's guide to the calling card - an interesting post about how men used to use calling cards in social occasions. I like nostalgic posts like this one because it reminds us of times past, and some of the things I wish we still had in the 21st century.