Bierley man's cutting edge job! (From Craven Herald)

Bierley man's cutting edge job!

4:40pm Tuesday 29th September 2009 in

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Jonny Baker is at the cutting edge of a little-known profession.

He launched Clean Cut Sharpening Centre in Bierley 18 months ago with his sister, Katy. Jonny concentrates on the technical side of the business while Katy, a qualified hairdresser who lives in Spain, has the cutting knowledge and expertise.

Jonny recalls his fascination with his elder sister’s scissors and her frustration when she failed to get them sharpened to a good enough standard.

“They are a precision instrument. That is where I got the interest and the passion,” says Jonny, whose early career was a world away from scissor sharpening.

He did an environmental science degree in Bradford and worked monitoring people’s exposure to chemicals, but wanted something different.

The siblings came up with scissor sharpening and sought out a course to learn how to do it themselves with the masters of the craft, the Japanese.

Jonny and Katy embarked on a week-long intensive course with an expert who had trained under a world-renowned Japanese scissor-smith. Now they are using their well-honed skills to sharpen the tools of the hairdressing trade.

Using a portable Japanese flat honing machine, they travel to salons nationwide – including big name chains – to sharpen scissors.

They’ve even sharpened scissors from overseas, including Bahrain, through their postal service.

Jonny says it takes 15 to 20 minutes to sharpen a pair of scissors, depending on the condition. They have lots of testimonials from happy clients and that, according to Jonny, gives them the greatest satisfaction.

The pair sell scissors, ranging from affordable pairs for students to expensive ones for precision styling. Jonny says they also teach hairdressers about the care and maintenance of their tools.

“Scissors are balanced and tensioned up so they cut perfectly,” he says. “We do a scissorology course explaining basic maintenance, cleaning and care.

“I love it because it’s a technical thing and I am a technical person. I am working for myself now, and that is great. You are teaching people how to look after their scissors and doing a really good service.”

As well as working in hair salons, they have also sharpened scissors for mobile hairdressers, pet groomers and dressmakers working for a London theatre company.

“I don’t do anything unless I can do it to the highest standard,” says Jonny.

Whatever he’s mending, he thoroughly researches it to find out exactly what to do.

“Anybody who sets up in business, in whatever area, must make sure they can do the job to the highest standard; everything else will follow on from there. If you can provide the best service possible, you will get people coming back to you.”

For more information about business courses, contact Bradford College on (01274) 433333.