A new thinner, or one just back from a sharpener, deserves ten minutes of checking before it touches a client. Most of the checks need no hair at all. Do those first.
Before any hair: a note on returns
Our returns page explains that tools used or tested on hair can’t be returned for a change of mind. So run every check in steps 1 to 5 without hair. Only move to step 6 once you’re happy you have the right tool. A fault is different: it’s handled under the Australian Consumer Law, not under the change-of-mind rules.
Step 1: is it the tool you ordered?
Compare the box and the tool with your order confirmation:
- the model name;
- the SKU;
- the hand: Right or Left;
- the length;
- for a set, every tool the selected option lists.
If anything doesn’t match, stop and email us with your order number before going further.
Step 2: count the teeth
Lay the thinner on a light surface. Count the teeth on the toothed blade from the pivot end to the tip, using a pen tip as a pointer. The number should match the listing. If the count is clearly different, tell us before you use it.
Step 3: look along the blades
Close the thinner gently and hold it up to the light.
- Teeth: straight and evenly spaced, with no bent, chipped or missing tips.
- Tips: the two blades meet at the tip without crossing past each other.
- Straight blade: the edge looks even along its length, with no nicks.
- Pivot: the screw sits flush, and the tension key or knob is present.
Step 4: feel the action
Open and close the thinner slowly a few times, holding it as you would to cut.
- The action should feel smooth from open to closed.
- There should be no grinding, catching or gritty feel at any point.
- The blades should close fully without a gap at the tip.
A little stiffness can be the factory tension, which you can adjust. Grinding or catching at one point is worth a question to us.
Step 5: set the tension
Hold the thinner by the thumb ring with the tips up. Lift the finger blade to fully open and let it go. On many thinners a good setting lets the blade fall about halfway, then stop.
- Falls fully closed: too loose. Hair will fold between the blades.
- Barely moves: too tight. You’ll tire your thumb and wear the edges.
Adjust in small turns with the key or knob supplied. Tension that needs adjusting is normal; it isn’t a fault.
Bench note: check tension again after a week of use. A new pivot often settles slightly.
Step 6: the hair test
Now, and only once you’re sure the tool is right, test it in hair. Use a mannequin or training head, not a client.
- Take a small, dry section of medium thickness.
- Make one close through the mid-lengths.
- Comb out and look at what came away and where.
- Repeat at the ends and at a slightly different angle.
- Try a thicker section. A good blade cuts cleanly without pushing or folding the hair.
What you’re looking for:
- clean cutting across the full length of the teeth;
- no pulling or snagging felt through the handles;
- a removal pattern that matches the band: scattered from a blender, defined pieces from a texturiser, bold pieces from a chunker.
If you own another thinner, test both on the same head. The comparison teaches you more than either test alone.
What counts as a fault
Under our terms, faults include manufacturing defects such as a flawed or cracked blade, a defective pivot or handle, or an item that doesn’t match its description. Tension that needs adjusting, normal edge wear and the wrong size or hand chosen at checkout are not faults.
If you find a fault, email us with your order number, the SKU, a description and clear photos or a short video. Please wait for our instructions before sending anything back. The warranty page explains the process.
After a sharpening service
Run steps 3 to 6 again whenever a thinner comes back from a sharpener. Check the teeth especially carefully: a bent tooth after servicing should go straight back to the sharpener. Read thinner care and sharpening for what a good service looks like.
Keep a record
Write down the model, the date, the tooth count you counted and your tension setting. When something changes later, you’ll know what “normal” felt like.