Thinning Rate Guide
Tooth typesKeep count, construction, published rate, and trial together
Tooth count is one descriptor; geometry and model-specific maker data can produce different published ratios at the same count. Apply to Thinning Rate Guide
- 01 Count Use the maker's counted teeth, zones, and per-blade convention.
- 02 Geometry Record profile, width, gaps, grooves, overlap, and escape path.
- 03 Arrangement Name one- or double-comb construction, orientation, and handed model.
- 04 Result evidence Keep any published ratio model-specific and use a controlled trial.
Do not inferCount, a tooth-name, or a retail label cannot supply a universal removal percentage, hair-type match, placement, or result.
Description
Cut rate is a maker's approximate model-specific percentage for a toothed shear. Learn how to read it without inferring performance from tooth count.
Thinning Rate Guide (梳き率ガイド)
Quick look
- What it is: A maker’s approximate removal percentage for one exact toothed-shear model
- How to use it: Compare models while preserving the maker, range, orientation, and any blade zones
- What it is not: A standardized laboratory result or a universal hair-type/service ladder
- Related fields: Tooth count, profile, spacing, overlap, comb arrangement, orientation, and blade set
Why it matters
Cut rate is usually more informative than tooth count alone because it describes the maker’s intended removal behaviour for a specific model. It is still approximate: the checked maker pages rarely publish section area, density, fibre, tension, blade position, number of trials, or calculation method.
How to read a published rate
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Maker and exact model | The percentage cannot be transferred to another shear |
| Value or range | Preserve “approximately,” the endpoints, and any model qualifiers |
| Blade zone | Multi-zone tools may publish a different rate at the root and tip |
| Orientation | Confirm whether the figure applies in standard, reverse, or both orientations |
| Comb arrangement | One-comb and double-comb layouts are separate constructions |
| Tooth count and profile | Useful descriptors, but neither predicts the rate alone |
Why tooth count cannot fill a missing rate
Joewell publishes multiple 30-tooth models at approximately 15%, 20%, and 30%. Within another product family, 30 and 40 teeth may correspond to a different relationship. These are maker estimates, not directly comparable laboratory trials, but they show that a count-to-rate conversion table fails across models.
If a maker does not publish a rate, record it as unknown. Do not back-fill it from the count or from a label such as “blender,” “texturizer,” or “chunker.”
Maker labels are local
Japanese catalogues use terms such as カット率 (cut rate) and すき率 (thinning/removal rate). Some makers also group products into “finish,” “all-round,” “time-up,” “volume adjustment,” or “texture adjustment” ranges. Those are useful inside the named catalogue, not an industry-wide hierarchy.
Practical use
- Check the exact maker/model, construction, and published rate.
- Use the placement and orientation taught for that tool.
- Test on a practice head or inconspicuous strand, using a controlled section.
- Release and inspect before repeating; passes compound and cannot be reversed during the service.
- Base the decision on actual density, fibre diameter and condition, grouping, and desired finish—not a universal curl-code or rate rule.
See Also
Sources Reviewed
1 scoped source behind this entry- Primary 🌐 Joewell Scissors — Official Japan (manufacturer official)
Frequently Asked Questions
3 answers you can open one at a timeWhat does thinning rate actually measure?
A maker’s cut rate is an approximate percentage of a presented section cut in one full close of a specific toothed shear. Most public product pages do not publish a harmonized test protocol, so the number is useful for that model but should not be treated as an exact laboratory measurement or a promise for every section.
Is there a standard cut-rate range for general salon work?
No industry-wide range maps reliably to a service or hair type. Makers use overlapping labels such as soft, standard, heavy, blender, texturizer, and chunker. Keep the maker’s number and definition attached to the exact model instead of translating it into a universal ladder.
Why can two scissors with the same published rate perform differently?
Makers usually do not standardize section area, fibre, tension, blade position, trial count, or calculation. Tooth width, spacing, profile, overlap, blade set, comb arrangement, orientation, placement, and repeated passes also affect the observed result. Strand-test a new tool and keep the published rate tied to its model.
Comments & questions
Questions or feedback on this topic? Add a comment below.