Episode #1: Style Sharp Shears

As a hairstylist, you know how important it is to have sharp shears. But who has time to send out their shears to be sharpened? That's where Trey from Style Sharp Shears comes in! Trey offers an in-salon shear sharpening service that will keep your shears looking sharp and performing their best.  

In this episode, we talk to Trey about how he got started in the business and get some great tips on maintaining your shears. If you're a stylist, this is one episode you won't want to miss! 

Transcript

Cameron 
Welcome to the number one episode of the Chair-apist. Did you know Trey that you were going to be my very first episode since you are kind of important to this episode and every episode to come? 

Trey 
Ok, whenever you told me about the idea, I was like I want to be on your show. I want to be on your show. 

Cameron 
Thank you so for all of you that don't know Trey, he is an angel that came through my door to sharpen all my shears when my favorite hair sharpener or shear sharpener disappeared. 

Cameron 
And here he comes, walking through the door with all of his tools, and he even told me he would do them right here right now, and I would get them back immediately. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked about it. 

Trey 
Cameron, it was awesome that day 'cause I've only lived here been 18 months now, so I'm still new in the area. For those who don't know me? I'm Trey Beacham with Style Sharp and I offer on-site, shear sales and sharpening. So, when I first moved here, I just went on Google Maps, and I typed hair salons, and then I found Hair Poetic knocked on the door and I really actually expected when I moved here to get a lot of nos because everyone has their guy - everyone is loyal to their guy. It's COVID it was going to be difficult, and then Cameron was like, “Hey, can you hold on a second, hey, you got time to do like 6 or 7 shears?” Like absolutely I do. Most of the time like that was a very powerful moment because most people I like to call it the Guinea pig me and they'll just give me one. Or if there's multiple stylists in the salon, one or two will give me a try on one of them that they don't really care about, and then the stylists are, like, hey, how was the work? How is it? Was it good so like right out of the gate getting six or seven in one stop first visit is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, so that's not very common, and what was really great having that many shears to serve, we got to know each other. 

I really consider you a great friend Thank you so much for having me on the very first show. 

Cameron 
Thank you, so I have a few questions for you because everybody gonna want to know. 

First of all, I'm gonna ask where you came from besides heaven? 

Trey 
I'm originally from Missouri, but 18 months ago, as I mentioned, I moved here from New York City, 'cause I lived there for two years. 

I started servicing shears in Missouri because my mom she's cut hair for 30 years, so I grew up in the hair salon and really absorbed a lot. 

Cameron 

That was going to be my next question. How did you get into this? So you're already on it, good job. 

Trey 
You know, the name of the podcast being the Chair-apist. I've always heard the expression I which I love Chair-apist. It's super powerful and the fact that because that's exactly what's going on with working behind the chair is. I've always heard the expression as the hair-apist, but in reality, I think Chair-apist is more of a better definition now growing up in my mom's salon, she started beauty school when I was young, and she would practice on my head while she was in school. She graduated and had her own salon. She used me to sweep floors, pull papers off perm rods. 

I folded towels. I just did all of the assistant work and truth be told I did not appreciate it at the time because I was just a young kid. And at that time, it just sounded like women gossiping. You know I wanted to be at home and play video games. 

I grew up. I studied industrial electricity with the controls emphasis, which is just fancy degree terms for automation. So, I thought I was going to program robots when I got older. 

Little fun fact. I don't think I shared this with you, but whenever I graduated college I I did get a job at Unilever and Unilever is the manufacturer of Suave shampoo and conditioner. 

Cameron 
What that's wild. I know about Unilever, but I didn't know you worked for Unilever. 

Trey 
So, I helped bottle shampoo suave shampoo and conditioner I actually like always had a little bit of a foot in the beauty industry, without knowing it. You know I've wrecked some hair behind the scenes by helping them distribute the Suave shampoo. They actually put me on the line to count bottles and caps. And that's not exactly what my degree was in. I wanted to make the machinery work, not sit and make sure that the machine is operating because that just involves pushing buttons, picking up boxes that have fallen over. It's not the glamorous job that I thought I was going to get. One of the things though, growing up in the salon is it's the original network But you are one person away if you talk to a hair stylist from anyone you want to meet anyone you want, you want to know the dirt on anything. 

Cameron 
I have a nickname. It's kind of ridiculous. It's the mayor of Tacoma because I apparently know everybody, I don't mean to know everybody, but unfortunately, I come from a long line of people knowing people and then you go to a school, a Catholic school that everybody knows each other family. 

Plus, you come from an Italian family that's very large, and you're related to every Italian in Tacoma. So then you just keep expanding in the Pacific Northwest out to who you know. And who you're related to and then add the hair industry into it, and you have 1,000,000 friends and family. 

Trey 
Yeah, it's true, and now that you say that, like every time I have come in to service your shears, there's always seems to be a conversation like, “Hey, do you know so and so or you need to go talk to so and so, and you will get whatever is needed. so that's very powerful and just what you described. 

My mom had a very similar reach 'cause my mom also had tanning beds in her salon. And I was the bed cleaning boy and there was a gentleman, he always actually appreciated my work ethic and he's like, hey I got a job for you like that'll get you out of Unilever, so it got me out of working night shift, and I actually went to work for ten years doing air quality testing all over the nation. And that was a little more related to what I went, what I studied in school, but there was a drawback with it. And that drawback was I traveled all by myself. I had to drive a truck and trailer with the equipment. 

I did it for ten years, but I blew who did my mom. “Mom, this job...” She's like you should totally do shears. I was like, well you're crazy. She's like no, like you know exactly what's going on in the salon. You understand everything, you'd be fantastic. You know how to talk to people you know. 

Cameron 
You really do. 

Trey 
It's a huge need. “You'd be great at it.” Hey, what do I got to lose? I went and the biggest advantage was my Mom. Throughout her career she bought shears like crazy. She has more shears than you Cameron. 

Cameron 
But nobody has more shears than I do. 

Trey 
She does. 

Cameron 
That's so cool that your mom got you into that and that you are very successful, and I see you being really successful.  

But really, the biggest reason why I have you on here is because I want to tell everybody why it's so important to keep your tools sharp. 

Trey 
Shears are actually the cornerstone of the hair industry and people don't know it. Through my travels being in Missouri, New York City, and here in Washington, I've actually had the chance to go into the beauty schools and what I've discovered is it doesn't matter where you live, what school you attend. 

No one talks about what's a good shear. No one talks about what’s a bad shear and no one talks about how to maintain it, and the reason being is the license is about safety and sanitation. 

Cameron 
That's what I'm talking about going through COVID, I was like. Why would you shut us down? Our licensing is all safety and sanitation. We just get lucky having skill being able to Do hair. 

Trey 
Because that is all that is drilled into the head. No one is actually taught about their shears. And the instructors, they don't know., so they can't give what they don't have? They just, hey, I'm here to teach safety and sanitation, and the couple cuts you boom you're on your way, you're going to conquer the world. 

Cameron 
I mean, I thought I was going to for sure. 

Trey 
Once people actually feel how a shear it's supposed to perform, understand how it's supposed to perform, then everything comes together because no one talks about shears. Stylists, especially when they're young. they don't know if it's them or their tool. 

And in a lot of cases, people are fighting their tool, but they don't realize it and they think it's them. So then they actually kind of lose a little bit of confidence. 

It's in reality if you just know that your shear is good, it's ready to blaze through her, then everything else will come into place because not only is just having a tool that really razor sharp is, you're going to cut hair faster, which means you're going to be able to book more and you're going to do more haircuts in a day, but there's actually another little aspect of shears and everyone understands the microscopic level with hair, skin and nails with products. But people do not make the connection about their shears coming in contact with the hair follicle on the microscopic level. 

If it's important with products, it's important with shears. People actually have a habit of putting off sharpening because - One they don't know what's good. They don't know what's bad and they don't know how to really maintain it. It just always goes to the back burner.  

And in a lot of cases, stylists are using two dollah shears, which microscopically tears the hair follicle and then one gets microscopically torn turns into the split end a week or two later. 

Why does this matter? 

Because everyone has moved on from that haircut. The client - they think that they're missing some magic potion products and then they see that's Suave has something that's going to smooth their hair and it's going to be better. 

Cameron 
Darn it, Suave. 

Trey 
So just having a regular maintained shear perform at its best regularly is you're going to come here faster and you're going to give your client the best cut that they've ever had because you're cutting hair faster and then you'll sell more products because they're not going to go down the rabbit hole thinking that this product just didn't do it, that one just didn't do it. 

And it's really it comes down to shears, you know, that's why my slogan is, it starts with sheer confidence. 

Cameron 
Well, and we've totally geeked out on this before when you've been in the shop with me and you know, I know, not everybody really cares about these really intricate little pieces of the puzzle, but it's super important. 

I do believe like it doesn't matter if you have like my friends, I call them my friends. You know, they're my acquaintances in the education field, Jacob Kahn and his friend Ben they do Fancy Scissors and they're really reasonably priced, so it's they're marketable. People can afford them no matter where you are in your career. 

I do have the Hattori Hanzo as well, and then there's you know the beautiful, curved Kevin Murphy shears and as long as those are taken care of you can have those work for you for a long time. 

You know there's the shears that you can just buy at the beauty supply. Some people, that's all they can afford, and that's totally fine, but they should be very well maintained and taken care of. 

Trey 
You know, I get asked all the time, “what's the best shear?” What I like to do is teach people what to look for because there's actually a lot of great shears on the market 'cause there are differences in what you pay in the quality of the steel. 

Really, the biggest choice that I tell people. Is your biggest decision in choosing a shear is to choose to maintain it. 

You know, I have two analogies with cars. You know, I say that you can't turn a Ford into a Ferrari. It's just not going to cut better. If the quality of steel isn't there, or the design, all it can perform what it can perform. 

But here's the other little thing that stylists go down the rabbit hole is they think I'm going to buy the Ferrari. I mean, the Ferrari of shears. And then they think that they actually don't have to maintain it as. often because they paid more for it. No. If you see people that actually buy the Ferrari car, what are they doing? Taking it to the mechanic every month? Changing the oil so? 

Cameron 
We are not endorsed by Ferrari, just to be clear. 

Trey 
No, you're not. 

Cameron 
Or any of the products I've mentioned on this podcast other than Style Sharp Shears. 

Trey 
Yeah, but I hope that those car analogies actually help because there's a lot of great shears on the market. There is no one size fits all. This is the best. Everything else is garbage, and if anyone tries to tell you got, they got an agenda and the truth is, there's a lot of great shears, but there's more garbage than there is great and therefore you just need to dedicate. I'm going to maintain this shear, whichever it's going to be. There is a little forgiveness on the spectrum of shears, but it really boils down to stay on top of it. Do not wait till they can't cut and then think that's the day to get that get it serviced because now it's clear it's actually a bit too late because you're either having clients with split ends consistently, or you're taking too long to do cuts.  

Cameron
Absolutely. I think you're right on the mark with that right on the precision cut with that. 

Before we wrap up here, you yourself have some shears that you offer to clients as well. 

Trey 
I do I do... They are Style Sharp Shears. At the time of this recording, they're actually not available. Well, there's some logistical issues. 

Cameron 
Break my heart right now. 

Trey 
But I'm very hopeful by the end of this year I will actually have a tangible shear with my branding on that, because I actually, you know, with five years of doing nothing but beauty shears, I like bits of this brand, I like the handle of that one. Also, having the chance to serve in Salon, I get to talk. “Hey Cameron, What do you like about this shear? Hey Steve, what do you? What are you looking for in a shear?” All of that time I really feel like I'm going to have shears that are going to be exactly what stylists want. Some of them are going to do desired effects that people actually haven't seen. I'll be able to do cutting demos and show the multiple ways. I'm really, really excited about this. 

Cameron 
That's awesome. 

Trey 
Yeah, yeah. You're gonna get a pair you said like one of these pairs. 

Cameron 
It's Christmas for everybody today. 

Trey 
Well, what's great about the onsite service is all the manufacturers expect you to mail that tool back to them, but it takes 1 to 8 weeks depending on the brand that you get. You need it every day and then on top of it the only way that stylists get the chance to choose a share is either from pictures online, or they're in the plastic case at the beauty supply houses, and you never get to feel them in your hand and see how it's going to perform. 

Goes back to beauty school. No one teaches what's good. No one teaches what's bad and no one teaches how to maintain it. so, people are just like, “Oh, that one. That one's pretty. I'll get it, uh? My, my coworker thinks that this one is great", But people don't really know if it's going to be the shear for them until you get behind the chair and work with it. 

So, I love to do the little miniature cutting classes. You've seen it. I don't just take over the show and take away from the client experience. 

Cameron 
You camouflage right into the atmosphere. You either don't talk, or you talk to whoever is interacting with you; you're wonderful. 

Trey 
That's what it is, because people are there for either Chair-apy or they're there to be entertained. 

Cameron 
Honestly, I think if they're in my salon, they're probably here for the Chair-apy and for the entertainment. 

Well, thank you so much for coming on my very first episode. I am honored and I'm so thankful and obviously in the following episodes people will find out what I'm all about. But this was important for me to have you be the number one, so thank you so much for coming on and I am so grateful for you, and I can't wait for everybody in the Pacific Northwest to meet you and maybe even beyond. You might even end up being a traveler. I feel, I feel it coming. 

Trey 
I would love for those people that you know to come on the show, share their experience and the more that everyone shares the education working behind the chair. It really helps everybody in the industry. 

You're an amazing networker. I love the potential of this show, so always reach out to me if there's anything I can help and serve with. I would love to be a part of it. 

I would love to leave everybody with my contact information because people are always able to reach out if there's ever any questions about shear sharpening. 

The best way to get ahold of me is through my Instagram @StyleSharpShears I share education there as I come across things in the salon of things to avoid with that's harmful for your tools, yeah? 

Cameron 
You have a lot of really great information on your Instagram. 

Trey 
My website is stylesharpshears.com. You can e-mail me there or you can also if you're outside of the Pacific Northwest of Western Washington, you can always mail your shears to me. 

I have instructions on my website, and I can get those in two to three business days to you. 

Cameron 
Yay, thank you so much, Trey. I appreciate it. 

Trey 
Thank you, Cameron.