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In this article, we describe different tiers of quality of manicure instruments.
Quality, quality, quality
Many of you will agree that nearly every seller of manicure sets talks quality about their products. It is because quality is the most important determinant of the manicure set, as it means how long your investment will last for.
Quality of the manicure set is directly influenced by steel quality. Is it a purpose manufactured steel or recycled steel? How strong is it? Generally, the stronger the steel, the longer blades keep their sharpness without maintenance.
Hardening (also called “forging”, measured on the Rockwell scale) is a highly complex process of making the steel strong. There are 2 ways of steel hardening:
- Cold Forging – In simple language it means the steel does not go through thermal treatment and is shaped into the final product by hammering and moulding. Cold forged steel does not require extensive work and is considered “soft” grade of steel. Hence manicure tools made of cold forged steel are not expensive. Their disadvantage is short life: the blades do not retain sharpness and start dulling soon after use. Result – broken nails, bleeding cuticles, and significant effort to make the tool work. Buying manicure sets made of cold forged steel saves you money in the short term and guarantees you will need frequent replacements. This also means more landfill waste for the environment.
There are many brands of manicure set that claim high quality yet made of cold forged steel. Beware of those sets as they generally do not last as long as hot forged manicure instruments.
- Hot forging – this is a more advanced, complex and proper way of steel hardening. Hot forged manicure instruments are a lot stronger than cold forged tools, thanks to molecular changes of the steel structure, following heat treatment under extreme temperatures. There is a lot of work that goes into crafting a nail implement made of hot forged steel. The reward of such craftsmanship is long lasting cutting edge able to work on all nail types, including thick toenails. Excellent edge retention means the blades will stay sharp for a long time without any need of re-sharpening. These nail tools are more expensive because they offer much higher quality and durability than cheaper cold-forged tools.
Next time you read “high quality manicure set at affordable prices”, question the seller about the steel grade, to understand where this product fits in in terms of durability.
Durability
Durability of the manicure set is directly linked to the steel quality. The cutting edge of hot forged manicure instruments is a lot more durable. And you’ll be able to enjoy a clean cut of your nails and cuticles with sharp blades for a long time.
Cheap manicure sets are known for losing their sharpness pretty quickly. In contrast, the highest quality manicure sets last a lifetime. Among the world’s best manicure kits, German manicure sets are highly regarded for enduring sharpness and precision.
Solingen city is the capital of German metal engineering. Solingen manicure sets comply with the strictest rules of quality carefully protected by the German Government. For a set to be labelled as “Solingen manicure set”, it must meet the requirements of the Solingen Decree introduced in 1948, to protect the highest quality of Solingen products from fakes.
By buying authentic Solingen manicure sets, like ZOHL manicure and pedicure sets, you are investing in the highest German quality that will give you reliable service through decades ahead. And if you are looking for a gift to impress, Solingen manicure sets are definitely a safe choice that will delight with exceptional sharpness and durability of the blades.
Precision
Hand crafted manicure instruments are distinguished by immaculate precision, giving you accurate manoeuvring, neat nails and cuticles.
When blades are sharpened through a machine, as seen with cheap manicure tools, it is less consuming process and the quality may not be there.
Compare these with hand sharpened nail implements, and you’ll notice the difference how aligned the blades are. This means that the clippers and scissors will cut beautifully, the eyebrow tweezers will allow unmistakable plucking, and nail cutters won’t not tear the nail edge.
Precision is what gives professional manicure instruments a go-go, and when properly maintained, they give amazing service for the most beautiful manicure and pedicure.
Ergonomics
Comfortable design gives maximum control when using the manicure tool. Whether it is manicure scissors, toenail cutters, eyebrow tweezers or cuticle pushers – you want that comfort of firmly holding the tool and navigating the blades for precision work.
Ergonomic manicure instruments are specially designed to give you pleasure of holding the nail tools, without handles pressing into your palm or springs coming apart every time you need to open the nipper. Ideal balance, optimal handling and smooth opening/closing of nail care tools is what makes them unique and precious, so you want to use them for a lifetime.