Nail Clippers by James Wynn
In this essay I am going to discuss the meaningfulness of nail clippers. I define meaningfulness as having the quality of great value or significance. Nail clippers have a very specific purpose. They are used to cut the nails on both fingers and toes. They are not however human specific. They can be used on dogs, rabbits, primates or any other animal with claws or nails. The invention of the nail clipper has been attributed to Chapel Carter in 1896.
There are two types of nail clippers, the Plier type or the lever type. The lever type is the most common especially in Australia. Both types are most often made from steel coated in a chrome like surface. More expensive versions are often made from stainless steel. If they are simple steel versions they are coated in the chrome like finish to make them water proof, but if they reside in the shower or next to the bathroom sink they often slowly rust. This is especially common around the pivot point, where there is a lot of wear from the rotating lever.
As clippers are almost always made from steel and plastic, they are highly recyclable. And as the design has stayed much the same for many years, nail clippers can be passed down from generation to generation and the only time one would need to buy a new pair is if they have failed or have been lost. They are an item with no built in redundancy and hence any failure is a result of poor use of materials and poor care.
A basic pair of lever nail clippers features 4 parts. The lever, which often incorporates a nail file and nail cleaner on its tip. The blade pieces which are joined at the opposite end to the blades. These pieces usually have curved blades to match the curve of the fingernails. The final piece is a pivot, which allows the lever to rotate and fold flat. It also allows the lever to rotate around to the clipping position. Some nail clippers have moulded plastic nail catchers, which hold the nails in the body of the clipper. Lever nail clippers are easy to use as they are symmetrical and can be used easily by both hands. The body of the clippers lies perpendicular to the nail, which allows easy access to hard to reach areas especially on toenails. The lever type of nail clipper range from approximately 40mm to 100mm in length.
Plier type nail clippers work much like conventional pliers. They consist of two pieces of curved metal with a pivot between them. The pivot is situated at a point approximately two-thirds along their length. They are often spring loaded and have rubber grips. Plier type nail clippers are more often used with pets, such as dogs and rabbits. Because of their action they are usually a lot longer than the lever type clippers and hence exert more force on the nail and can cut through the tougher nails found on animals. This is often necessary when animals are kept inside. The Plier type of nail clipper is usually larger than 80mm.
Clippers use a shearing force parallel to the nail to snap the nail at the point of the blades. The parallel blades push together, pushing their way through the nail. Nails are cut in three or four cuts, starting at one side and cutting tangents to the curve of the nail. It usually takes only a maximum of five minutes to cut one’s nails. Some people’s nails grow very quickly and there is often a strong relationship between hair growth and nail growth. Nails grow more quickly in the warmer months of the year. Fingernails also grow more quickly than toenails. On average finger nails need to be cut once or twice a week, and toe nails once or twice every two weeks.
There have been a few attempts to redesign the nail clipper, but the original form has stood the test of time and is still the most common type. Because of this and because they are so simple in their design, most people will only need one pair in their lifetime.
While some people use nail scissors, clippers remain the preferred method for cutting nails. Scissors are often difficult to use with the non-dominant hand, and can often tear the nail if not used at the correct angle. They can also be difficult to use with toenails, as toes are often not parallel. Scissors can also be difficult to use if one has arthritis or other ailments of the fingers and hands.
Clippers and scissors are far from the only methods of cutting or shortening nails. Nails can be filed to the correct length with an Emory board or other abrasive surfaces. People have chewed their nails since the dawn of time and this method is the bane of many parents. Nails can be torn using the other hand and fingers, although this method often results in nails which are too short and can reveal the sensitive skin below the nail.
Before people wore shoes, toenails would have been ground short from walking, or became short from being ripped off or torn. Long fingernails tear very easily when completing manual labour, especially when working with rough surfaces such as stone.
This leads us to ask the question of ourselves. In the modern age why do we choose to cut our nails?
For lots of people it’s about aesthetics. Short nails are easier to keep clean and there is less space between the end of the finger and the nail for dirt to build up. Short nails also make it easier to perform common tasks such as typing on a computer keyboard or writing with a pen. Short nails also don’t get caught on clothing especially if they are filed round. But on the contrary in western cultures long nails represent femininity and because of this lots of women choose to have long nails as an aesthetical choice. While this may make many tasks more difficult, many women choose to make that sacrifice to achieve a more feminine look in an acceptable way. Long nails are often a way for women to look more feminine when jewellery is not allowed to be worn. Because of this there is a large nail industry built around the care of nails. And many women spent a large amount of money every month on manicures.
In many Asian cultures long nails on both males and females indicates status, as it shows that the person seldom performs manual tasks.
Fingernails, and their length can also have an impact when playing musical instruments. One well known instrument, whose sound is directly influenced by fingernails is the guitar. When playing the guitar, it is the right, strumming hand, which has most effect on the sound. The strum or stroke is made with a mixture of fingertips and fingernails. When only the fingernails are used it produces a thin, plastic sound, if only the fingertips are used it produces a flat opaque sound which often lacks brilliance. But when combined a large range of desirable sounds can be produced. The thickness of an individual’s nails, as well as the width and curvature, are all factors, which have a direct influence on the sound quality produced by the guitarist.
Nails can also be cut for other specialised activities such as traditional Japanese fingernail weaving. The fingernails of the weaver are cut into a saw tooth pattern for pulling the weft through.
It seems that nails, both finger and toenails on humans and primates are an evolution of the claw, hoof or talon from other animals. Certainly on primates they serve the purpose of helping to grip small objects and branches, but also for scratching themselves.
Nails are made from fibrous structural proteins know as Keratins. Nails have many different parts and structures and parts like the free edge, the cuticle, the paronychium, the nail plate, lunula and nail fold. Nails grow at an average of three millimetres per month and take between three to six months to grow completely again.
I conclude that nail clippers are a useful tool but not a meaningful object in the modern world. They are an aid but not a necessity, and hence if one was to be entirely sustainable they could live without there use. Nail clippers clip nails in a more accurate and quicker fashion that would be achieved through traditional nail biting and tearing. They also allow one to maintain a uniform nail length. For males in the western world this is desirable as the nails can be kept clean more easily. For women this may be desirable for aesthetical reasons of uniformity.
Bibliography :
The function of our fingernails- Associated Content, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/907321/the_function_of_our_finger_nails.html, accessed 17/10/2009
Fingernails, http://www.mangore.com/thing.html, accessed 17/10/2009
Long nails – Fingernails, http://www.nailcaresalon.com/long-nails.html, accessed 17/10/2009
