Nail Care Epiphany ?

Pukulele Pete

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Duh , I never knew this , when you file your nails only go in one direction. I've been going back and forth like cutting wood, filing my nails
in both directions. I usually only read directions after I've screwed something up , but I'm getting better. I read the directions on the back of the package. Am I the only one ?
 
I've heard of that from nail care people, but I don't listen.

Aldrine has told me never to use a nail clippers on nails. THAT I listened to.
 
Man am I behind the 8-ball!

I clip, then file/saw the nails back and forth.

Not complaining though. I'm a strummer, mostly, so
all I need is to be able to cleanly finger chords and
strum with my thumb nail, index nail and the occasional
pinky nail (ala Gordon Mark). :)

keep uke'in',
 
ya sposta file your finger nails? But I've been just wacking mine off with a swiss army knife all these years?
 
after years (>15) of carefully caring for my nails on a daily basis, filing every imperfection.... i've found that it doesn'y really matter.
nowadays i just clip'em short, then play for several hours. Next morning they are always perfect, round, polished. don't ever care again for my nails. i think that maybe the playing finishes the polishing, who knows.
 
I am with Unko Rod... Man am I behind the 8-ball!

I clip, then file/saw the nails back and forth.
 
I am with Unko Rod... Man am I behind the 8-ball!

I clip, then file/saw the nails back and forth.

So do I. My daughter says I shouldn't but I've never noticed any damage. I suspect the one way thing is a fashion industry foible.
 
Kinda the same subject, but for the sake of keeping the finger nail theme of the OP. I have a very weird pet peeve, that in my 51 years have only met one other person with the same peeve. And it is the reason I have always used a pocket knife on my fingernails. You know that sound most people hate because it causes their skin to craw of fingernails scratching down a chaulk board? (anybody remember what a chaulk board is?lol). Well, that sound never has bothered me. HOWEVER, the sharp snipping sound of finger nail clippers clipping nails drives me absolutly bananas. Every time I hear a fingernail clipper sound, my skin crawls right off my body. The wife and kids have always had to leave the room, or I did when someone is clipping their nails. Anyone else hear of that issue?
 
I've always used a clipper and then only lately I've been using a nail file and I go back and forth like sawing wood. I always carry a pocket knife but I have never cut a nail with one. It kind of makes me cringe to think about doing it. I thought you were fooling when you said you whack them off with a knife. The clipping sound doesnt bother me but just the thought of using a knife to cut my nails makes me cringe , ....... weird.
 
It creeps alot of people out I suspect. But, my grandpa always did, my dad always did, and I followed suit I reckon. Sometimes I use the little scissors on my swiss army knife tho too. But, still mostly the knife blade. Believe it or not (and I don't EVER recommend it) but spending allot of time in my shop and wood tools and machines, have sanded mine down with a belt sander. Sometimes even involentarily.. lol.. And I still have all 9 and a half of my fingers, (just joking, still 10 at last count, lol)

I've always used a clipper and then only lately I've been using a nail file and I go back and forth like sawing wood. I always carry a pocket knife but I have never cut a nail with one. It kind of makes me cringe to think about doing it. I thought you were fooling when you said you whack them off with a knife. The clipping sound doesnt bother me but just the thought of using a knife to cut my nails makes me cringe , ....... weird.
 
Argh, I just find this out after breaking one loading the car at Costco. I'm sure it wouldn't have broken if I filed only in one direction. Yeah, that's it.
 
I really don't believe that you need to apply the file in one direction only. What you really need is this:

1. A not-too-coarse emery for basic shaping.

I don't know what grit it would be, but the finest that still removes nail at a reasonable rate is what you are after. You want to remove nail without chewing the nail fibres too much.

2. Emery or micromesh for polishing

You need to remove all the coarseness left by shaping, and leave a mirror-finish (on the nail-end, not the top!). I use micromesh from 4000 to 12000 to get a progressively higher polish.

At the end of the process the finish is so smooth that any trace of the initial filing is gone. There's no corners or snaggy bits to get caught and cause a break, so breakages happen much less often. Also, the smooth edge gives a really rounded and bell-like sound.

Playing on the nails is a world of misery though. It has its advantages, but if you are happy playing with the fingers only, it saves you so much!
 
Been posted before, but worthwhile here as well... James Taylor posted his approach to nail care in "Nails 101":

http://youtu.be/7BqISqpMRo8

Mahalo!
 
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