Best Affordable Shears

So you're either a novice with no idea or a senior that has every idea about hairdressing shears. But no matter where you're at in your hairdressing career it's still super tricky to know what the best affordable shear is. Some hair cutting shears are priced so cheap that you simply don't trust it, and others are way too overpriced to even think of spending that much on hair cutting shears. Then you have your perfect mid range price that's super affordable for most hairdressers, but how overwhelming is being able to choose the best one when there is SO many to choose from!? This is where we come in to help ease the stress of having to know it all. Stay tuned to find out what we think are the best and most affordable money can buy!

What to look for in a good quality shear.

Look, before we dive into it, first we need to briefly give you a 'heads up' and what a good quality shear would consist of. Firstly is the obvious - The steel that's used to make the hair cutting shears. What steel type? None other than Japanese stainless steel. While there are many different grades of steel, your best option is to go for something a little higher quality to ensure the longevity of your shear. The grades are listed below for a little reference from the best to the lowest.

• Damascus - The Damascus steel is essentially made from many layers of VG10 so you can be confident the quality will be there
• VG10 - VG10 is great value for money and considered a high end shear due to the quality of steel. It’s super hard, and really helps the edge of your shears stay sharp for longer.
• Hitachi ATS 314 - Don’t let this one fool you, the ats314 is basically a VG10 just with a different name, so again a good quality steel manufactured in Japan by Hitachi
• 440C - Here we have the 440C which is great for all round use as it’s hard wearing and of course affordable.
• 440A - The 440A is a softer steel compared to the rest but still great for apprentices or that backup pair for when your main pair is being serviced!

Next we have the handle types, make your choice from Classic, Offset, Crane and Swivel. While all are different in each way, they are different for an important reason - the health and safety of your overworked wrists.

Classic - Look, it's a classic and should be left as that. It is designed to be held with your middle finger and thumb which as we know isn't the best way to be held and can lead to injury later in your career.

Offset - The more common design that is held the correct way with you middle finger and thumb that has an offset design to the handle which allows a more comfortable grip that helps to prevent any injury

Crane - The crane was designed to help hairdressers or barbers that unfortunately have already developed RSI. With the 'crane' like design it allows you to drop your shoulder a little further so it's more comfortable when making those open and closing motions.

Swivel - Ahh our favourite! While it sounds insane - it's totally not! The swivel motion for the thumb hole allows you to fully open and close your hand in the most comfortable and natural position possible.

Next up is the length. The length of the shear can range from 4.5 inches all the way up to 8 inches. You'll need a good allrounder length so we best recommend either a 5.5 or 6inch to cover all bases. Once you're comfortable in knowing what cuts you will be doing more of then you can make your choice of other lengths. See our easy diagram below of shear measurements.

Following the length is of course the colour! The most fun part of choosing a shear! most companies have a wide range to choose from, it's just trying to figure which colour you want is the hardest part!

As we mentioned above the price point can be the most overwhelming part so rather than telling you what a good price point is, We're going to list the top 3 best and affordable hair cutting shears below!

MATSUI PRECISION ROSE GOLD CUTTING SHEAR

This shear can do no wrong, with it being not only one of the best sellers but also super affordable with all the perks! An offset handle design, and a precision blade, the Matsui Precision Cutting Shear is your go-to allrounder at the perfect price!

SOZU ESSENTIALS PINK RAINBOW SCISSOR THINNER COMBO

Talk about value for money! This combo is perfectly affordable and one of the best shears to get you started in your career. While it's much lighter on the price tag it performs beautifully. However, keeping it mind you may not get as long out of these scissors as you would the Matsui's - but it doesn't mean you can't give them a go!

MATSUI MATTE BLACK AICHEI MOUNTAIN OFFSET SHEAR

Again, Matsui has managed to pull off another great affordable shear that also has all the right details. The steel in this shear is like no other, higher quality that will last you much longer than your average scissor that will of course have you performing the perfect cuts all year around.

So the takeaway from this is obvious right!? You don't have to blow your whole wage on a pair of scissors that may or may not last you. If you do your research right you can have a pair that could last you years on end!