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So, the inner 5 year old in you wants to know what the best hair cutting scissors in the world are, not just a country but the whole damn world. Well look, we wish we could crown just one as the best however, it's not that simple! By the time we take into consideration what makes a professional shear a good shear, there can be multiple brands that will give similar but still different types of scissors which keeps each brand individual and not too many of the same hair cutting shears. We're realists, there will of course be similar scissors from different brands from just looking at them however, there are multiple things that could be different on each scissors from your quick glimpse at the them. Keep reading to find out the breakdown of the best hair scissors in the world!
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The 'need to know' things to consider when deciding what 'the best hair scissors' isn't just about the price tag, but it's about the whole breakdown of a quality pair of scissors. It's the steel, blade type, length of the shears, handle design, colour and of course the price tag! Below we have broken it down to keep it simple for you.
So to begin, the quality of steel used to make the blades is by far the most important part. Why? Because if the steel isn't of high or good quality you can expect your shears to be a waste of money as they won't last long at all which is why the steel has to be high quality, that being preferably Japanese 440c. The high quality Japanese steel can do no wrong and is considered one of the strongest and best steels out there used to make the shear blade.
Along with high quality stainless steel blades we simply cannot forget the razor sharp cutting edge of the blades and what that consists of. Sorry but yes, there's more to the blade that meets the eye! When choosing the best professional hair cutting shear, you'll need to have at least a slight understanding of the 4 main types of edges that scissors can come in. Don't worry, we won't overwhelm you with too much information - just the absolute need to know as we promised. The three edges include, convex edge, semi-convex edge and beveled edge. So let's talk a bit about each professional razor edge.
Convex edge - Convex blades are known to be more sharp than the other edges and require only the professionals to handle shears like this. This particular edge is well known to be used for your slide, point and feathering cuts, not your standard blunt cuts (although it can be used for blunt cutting but it just won't have the same effect). Which is why we generally suggest carrying a second pair of shears to make your perfect blunt cuts of either semi convex or beveled edge. The convex shears are fine razor edge and need to be looked after, the more you use these bad boys the more maintenance will be needed which is why again we suggest having a second pair on hand. So, in saying this, the semi convex and Beveled edge shears (more so beveled than semi convex) are generally designed for blunt cuts or heavier/thicker hair, as sometimes more force is used with the shears when cutting and won't likely damage the semi convex or beveled shears as opposed to the convex.
Semi Convex - Semi Convex is the perfect mix of Convex and beveled edge. A true semi convex is a little more narrow than the beveled edge but not anywhere near a true convex edge. However, the semi convex edge is still sharper than the beveled edge blade and is great for the second pair we suggest you have if your main scissor is a convex. When using a semi convex shear you can certainly use it like a true convex, however it may pull on your clients hair a little if too thick of a section is taken. So when taking your sections with a semi convex shear, try to take thinner sections so you don't take the chance of pulling on your clients hair. This being said, the semi convex is a great all rounder shear to use for point cutting, feathering, slide cutting and blunt cutting but as we said take finer sections and don't be afraid to take your time a little.
Beveled edge - Ahh The beveled edge, now this particular edge is obviously not as great as convex or semi convex edges, BUT, it can still perform just as good as long as it's made from high quality steel and materials and force is used accordingly. The beveled edge is a more old and least expensive design, so it's not the most popular choice amongst stylists but is still used, you just have to use the right cutting techniques. What are the 'right cutting techniques’? This includes blunt cutting and of course the scissor over comb, which you will find most common in barbers. Which is why it makes the barbers the best customers for this kind of edge, as they aren't always doing your typical delicate haircuts or slide cutting, it's usually a more quick snip and a little more heavy handed haircuts. So know what you're cutting before choosing your blade.
Serrated or Micro serrated - When you hear the word serrated you think of a serrated knife however, a true stylist or more so barber knows that a serrated or micro serrated edge is an edge designed to grip hair allowing a straight cut with absolutely no slipping of hair. Typically the top blade will have the serration and the bottom blade a normal razor sharp edge. Serrated scissors are generally used by barbers to pair with the scissor over comb technique and some hairdressing students as they are easy to make a clean cut and learn with. We DON'T recommend doing any form of slide, point, or feathering techniques because OUCH it would pull on the clients hair and be super uncomfortable for them.
What better to go with super sharp blades? The handle design of the hair cutting scissors of course. Now again, we can't say which is 'the best' because every stylist and barber is different, some may have underlying hairdressing related wrist injuries from using the wrong hairdressing scissors that require a specific handle to help or some may be just fine and can use whichever design they feel comfortable with. In saying so, some of the best hair cutting shears have either the most basic handle design or the most complex handles design. So to narrow it down there are typically 4 different handle designs all of which are able to put finger inserts in and take the finger inserts out if required. So what are the four different designs? We have Classic, Offset, Crane and lastly Swivel. Let's break it down further so you can decide which the best handle design would be for your hair cutting shears.
Classic - The classic handle design is the design most hairdressers and barbers are familiar with or at least heard of. The Classic design is commonly used for people who hold their scissors with their middle finger instead of their ring finger. Depending on how you've been taught, which is the 21st century and hairdressing has come a long way with body health, most of us know to use your ring finger and not your middle finger. Using your ring finger allows you to open your hand more when making the open and close motion and helps to reduce hand fatigue. This being said, if a stylist is used to using the middle and not the ring finger it can be hard for them to get out of that habit and unfortunately can lead to body (wrist and hand) issues later in life including carpal tunnel or RSI. Which is not what we want.
Offset - The offset handle design is the more commonly used design. This is best used for people who hold their scissor (in our eyes) correctly by using their ring finger to hold the scissor whilst cutting. The offset handle design allows a more natural/relaxed and free flow position and reduces the risk of wrist injury later in your career like we mentioned above. Keeping in mind you will still need to raise your elbow and stand in the correct position to ensure you cut hair correctly.
Crane - Now the Crane design is not as common but common enough for it to be created! Much like the offset design, the crane has been designed for the hairdressers that struggle with shoulder and neck pain which is due to old/bad habits from their career. The crane design allows you to drop your elbow position because of the angle in the arch or the scissor, therefore allowing better body positioning when cutting, unlike the offset design in which you have to keep your elbow raised more while you cut hair.
Swivel - The Swivel design would be your more complex design, while not for everyone but for we do encourage people to try! The swivel was designed to give ease and help reduce fatigue of the hand while cutting with your pair of hairdressing scissors, with a far less restrictive feel it allows your whole hand to open freely and your thumb to be in the correct position no matter what angle you cut at. If you’re used to the other handle designs this may take a few goes to get used to but trust us you need to know how good this design can be for the professional hairdressers and barbers (sorry no hair at home gurus).
So now you know the different handle designs, can you tell us what you think the best hair cutting shears are? We didn't think so, so many different brands can all provide you with different handle types for professional shears and can range for professional barber scissors or hairdresser scissors. So let's keep digging to find out what else is involved in making the best hair cutting shears.
Next is of course the length but look, we're not about to tell you what the best length shear is because scissors come in a range of lengths and sizes much like the handles. So to be able to determine the length of the shear needed depends on what stylist or barber is comfortable with and what they typically use their shears for day in day out, whether they are doing more solid/blunt, scissor over comb, point, slide or feathering cutting techniques. So the best length would be what's best suited for the stylist or barber.
But what lengths do shears come in, you ask? Generally they can range from 4.5 inch all the way up to 8 inch. The most common lengths for hairdressers to choose are usually from 5 inch, 5.5 inch, 6inch and 6.5 inch for your everyday hair cutting needs. Whereas barbers tend to choose from 6inch, 6.5 inch and 7 inch, these lengths can also be called 'barber hair cutting scissors' for an easy find.
Barbers tend to go for a longer shear but not much bigger than a 7 inch because they often use the technique scissor over comb, when using the scissor over comb technique on wet and dry hair, the barber hair cutting scissors needs to cover a larger area of hair and be able to cut it all off within each snip as the comb glides up through the hair until the next section is taken. Therefore having a longer scissor to make those quick snips ensure that the section cut is even and not crooked (unless it was done on an angle, but still it will be a straight angle).
Hairdressers, on the other hand, tend to go for the smaller, generally not much smaller than a 5 or 5.5 inch length because they are dealing with longer amounts of hair and find it easier to control where they are cutting. When combing your baseline or sectioning your layers, slide or point cutting, or feathering, the smaller the blade generally means the smaller the snip, therefore less likely to make any mistakes on wet and dry hair from the haircut and allowing you to have complete control of your hair cutting scissors. While yes, you can also use the scissor over comb technique with shorter length scissors, it may just take you a little longer to get through the cut.
If you are a salon superstar and specialize in men's and women's wet and dry haircuts we recommend having a great allrounder length of 6inch hair cutting scissors. Why? Because it's long enough to get through a scissor over comb in a timely manner and it's short enough to get through your other techniques of haircutting all while having complete control of your shears when cutting hair.
But how do you measure the length of your professional hair cutting scissors? A lot of people make the mistake of measuring just the blade and calling that the professional hair shears length, but this is not the case, The true way to measure professional hair shears length is to measure the blade AND the handle.
To measure your hair cutting shears, you start at the very tip of the blade and measure down to the edge of the finger hole, not including the finger rest. If you have a removable finger rest feel free to remove the finger rest while you measure (but remember to put it back on and don't lose it), but if you don't have a removable finger rest then just measure as we say. Once you've measured from the tip to the edge of the finger hole/edge of the handle you should then have your final measurement.
If you're still Unsure on how to measure your scissors? Take a look at our super simple diagram below!
Now obviously we had to bring the color into this because honestly, how can we determine the best hair cutting shears if the color is boring? They just wouldn't be the best or someone may not agree with your color of choice or the brand you thought may be the best might not even have the color you're chasing!
As most barbers and stylists know silver is the most common color in all brands. Unfortunately a lot and we mean a lot of people think/believe that colored hair cutting scissors don't perform as well as silver hair cutting scissors. As long as you are buying your hair cutting scissors from a reputable company like scissortec.com then you can be assured that no matter the color of the professional hair shears you buy they will be made of high quality stainless steel blades which is the most important part. If you've bought colored shears and are worried the color won't be consistent or will wear when cutting hair, fear not! Colored professional shears are designed to be consistent - even when used and being sharpened!
Silver, as we said above is the most common and always will be a classic however, silver isn't for everyone which is why now most companies have a range of colors. Colors to suit any hairdresser or barber out there! Colors including, matte black, rose gold, pink, rainbow, the list can go on (Matte Black being our personal fav). Some companies even spoil their customers with super cool colored finger inserts.
BUT, there's always a but, if you choose a colored scissor, read the fine print and make sure that the company covers any color defect in their warranty upon purchasing because even some manufacturers can have little defects or slip ups. But don't worry generally it's an easy process to swap them for perfect ones.
The price tag of shears, yes, can be expensive and can easily throw someone off from thinking one company is better than other because of their pricing. This isn't and should never be the case. A lot of companies mark up hair cutting scissors more than what they should. Now I'm not saying professional hair cutting scissorsshould be cheap either because of all the above listed - there's clearly a lot of work put into hair cutting scissors and should be recognized with a fair price to it. Each pair of shears you search should come with some type of description and after reading this article you should be able to determine what is worth a higher price to ones with a lower price.
This being said, the general rule when purchasing shears you need to look for what type of steel is used, why? Because the steel is what will determine how well your scissors will perform and how long you will get out of them. In a nutshell, the more expensive the scissors are the longer life you should get out of them, meaning this will save you money in the long run if you were to purchase cheap tools - they tend to need to be replaced a lot quicker and ends up costing you the same if you were to buy the more expensive ones.
So as much as we would love to say only one - we just can't! So below we have our front runners that we truly believe make the best hair shear in the world. Not only have they been tried and tested but also because of the reviews, feedback and general love for these brands. We have Matsui, Joewell, Hikari, Mizutani, Yasaka, and Sozu. All of these brands perform amazing and each pair of scissors are all at a reasonable price for any barber or stylist at any stage of their career.
Matsui have been around for over 20 years now, while they haven't been around as long as some other brands, they have certainly made their mark in the hairdressing industry and are here to stay. Made with high quality Japanese stainless steel that stays super sharp, while offering a wide range of designs and colors, all at a super affordable price it was the obvious first choice to be one of the brands that make the best shears in the world.
Joewell, being around since its establishment in 1917,have obviously proven themselves with their high quality, design, and expertly crafted scissors; it is a well known trusted brand amongst all hairdressers. Joewell is known for its passion to provide the ultimate cutting tools that can cater to all needs of hairdressers and barbers worldwide. How could they not be one of the best? Especially seeing as they have award winning designs under their sleeve!
Hikari shears have been around for some time now, since their first design in 1968 which was knocked back from reasons of being too expensive and too long to create, Hikari then not long after established themselves with the best craftsmanship possible and have been producing high quality, strong and durable scissors that anyone can rely on. Hikari have been known to have a high passion to make high quality shears for all hairdressers and barbers worldwide. They're a classic that will be around for a long time!
An oldy but a goodie - Mizutani Scissors started back in 1921. They have been 100% handcrafted since the beginning and are committed to consistently bettering their products. Mizutani Scissors offers some of the best craftsmanship, and have managed to evolve into a global company serving 60 plus countries worldwide. With their vast collection of designs and colors, it's no wonder they make some of the best shears in the world.
For over 40 years now Yasakahave not only provided quality shears worldwide but they have also taken care of hairdressers and barbers hands by providing an amazing ergonomic handle design that has now given not only quality shears but comfortable shears for customers world wide (we're all about comfort). Their outstanding construction requires little maintenance and will serve you well for years to come. While yes, they're not cheap, but that's because they're one of the 'must-haves' a part of your tools to last you your career.
Sozu scissors are by far the more affordable shear, usually for the aspiring hairdresser. Much like the Matsui's, it's made from only the best Japanese stainless steel that will give you only the best quality scissor at a more than decent price tag. They're not only affordable but are super pretty with their stunning unique handcrafted design, and color choices, they can do no wrong. While yes the quality steel used for this shear is good, it's not the highest which is why it's recommended that it's generally for the aspiring hairdresser until they move onto their higher quality shear. But Sozu still 100% deserves to be a front runner even if it's for the aspiring hairdresser.
