High Quality Hair Scissors VS. Low Quality Hair Scissors

Professional scissors come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.. and price tags! When cutting hair you definitely don't want to be using kitchen scissors but what scissors should you be using? We are always here to help you decide which professional shears are best for you ! Because as you know, not all scissors are created equal!

High Quality Hair Cutting Scissors

Besides a higher price tag what exactly makes a pair of hair cutting scissors high quality? Well let's first look at what they are made of.

Steel

There are two main types of stainless steel that you will find make up your high quality shears. You can't go wrong with either one, but different cutting styles will help you decide which is best for you!

• Japanese Steel

The Japanese are known for all things steel. They have been known for making everything from the sharpest samurai sword to the best kitchen knives, so why not the best hair cutting scissors. Their scissor steel is some of the best in the world. Which means it will also come with a higher price tag.

Japanese hair cutting shears are made from a variety of different steels, they range from a softer, less expensive steel to some of the strongest, most expensive steel you will find. Steel is rated on the Rockwell Hardness Rating scale ( better known as the HRC). Here are the most popular options for japanese stainless steel scissors.

• 440C is a very versatile steel. It is rated a 58 on the HRC. This steel is great for scissors. It is strong and hard. If heated it can achieve an even higher rating. It is non corrosive and will last you through many haircuts.

• VG10 Steel is very high quality. After all, the "G" stands for gold, meaning it is a gold standard. It has a HRC of 60 which means it is very hard and makes for some high quality and expensive hairdressing scissors.
• Hitachi ATS 314 Steel is right up there on our list with VG10. It is extremely durable, lightweight and can get you a very sharp edge!
• Last but not least is our Damascus steel. Damascus is 10 layers of VG10 steel folded together to create the toughest steel there is.

• German steel
  When talking about hair cutting scissors and their different steels we have to make a mention of german steel. German steel is the best steel in Europe. They are known for creating some of the worlds highest quality cars, so why not hair cutting scissors! Like their cars their scissors are reliable, sturdy, and beautifully designed
  German scissor brands use mainly three different types of steel
• MC Micro Carbide Steel is the strongest of German steel strong and non corrosive
• Molybdenum Steel is a high quality strong German steel
• Stainless Chromium Steel is a good quality steel.

German Steel does not have as many options as Japanese steel does. However with German steel you can still find good quality shears for a pretty reasonable price. 

Edges

A higher quality pair of scissors will have a good, sharp edge that will keep its edge through many haircuts. There are a few types of edges you may find on your shears.

• Convex edge - Convex edges are only made on high quality and hard steel. This edge is razor sharp. A convex edge is a must have for your most advanced cutting techniques such as point cutting and slide cutting. This edge is quite sensitive though. Because it is so sharp and comes to such a fine point it is not recommended to be used for a lot of blunt cutting. Blunt cutting with this edge can cause it to dull quicker. Since this edge is so sensitive it can only be done on the finest of steel, and only found on Japanese steel hair cutting scissors.
• Semi Convex edge- A semi convex edge is the best all rounder edge. It is great for cutting wet and dry hair. It's perfect for blunt cutting, precision cuts or even adding all types of texture. It is also found mostly on japanese steel hairdressing scissors. 
• Beveled edge- A beveled edge is popular on german shears. This edge is a power horse. Since it does not come to as fine a razor point like the convex edge it can handle any haircut you throw at it. You will find most barber scissors have a beveled edge. It may not be the best edge to use from things like slide cutting, as it just doesn't have the same sharpness as the other edges. Due to its versatility and less of a fine edge, a beveled edge can be found on low quality scissors to good quality scissors. It is a popular edge for the German shears.
• Serrated Edge- Along with a beveled edge often comes the serrated edge. The serrated edge is tiny little lines etched into the blade edge. These lines are there to help grip the hair. This is very popular with barber shears, as it can help hold the hair when taking sections for scissor over comb.

Low Quality Scissors

Of course if you come across a pair of scissors that are cheap, chances are you are getting what you pay for. 

Steel

A low quality pair of scissors will be made with a lower quality steel. Unlike Japanese steel this steel will be much softer and won't hold a super sharp edge as long. Pakistani and Indian steels are considered the lower quality steels you would be looking out for. Hair cutting scissors made in these places are often best used as one and done. Meaning getting them sharpened is more expensive and more work, then just buying a new pair.

Edges

Due to the lower quality steel these hair scissors will most likely have a bevelled edge. This edge is easiest to achieve on even softer steel. You won't find a convex edge on low quality hairdressing scissors.

So which one would you choose?

Well, it may seem like a simple answer right? Choose the highest quality hair scissors you can find. It is not always that simple. Different budgets make it harder for everyone to just invest in an expensive pair of scissors. That's why here at Scissor tech we offer a range of affordable scissors. All our scissors are made with good to great quality steel. We have our chinese steel scissor range called Sozu. Have a lookHere for our most affordable scissor. They're definitely a good scissor for their price. Then of course there is our Matsui range. This range is all made from quality Japanese steel, and can fit almost any budget. Check them outHere. Of course it also depends what you are using these hairdressing shears for. If you are a busy stylist who cuts hair all day, it may be worth investing in some quality professional hair cutting scissors. If you're just trimming bangs at home, you can probably skip the high price tag.

We hope this has helped you decide which pair of scissors will work best for you, your cutting skills and your budget. Feel free to reach out to our friendly customer service here at Scissor Tech to help you choose your next pair.