To be the best barber you can be, you need the best kit available. One area that is often overlooked is our scissors. In this article we will discuss, what we consider to be, the best professional barber scissors on the market today? When you buy the best barber scissors you can find, you will get the precision and the comfort, you need in a busy barber shop.
If you are just starting out in your career, or you are still using the ones from your training days, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good quality product. But it has to be said, like many things in life, you get what you pay for.
You will find that the best Japanese shears and the high end barbering scissors, do cost a lot of money. But bear in mind that these scissors will earn you a lot of money over the next few years.
Table of Contents
What to look for when buying barbering scissors
Handle Design
This part of the scissors is important for your comfort, when you are using them in a busy barber shop. Once your hands get tired the quality of your work will suffer. With barbering scissors there are two common handle designs: classic and offset:-
Classic: These are the standard straight scissors, which have been around for many years. Both handles are asymmetrical. They are best for when you are doing point cutting. For most of the other ways we use our scissors though the straight design can be uncomfortable to use for some barbers.
Offset: This design of handle is probably the best set up for most of the work we do. As one handle is slightly longer than the other, it allows you to position your elbow a little lower, when you work. This helps with your overall posture and reduces fatigue.
Blade Length
My own personal choice in blade length has changed over the years. As a lot of our work involves scissor over comb techniques, I find 6.5″ to 7″ to be the ideal size. Some barbers, myself included, also have a slightly smaller pair which they use for standard club cutting. But for most of my work, texturizing and point cutting, I use my longer scissors.
Blades
With all scissors used in professional hairdressing and barbering their are two types of blades: Serrated and convex.
Serrated Blades
Serrated blades have a serration on only one of the blades. These serrations tend to grip the hair and prevent the hair being pushed out. This allows you to get a more precise and accurate cut. These are an excellent choice for beginners and people new to the industry.
Convex Blades
You will often find that more experienced barbers go for the convex blades, as their very design give you much sharper cuts making your work more precise an accurate.
Blade Material
As far as the materials go, most lower end barber scissors are made from stainless steel, with some having other materials added to help with sharpness and durability. But Japanese steel scissors, with additives such as molybdenum and cobalt are generally the best, but also with the higher price point.
In this guide we will be looking at which are the best professional barber scissors based on things like their sharpness, design and their durability and price.
Six of the Best Barbering Scissors
TONI&GUY Identity 6″ Scissors-Quality And a Name You Can Trust
TONI&GUY Identity 6″ Scissors are designed with outstanding quality from a name you can trust. They are manufactured from 440C, which is the most commonly used alloy you will find in high quality barbering scissors. The Identity range from Toni & Guy, are a great all purpose pair of scissors for the professional barber.
With their ergonomically designed handle, fixed finger rest and a slightly curved thumb ring, they are extremely comfortable to use on those busy days in the shop.
They have designed the upper blade in a sword shape. This gives the scissors extra strength when you are cutting thicker hair or larger sections. The TONI&GUY Identity 6″ Scissors are made with super hard Hamguri blades. These blades are convex on the outside and concave on the inside.
This amazing design feature makes sure you get a minimum of friction occurring but with gives you maximum sharpness and precision.
Specifications
- Super Tough Hamguri Blades
- Manufactured from 440C steel
- Sword Shaped Blade Design
- Fixed Finger rest
Still not sure if the Toni & Guy Identity 6″ are right for you? Click the link below to read many more reviews from satisfied customers
Jaguar Scissor – Pre-Style Ergo Slice-Great Entry Level Barbering Scissor
The Jaguar Pre Style has been a great entry level scissor for many barbers over the years due to a combination of german engineered steel blades and a really well designed handle, making them very easy and comfortable to use. Now Jaguar have developed a version with slicing blades, enabling you to take your work up a notch.
Unlike the pre Style Ergo before this one, which had the micro-serrated blades as standard, the Pre Style Ergo Slice now has blades which have been hollow ground and honed, allowing you to slice and slide cut with ease.
The handles are the traditional classic design and being level set, this enables you to keep your hand in a more open position, thus reducing the strain in those busy days in the shop.
The finger rest is also removable and the scissors come with finger rings fitted, but these can also be easily removed, if you wish to do so.
Specifications
- Hand: Right
- Slicing?: Yes
- Handle Setting: Even
- Blade: Hollow Ground and Honed
- Colour: Silver
- Tension Screw: Slotted
- Finger Rest: Removable.
Still not sure if the Jaguar Pre Style Ergo Hairdressing Scissors Slice 6.0 is the right one for you? Click the link below and read more reviews.
The Matakki Reaper Barbering Scissors
The Matakki Reaper barbering scissors are manufactured from the finest japanese Aichi 440C steel. They have a Rockwell Hardness rating of 62, which contributes to their super sharp convex cutting edge.
The people at Matakki finish the scissors off with a special black titanium coating which not only gives these shears a classy elegant look, but also gives an added layer of protection.
The Reaper scissor from Matakki have a life expectancy of between 15 to 20 years (if serviced properly) so with this in mind you are guaranteed many years of service (if you look after them properly)
In fact the guys at Matakki are so confident in their scissor that offer an exclusive lifetime guarantee, plus a 12 month drop warranty, drop your scissors within the first year and Matakki give you a free service worth £30!
Specifications
- 4 star Rating (high level)
- Japanese Aichi 440C steel
- Offset handle
- Fixed finger rest
- Premium tension screw
- Rockwell hardness 62
- Convex blades
- Life span 20-25 years
Still not sure if the Matakki Reaper scissors are the right ones for you? Click the link below and read more reviews.
The Matakki Black Ninja Barbering Scissors-Close To Perfection?
Available in 3 sizes, 6″, 6.5″ and 7″, the NEW 2019 Matakki Black Ninja is an upgraded version of its 3 star Pro collection predecessor. This brand new addition is now a part of the Mattaki 4 star Premium collection.
As with all the range from Matakki, the Black Ninja has been hand crafted from a higher grade 440C Japanese steel. This set of scissors has specially designed convex edges to make cutting, even the toughest hair you encounter, a breeze.
These scissors have been designed with a stunning matte black finish. They have then been given an enhanced Teflon coating, making them stronger and more durable than before. And with an improved ball bearing mechanism, the tension system is also better quality and much easier to adjust.
As smooth, lightweight and perfectly balanced as it was before the upgrade, the new Black Ninja will still be so comfortable to use along, with a few added extras.
Specifications
- Japanese Hitachi 440C steel (high level)
- Improved black teflon coating
- Offset handle
- Premium rubber stopper
- Fixed finger rest
- Premium tension screw
- Rockwell hardness 61
Dark Stag DS+ Offset Professional Premium Barber Scissors-Good All Round Scissor
The Dark Stag DS+ Barber Scissor 6″ is the ultimate barbers scissor and deserves their place in our list of best professional barber scissors on the market today. Manufactured in quality heat treated stainless steel, giving you long lasting precision and a wonderful feeling of balance and precision.
These scissors have a razor sharp, convex blade, which will not only make light work of any type of hair, but will give you the precision you want from your scissors. This makes them ideal for things such as slice cutting, point cutting and texturising.
These scissor also feature an Ultra Precise Screw System, which gives you adjustment, a stable tension and a resistance free smooth action, when cutting. And along with this feature the offset design allows your arm to be in a more comfortable and natural working position. This will help reduce stain and fatigue on those busy days.
Specifications
- Colour- Silver
- Finish- Polished
- Hand- Right
- Brand- Dark Stag
- Blade Type- Convex
- Length- 6″
Still not sure about the Dark Stag DS+ Offset Professional Premium Barber Scissors, click the link below and check out more reviews
DMI 6.5″ Barber Scissors-Budget Scissors That Get The Job Done
The DMI 6.5″ Barber scissors are the lowest priced ones in this review. But they are actually here on merit. As we said in the lead up to these reviews, one of the main things you need, doing things like scissor over comb, is a bit of length.
The guys at DMI have managed to fuse practicality with style and produces a quality pair of barbering scissors at a very affordable price.
Manufactured from quality Japanese steel, this pair of scissors are both tough and durable. They incorporate razor-edged, hollow ground blades, that, if looked after, will give you many years of service.
This great performance is matched by their comfort too. The DMI 6.5″ barber scissors are made with an offset grip and a fixed finger rest. This set up helps to keep the hand relaxed and with the addition of the crane-angled handles, they are an extremely comfortable to use.
The scissors also feature a finger adjustable tension screw, meaning you can tweak your scissors on the go. They also have removable finger ring inserts, so you can change the set up of the scissors to suit your own needs.
Specifications
- Size- 6″, 6.5″ and 72
- Handed- Right or Left
- Slicing?- Yes
- Handle- Offset
- Blade- Convex
- Colour- Silver
- Finish- Polished
- Tension Screw- Finger Adjustable
- Finger Rest- Fixed
Don’t be put off by the price, these are a very good all round scissor. If you don’t believe me click the link below and see what other people say about them
So there you have it. Some excellent scissor to choose from. It may come down to your budget, but you must bear in mind that this little piece of equipment will, if you look after it, last you a long time and earn you lots of money in the process.
A final word of warning, apart from the cheaper scissors we have reviewed here, you do get what you pay for. So if you are serious about this industry and you want to be the best you can be, make sure your scissor are too.