Best Japanese Hair Scissors: One Pick for Each Job

Seven Japanese pairs from our range, each the one we’d pick for a job.

The picks at a glance

Best for	Pick	Choose
A first pair on a budget	Mina Umi	Your hand, 5.5”
Apprentices	Ichiro Ergo set	5.5” convex slice
An everyday upgrade	Kasho Design Master Offset	5.5”
A straight handle	Yasaka SA Classic	5.5”
Fine detail	Joewell Classic PRO	5.0” or 5.5”
Left-handers	Ichiro Rose Lefty	One size, 6.0”
Barbers	Yasaka 7.0”	One size, 7.0”

Best on a budget: Mina Umi

The cheapest pair here, and it comes in either hand. You get a flat edge and an offset handle, with right-handed sizes from 4.5” to 7.0” and left-handed in 5.5”, 6.0” and 7.0”.

Keep in mind: it’s one cutter. The Umi set pairs it with a 6” thinner for A$174.95 all up.

Best for apprentices: Ichiro Ergo set

A cutter and a 6.0”, 30-tooth thinner for A$229.95. Choose the 5.5” convex slice cutter, or the 6.0” micro-serrated cutter if your course list asks for one.

Keep in mind: it’s right-handed only. Left-handed apprentices can get the Mina Umi set in Left.

Best everyday upgrade: Kasho Design Master Offset

A semi-convex slice blade on an offset handle, with a raised ratchet tension screw. Choose 5.5” for everyday work, 5.0” for detail or 6.0” for reach.

Keep in mind: this one is right-handed. The LEFTY version comes in 5.5” and 6.0” for A$429, and there’s a straight-handle version too.

Best straight handle: Yasaka SA Classic

Both rings sit level, like a classic pair, and our listing gives it a clam-shaped convex slice edge. Yasaka lists the SA-5.5 with a 60 mm blade in SUS440C steel.

Keep in mind: it’s right-handed, and level rings feel different if you learned on an offset.

Best for fine detail: Joewell Classic PRO

Joewell says the Classic PRO’s thin, narrow blade is made for detailed work. The 5.0” has a 50 mm blade and the 5.5” a 60 mm blade, on Joewell’s level-ring handle.

Keep in mind: the listing doesn’t say which hand. Ask us before you order.

Best for left-handers: Ichiro Rose Lefty

A true left-handed cutter with a 6.0” convex slice blade and an offset grip, for A$199. The matching thinner is sold separately, or as a set.

Keep in mind: it only comes in 6.0”. For 5.5”, the Kasho Design Master Offset LEFTY costs A$429.

Best for barbers: Yasaka 7.0”

A long 7.0” blade on a semi-offset handle, for scissor-over-comb and long lines. It’s ATS314 cobalt stainless steel with a slice edge.

Keep in mind: that’s a lot of blade around the ears, so keep a shorter pair for detail. On a budget, the Ichiro Sword comes in 7.0” for A$219.

Common questions

What size Japanese scissors should I buy?

Start at 5.5” unless you already know otherwise. Go to 5.0” for close detail and fringes, or 6.0” and up for reach and over-comb work. The size guide shows how to measure the pair you have.

Do I need a thinning scissor as well?

Only if your work or your course calls for one. The Ichiro Ergo set and the Mina Umi set each pair a cutter with a 30-tooth thinner.

Japanese or German scissors?

Japanese pairs usually suit slicing and detail, and German pairs usually suit blunt lines and over-comb work. Our Japanese vs German guide explains the edges.

What if the pair doesn’t suit me?

You’ve got 14 days to change your mind, as long as the scissors are unused and in their original packaging. The returns page has the details, and standard delivery is free on every pick here.

Still deciding?

Answer a few questions in the scissor finder and it’ll shortlist pairs by hand, size and budget. Comparing models side by side? The top 10 Japanese hair scissors lines up ten mid-range and premium cutters, and the top 10 under A$300 does the same on a budget.