How to Tell If Salon Scissors Are Genuine
By SalonScissors editorial team Updated
You don’t need special tools to check a pair. You need the scissors, your invoice and the maker’s own website.
How we chose: Maker routes and paperwork come from Joewell, Kasho and Yasaka’s own websites, checked 15 October 2026. We sell all three brands.
Who should you buy from?
The safest seller is one the maker, or its local agent, recognises.
- Joewell lists one sales agent per country on its contact information page, including one for Australia and New Zealand. Ask the agent whether a seller is one of its stockists.
- Yasaka asks buyers to go through its dealers, and to contact Yasaka directly if there’s no dealer near you.
- Kasho has its own sites from KAI USA and Kai Europe. Kai Europe’s dealer finder covers Germany, Austria and Switzerland, so ask Kai about anywhere else.
Whoever you buy from, ask where their stock comes from. A real stockist can tell you.
Check the price too. A new Japanese pair selling far below what other professional stores charge is worth questioning before you pay.
What markings should a genuine pair have?
On these three, the maker’s mark or model name sits on the blade near the pivot:
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Joewell FX PRO
“FX-PRO” on the blade, and the Joewell name and logo on the blue pivot cover.
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Kasho Millennium
The Kasho mark on the blade, beside the round pivot cover.
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Compare yours with the maker’s own photos of the same model, right down to the pivot cover or screw. The model pages linked above show each one.
No serial number? Makers mark their models differently. If you expected one, ask the maker before you assume anything.
What should come in the box?
- A warranty card. Joewell’s FAQ (in Japanese) says its 1-year warranty needs the card. KAI USA’s Kasho warranty card carries a coupon for a free first sharpening.
- Everything the listing promised. Check each piece of a set, and any case or extras, against the listing you bought from.
- A light coat of oil on a new Joewell. Joewell ships its scissors oiled for protection and says to wipe it off before the first cut.
Keep the card, the box and your invoice together. You’ll want them for any warranty or sharpening claim.
Check three things against each other
What you ordered
The listing and your invoice: brand, model, size, hand and anything else promised.
What arrived
The pair itself: the engraving, the pivot and every piece in the box.
What the maker shows
The maker’s own photos and model page for that exact model.
When should you contact the maker?
Ask the maker if:
- the engraving or pivot doesn’t match its photos of that model;
- the seller isn’t one the maker or its agent recognises;
- the warranty card is missing for a brand that issues one.
Send photos of the whole pair and the markings, the seller’s name and website, the model and your invoice. Use Joewell’s international contact page, Yasaka’s purchase page or KAI USA. Don’t post the scissors anywhere until someone asks you to.
Bought them from us?
Send your order number and photos through the contact form and we’ll look into it. Our returns help covers the next step if something isn’t right.
Common questions
How can I tell if Japanese scissors are fake?
Check the seller, the engraving and the paperwork against the maker’s own website. If any of them doesn’t match, ask the maker before you use the pair.
Does a missing serial number mean they’re fake?
Not necessarily. Makers mark their models differently, so ask the maker whether that model should have one.
What’s the warranty card for?
It’s your proof of the maker’s warranty. Joewell’s FAQ says its 1-year warranty needs the card, and KAI USA’s Kasho card includes a free first sharpening.
Where do I report fake scissors?
Tell the maker, with photos and the seller’s details. If you bought them in Australia, the ACCC explains your rights when a product isn’t what you paid for.
Next step
Checking a pair that’s just arrived? Run through the arrival checklist before the first cut.
Buying from a store in another country? Our guide to where to buy hair scissors by country has the checks to run on any store.