Set your budget first.
Decide what you can spend before you fall for a shear. Then compare inside that range, not above it.
Hair Scissors USA
Your first pro shear, made simple.
Your first pro shear should fit your hand and your budget. Here's how to check both.
Your first pro shear guide
Start with the basics
Offset, opposing or crane? Here's how each one feels.
The handle decides how your thumb, wrist and elbow sit through a long day.
What to check before you buy.
A short checklist to take to any shear you are thinking about.
Shears to start with, by budget
One right-handed cutting shear from each price band, each offered in 5.5 or 6.0 inches, and the matched set with the lowest price. Every price is the one on the product page.
Middle price
Ichiro Ichiro Matte Black Hair Cutting Shears
Offset · 5.0–7.0″ · Right or left US$174.95Higher price
Ichiro Ichiro Premium Series: Taiyo VG10 Hair Cutting Shears
Offset · 5.5–7.0″ · Right US$234.95Matched set, lowest price
Mina Mina Rainbow II Hair Cutting Shears
Cutter · 4.5–7.0″ · Right or left US$99.00- Free standard shipping on orders over US$79.00Standard delivery arrives in 5–8 days.
- Ships from Japan by FedExOrders are packed in 1–2 business days and ship from Japan. We ship US orders by FedEx.
- Change-of-mind returnsChange-of-mind returns are only available within 30 days of delivery. Returns
- Prices in US dollarsNo sales tax is added at checkout. Duties and import charges, if any, are paid by the buyer.
Shop by what you need
Cutting shears (50)
Your everyday tool for lines, layers and detail. Most students start with a 5.5 or 6.0 inch cutter.
Thinning shears (33)
For blending and taking out bulk. Most new stylists add one after their first cutter.
Cutting and thinning sets (42)
A matched pair in one order. Handy when you need both tools for school or a new chair.
Left-handed shears (23)
True left-handed shears, with the blades reversed for the left hand.
Three makers to compare
We keep the range to 3 makers, so it's easy to compare:
- Mina is the starting step: dependable everyday shears and sets for school, practice and a first chair.
- Ichiro is the next step up, with more choice of steel, edge and finish for stylists who cut every day.
- Jaguar is a German shear brand with a wide range of offset and classic designs, colorful finishes and left-handed models.
Every price is shown in US dollars on the product page. Compare two or three shears in your budget, check the hand and length, and you're done.
Who we're for
Pro shears for students and new stylists
Hair Scissors USA is for cosmetology students, new licensees and booth renters buying a first or second professional shear. If you're nervous about spending real money on the wrong pair, you're in the right place. We explain every choice in plain words and point you to a shear that fits your hand and your budget, not the most expensive one on the page.
Not sure where to start? Our first pro shear guide takes you through four questions in order: budget, hand, length and handle. It takes about ten minutes.
A quick checklist
- Is it made for the hand you cut with?
- Is the length close to what you use at school or in the salon?
- Do you want an offset handle (thumb lower) or a classic one (rings level)?
- Do you need a cutter, a thinner or both?
What else you'll need
A shear is only as good as the way you look after it. Budget for three small things alongside your first pro shear: a case, so the edge isn't knocked around in your bag; shear oil, for one drop at the pivot at the end of each day; and the tension key, if your shear comes with one, so you can keep the blades closing evenly. The care step in our guide shows you the whole routine in two minutes.
Ordering and delivery
We ship to the 50 US states and the District of Columbia by FedEx. We don't ship to US territories, APO/FPO addresses or PO boxes. Orders are packed in one to two business days and ship from Japan, and checkout shows the delivery charge before you pay. No sales tax is added at checkout; duties and import charges, if any, are paid by the buyer. Change-of-mind returns are available within 30 days of delivery. See the shipping and returns pages for the details.
If a shear shows a Backorder label, it's not in stock today. You can still order it, and it ships when stock arrives.
Still not sure?
Email us with the shear you're looking at, the hand you cut with and what you can spend. We'll give you a plain answer. The address is on the contact page. You can also read more about Hair Scissors USA.