Compare — Every Scissor Decision, Settled
Choosing a scissor means making about six decisions — steel, hardness, edge, handle, length and tooth count — and almost every one of them is sold to you as a marketing word instead of a specification. This page collects everything we have written that compares one option against another, so you can settle a decision without hunting.
If you want the fastest answer of all: every ShearGenius model side by side — steel grade, measured hardness, handle form, lengths and price in one table.
Steel and materials
Which alloy, what hardness, and how to tell a real grade name from a marketing word.
- Cobalt vs VG10 vs ATS-314: Which Steel is Best for Hairdressing Scissors?
- the best steel for your hairdressing scissors or barber shears,
- Japanese vs German Hairdressing Scissors — A Master Scissorsmith's Honest Comparison (2026)
- Are Titanium Scissors Better Than Stainless Steel? The Straight Answer
- Damascus Steel Hairdressing Scissors Explained: What the Layered Steel Actually Does for Your Cutting
- Is 9CR13 Japanese Steel? What the Designation Actually Tells You
- Hairdressing Scissor Steel Guide: ATS-314 vs VG10 vs Cobalt vs 440C
Edge and blade geometry
How the edge is ground decides how the scissor behaves in the hand.
- Convex vs. Bevelled Edge Scissors: Which Is Right for Your Technique?
- Hairdressing Scissor Blade Geometry: Convex, Bevel & Semi-Convex
- Scissors Folding or Pulling Hair? What It Means (and the 10-Second Check)
Handles, tension and ergonomics
Handle form and tension are what your hand actually feels.
- Offset vs Crane Handle Scissors: Which is Right for You?
- Hairdressing Scissor Handle Types: Offset, Crane, Even & Swivel
- How to Adjust Scissor Tension: A Step-by-Step Guide
Blade length and size
The first technical decision, and the one most people get wrong.
Tool types compared
Thinner, texturiser, channeller, barber, salon — what each is actually for.
- Thinning Scissors vs Texturising Scissors: What Every Hairdresser Needs to Know
- How Many Teeth Should Thinning Scissors Have? The Real Ladder, Tool by Tool
- Barber Scissors vs. Hairdressing Scissors: Which Do You Actually Need?
- Hair Shears vs Hair Scissors: Is There Actually a Difference?
- Hairdressing Scissors vs Kitchen Scissors: Why It Matters
Technique
Choosing the tool for the cut you actually do.
- Dry Cutting vs Wet Cutting: How Your Scissors Affect Both
- Scissor Cut vs Clipper Cut — When Each Tool Wins (and When It Doesn't)
- Slide Cutting Technique: Which Scissors Work Best?
- Best Scissors for Scissor-Over-Comb Work: Length, Mass and the Honest Size Doctrine
Care, sharpening and cost
When to sharpen, when to replace, and what the money buys.
- Replace or Sharpen? The Real Cost of Cheap Hairdressing Scissors
- Why Professional Scissor Sharpening Beats DIY
- Clipper vs. Scissor Oil: Debunking the Myths and Making Informed Choices
- Why Are Hairdressing Scissors So Expensive?
- Why Our Scissors Cost More to Make — and You Pay About the Same
Checking a brand's claims
How to verify what a seller tells you — and what we found when we checked.
- How to Tell a Scissor Maker From a Scissor Marketer — Five Questions
- Are Australia's "Japanese" Scissor Brands Actually Japanese? Osaka, Zen Master & the Others
- Is Matsui Steel VG10 or 440C? Reading the Label on Matsui & Scissor Tech Scissors
- ShearGenius vs Matsui (Scissor Tech Australia): Who Actually Makes Your Scissors?
- ShearGenius vs Global Scissors: Same Money, Different Answers
- ShearGenius vs Japan Scissors: Buying From the Maker vs Buying From a Store
Reference
Background you can check rather than take on trust: How to verify a scissor claim · Scissor anatomy · Glossary
Still deciding?
Reading only gets you so far — a scissor is a thing you hold. The free fitting works out what suits your hand and the way you cut, and if we are on your route you can cut with one at your own chair before you buy. Or ring Matt on 0487 391 647.