What is the difference between professional and nonprofessional grade tools? Professional grade tools are made from a higher grade of material and craftsmanship. If you ever went to a show and saw companies selling shears between $5-$50? Most likely they were made with poor craftsmanship and cheaper material. Before you make an investment in purchasing a new pair of shears do your research.
Which steel qualities are better, those made in Japan, Korea, or Germany?
All hair cutting shears are made with STAINLESS STEEL that is manufactured in either Japan, Korea, Germany, Taiwan, China, India or Pakistan. The steel made in Japan is regarded as the best scissor steel in the world. Korean, Taiwanese, and Chinese steels are good, but tend to be a little softer metal and do not hold an edge as well as Japanese steels. German steel is very hard steel, usually too hard to sharpen to a razor edge. Pakistani and Indian steels are the poorest quality and do not sharpen or hold an edge well.
What are the different categories of stainless steel used to produce hair cutting scissors?
Good quality stainless steels are divided into categories depending on the alloys used in their production. Good stainless steel categories range from 440A to 440C, S-1 to S-3 (also called “Silver”) Tooling Steels, the “V” steels ( ranging from “V-1” to “V-10 Gold”), to the highest grade of Japanese steel: Hitachi’s ATS-314. The ATS-314 steel is the finest, most expensive scissor steel in the world.
All of our AK Series scissors are made from Japanese Hitachi's steel ATS-314 and great craftsmanship. The cost of our scissors are half the price of our competition making them affordable so that every hairdresser can have a high-quality scissor in their tool kit.
What metals are used in my scissor? The process of making good scissor steel is the result of an exact recipe in which several ores, alloys and elements are combined in a well-balanced mixture that gives you just the right cutting tool. CARBON is the principal hardener in steel. The more carbon that is added, the harder it gets. Carbon content should be between .95 and 1.2% of the finished steel. A steel that is too hard will not perform well for slide or dry cutting. MOLYBDENUM adds toughness and increases corrosion resistance to chemicals that can cause pitting and dulling. MANGANESE contributes to the tensile strength of the blade, so that it will retain its edge longer. CHROMIUM protects against corrosion and also adds heat resistance so that the steel will maintain its desired properties during forging and finishing. VANADIUM adds toughness and fatigue resistance so that the scissor will maintain its set and balance. COBALT and TITANIUM are also added to some steels to increase hardness and decrease weight, and adding these alloys will result in the finest scissor steel. Keep in mind, however, that COBALT and TITANIUM are only additives to stainless steel, NO scissor is made of 100% cobalt or titanium or any other alloy.
How long should my shears last?
If you choose your shears carefully and care for them properly, they will serve you for many years.