FAQ

4.5–5.0" if you mostly do precision work, tight fades or point cutting. 5.5" is the safest all-round length for a mixed clientele. 6.0–7.0" if you cut a lot of long, thick or wet hair and want fewer passes. If you are unsure, tell us what your week looks like and we will recommend one.

If you cut full-time, yes. VG-10 holds its edge noticeably longer, so you sharpen less often — and every sharpening is down time. If you are buying your first professional pair or cut part-time, 440C is a genuinely excellent blade and the sensible place to start.

Made in China, in our own factory, using imported Japanese steel. We do the heat treating, convex grinding, hand honing and tension setting ourselves. That is why we can include the mill certificate and HRC report with every pair — and why we can sell professional-grade steel without the importer markup. We never label them as "Made in Japan"; the steel is Japanese, the workshop is ours.

We are the factory. Most "Japanese" brands you see are designed or distributed by companies that do not own the bench the shear was finished on, and every middleman adds margin. Because we control the production and sell direct, we can price a genuine Japanese-steel shear at $89 instead of $150+, and VG-10 at $189 instead of $350+. The steel and the geometry are the same; only the markup is missing.

Every style on this site is finished stock, held at our own facility, so your order is dispatched within 48 hours — there is no production wait. We ship worldwide and offer free tracked shipping on US orders over $89. Typical transit is 5–9 working days to the US, UK and EU, and 7–12 working days elsewhere. Duties and taxes are shown at checkout so there is no surprise bill on delivery.

We cover manufacturing defects and blades that will not take or hold an edge for the lifetime of the shear. Damage from drops, cutting wire or cutting paper is not covered, as you would expect. Your first sharpening within the first 12 months is free; you cover shipping to us and we cover the work and return shipping.

Yes. We are a manufacturer, so engraving, custom handle shapes, custom tension systems and bespoke packaging are all things we do in-house. Minimum order for custom work is 50 pieces per model. Custom runs are made to order and take about three months; anything in our own range ships from stock within 48 hours. Write to us through the wholesale page with what you have in mind and we will come back with a quote and a sample timeline.

Yes — those are our largest markets. We ship from our own facility with full commercial documentation, and we handle the customs paperwork correctly rather than routing goods through a third country. That matters if you are a business buyer who will be audited.

Match it to your bench, not to your budget. 440C for students, home grooming and wet coats. VG-10 for full days across mixed coats. ATS-314 for a high-volume bench on dense or curly coats.

440C handles wet work best — it is the most rust-resistant steel we use. VG-10 and ATS-314 want a wipe-down after wet work, like any fine shear.