*Included FREE with each Titan scissors:
Recognise a good quality scissors in under 10 seconds
Scissors tip 1: One of the most vital part of forging a high quality scissors is to make the hollow ground blades i.e. concave on the inside as precise as possible. This is one the most difficult aspects of making a high quality scissors as it entails great skill to do so. When the concave is perfect the rest of the scissors will be also be perfect. This will allow the edges to cut perfectly, providing the edge has a perfect convex angle and this also gives force to the tip of the blade. What you need to do is look for the concave/hollow shadow line. The shadow line will tell you immediately if there is imperfection in the blades. To detect it, hold the scissors under some sharp light and rock it from side to side, like a boat. When doing this you should see a shadow or glimmery light from the back of the screw area to the tip of the blade. You'll see that you can move this line by moving the blade from side to side. When you make the line touch the edge by the screw area and hold it still, the shadow line should go in a completely in a straight line to the back of the blade approximately 1/2 cm from the tip of the scissors. This means it should go a little across on the inside of the blade, not straight like the blade. This would indicate a perfect blade. If the shadow line in itself is not completely straight and with gaps, the blade is defective. Also, if the shadow line goes straight with the blade or from back of blade by the screw area and down towards the tip or edge, it is a defective one. If you are looking for a quality scissors, this is what you should look for, a perfect shadow line. Scissors tip 2: A good quality scissors will be made in two pieces . The blades and the handles, separately. The blade is made from a stronger high quality and much smoother steel whilst the handles are made in softer steel to absorb impact and stress. They are welded together after heat and subquenching treatment. You should be able to see a very fine weld line, where the join is. Cheaper scissors use one die cast to make the whole scissors, there is no welding join.
Moneyback Guarantee
I am confident that you will be pleased with these pair of professional hairdressing scissors. If for any reason you are not satisfied with them, you can return them in good condition within 14 days for a full refund, minus return shipping costs.
What's in Your Steel? Traditionally, high quality hairdressing scissors are manufactured in either German steel or Japanese steel. With Japanese being the much superior steel of the two due to the high carbon content and a delicate balance of other metal mixtures. German steel is very hard and brittle, that does not sharpen well, but retains its edge. Next in quality, is softer steel that is manufactured in China, Korea and Taiwan. Although, some reputable Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers do import and use high grade Japanese steel.
Poorer quality steel is produced and used in scissors manufactured in Pakistan and does not hold an edge well. The majority of the barber scissors sold on Ebay are manufactured in Pakistan and China with inferior steel, despite claims of using Japanese J2, 420, 440 grade steel. There is a large scale counterfeit scissors industry in Pakistan and China (except the well-established surgical instruments industry) and if a scissors are passed off as high grade 440c Japanese steel and is being sold for around £10 - £20, then this should serve as a red flag to you as in reality a high-end Japanese steel scissors can cost anything between five times to a hundred times this amount. High quality hairdressing scissors made from genuine Japanese steel does not blunt after using them for a short while. They should retain their edge sharpness and durability over a long period. Titan’s traditional forging method, heat treatment, ice tempering and with the use of premium quality, Japanese steel makes it an extremely sharp and long lasting scissors, one that you will enjoy working with. Titan products are handmade in Taiwan using ONLY high grade Japanese steel , either in the very high end ATS-314, Cobalt VG-10 or SUS440C. Japanese steel comes in different grades and unfortunately many scissors sellers state ‘Japanese Steel or stainless steel’ in their descriptions, without specifying which steel grade is being used. Here is a summary of the well-known ones used for high end scissors so you are better informed before making a purchase from any seller: (in order of quality): ATS314: This very high quality stainless steel is produced by Hitachi Ltd in Japan. The steel contains 15% Chromium, 4% Molybdenum. It has an excellent processing quality, is rust resistance, damage resistance and the toughness of the blade are many times higher than those of inferior steel. This steel is also the world’s most expensive. It is regarded as the ‘Rolls Royce’ material for high-end knives and scissors. The hardness rating for ATS314 is up to HRC60~62, after heat treatment. Expect to pay anything from £350 - £1200 onwards for a well-crafted Hitachi ATS314 steel scissors such as Nigata, Kamisori scissors, Mizutani Shears and Matsuzaki scissors. VG-10 : Another very high quality steel. This steel is produced by Hitachi Ltd in Japan under private label for the Takefu Special Steel Co. Ltd., based in Takefu, Japan. VG-10 has high carbon content. Molybednum, Chromium, Vanadium and Cobalt are also included. This makes it very tough, sharp, durable and corrosion resistant steel. Top chefs favour kitchen knives that are made in VG-10 steel. The hardness rating for VG-10 scissors is up to HRC61~63, after heat treatment and ice tempering. Our Damascus Chilled Pressed Scissors are made with VG-10 steel. JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) The three most popular steels used under JIS are the 410, 420, 430 and 440. These steels are the commonly used steels for hairdressing scissors, particularly the 420 series. However, of all the steels from the 400 series, the 440 category truly excels in hardness, wear resistance and strength. The 440 category comes in four grades, 440A, 440B, 440C and 440F. SUS440C This steel is considered a high end steel used for premium quality scissors. Out of the four grades of 440, this is the superior, top end steel due its high carbon content of between .95 - 1.20%. It is very resistant to corrosion; it is hard, durable and holds its edge. 440A and 440B are almost identical, but have less carbon composition than 440C. They also have a lower attainable hardness, but slightly higher corrosion resistance. The Rockwell hardness rating for SUS440C is between 59-61 HRC, after heat treatment. A well manufactured and crafted SUS440C Japanese steel scissors such as Shishato, Kamisori scissors, Akemi, Yazuki scissors can cost between $80 - $320+. 420B (J2) This grade is commonly used for surgical instruments and hair scissors made in Pakistan and is also known as ‘J2’ . This steel represents the lower end of the market for scissors. ‘420’ is a very inexpensive steel, which is why it is preferred choice for companies producing low cost scissors with slightly above average quality. It has lower carbon content (less than .5%) than 440C. It is also a softer steel, but is tougher material and is extremely resistant to corrosion. ‘420 Series’ has four types, 420A (J1), 420B (J2), 420C and 420D. 420HC is another type with higher carbon content where the hardness can be produced to 55–57 HRC. Because of the softness of the steel, a scissors made from the ‘420 series’, dulls quickly and easily blunts. A pair of scissors made out of J2/420B steel may seem attractive to a buyer due to its relatively cheap price, but in the long run, they will cost more due to frequent replacement, as they wear out quickly.
I do not sell cheap J2 type barber scissors, only high quality hair scissors whose steel can be authenticated by the company and designed in true Japanese style.
If you are an experienced, professional hair stylist or barber, do not settle for any scissors less than 440C. Your reputation and performance depends on it! Care & Maintenance Instructions: If you follow these simple instructions carefully, you should expect your scissors to last for a number of years.
*FREE Shipping We usually ship fast within one working day using Royal Mail First Class Tracked if paid before 16:00 BST (excludes weekends and holidays). – FREE for UK Buyers.
Your scissors will be packed in a quality sturdy and tamper proof box.
For Europe, you should receive your scissors within 5 - 10 working days, depending on which country you are located in. For USA & Canada, you should receive your scissors within 7 - 14 working days, depending on which state or region you are located in. Lifetime Warranty Lifetime warranty against faulty workmanship and manufacturing defects (Apart from being dropped, damaged, general wear and tear or misused etc.) Returns policy Please contact us before leaving any negative feedback. I will try my best to rectify any issue. If you are not satisfied with any aspect of these scissors. Just return the product within 14 days in good condition and you will receive a full refund. You would only need to pay the return shipping costs.