We have ranked the best steel based on quality, best value and its ability to perform well in the market. There is always a higher quality cutting steel, but we are grounded to reality with everyone having a budget.
So here is the best steel based on professional hairdressers and barbers across the world!
1. V-1 (V1): 64HRC
The V1 steel stands at the top as one of the highest quality steel used in the product of hairdressing and barber scissors. The V1 is an improvement on the VG10 steel that provides scissors with harder blades, improved toughness and crack resistance. For hair scissors that use the V1 steel blades, you can expect premium quality and certainly a high price tag.
2. ATS-314 (ATS314): 62-63HRC
Made by Japan’s famous Hitachi Metals company, the ATS-314 is a high quality steel used to manufacture premium hairdressing scissors and barber shears. A lot of scissor brands talk about using ATS-314, or ATS314, steel, but few use the official metal made by Hitachi in Japan. The ATS-314 steel creates a premium scissor blade with superior hardness. This ensures the blade stays sharper for longer, and does an excellent job at holding a sharp convex edge or clam shaped blade edge.
3. VG-10 (VG10): 60HRC
VG10 (VG-10), otherwise known as V Gold 10, steel is a unique design by Takefu Special Steel in Japan and is known to be used in some of the best quality hairdressing scissors. It uses the highest quality stainless steel for cutting and is made to be resistant to corrosion , abrasion and one of the strongest metals for hair scissors. You can expect your VG10 scissors to hold a superiority sharp blade such as convex, clam shaped, or a bevelled edge. VG10 is superiority sharp, light and used in high quality scissor manufacturing, but is not limited to Japan as Japanese metal companies export internationally.
4. 10CR: 60-62HRC
If you are looking for an upgrade from 440C or 8Cr13MoV steel, than the 10CR, otherwise known as “10Cr15CoMoV”, steel creates premium grade scissors for professional use. Similar to Hitachi/Takefu’s VG10, the 10CR steel provides superior sharpness to hairdressing scissors. This scissor metal ticks all the right boxes when it comes to toughness, blade edge sharpness retention, corrosion and wear resistance, and price. An overall premium steel for professional hairdressing and barber scissors that won’t cost over $1000 per pair.
5. 440C: 58-60HRC
440C is a premium steel that is commonly found in popular brands like Yasaka. It is a perfect all rounder in its resistance, hardness and practical use at forging hair cutting scissor blades. The good news is that you won’t expect to pay thousands of dollars for Japan 440C blades. They are perfect professional hairdressing and barber scissors that hold a sharp convex edge blade.
6. 8CR: 59-62HRC,7CR: 57-60HRC
The 8CR, otherwise known as 8Cr14MoV or 8Cr13MoV, is a confident steel that is used for high quality hairdressing scissors and barber shears. Similar to Hitachi’s 440C steel that turns any pair of scissors into a professional tool. It offers great blade edge retention keeping your hair scissors sharper for longer. Corrosion and wear resistance for durability. A perfect steel for all-rounder scissors that will satisfy any hairdresser or barber. The bigger and tougher brother of the 4CR steel, 7CR, otherwise known as 7Cr17MoV, offer good blade edge retention, is corrosion and wear resistance, easy to sharpen and an overall good scissor material. Is this good enough for hairdressing or barber scissors? These will work perfectly for mid-range hairdressing scissors that perform for professionals, apprentices and home hairdressing enthusiasts.
7. 420: 56-58HRC
420 scissor steel is a slightly softer than the Japanese 440C, but performs for the mid-range of hair scissors from Japan. You can expect a cheaper price, but they will still perform well for professionals.
8. Stainless Alloy Steel: 55-58HRC
All steel used in the manufacturing of hairdressing scissors use stainless steel. Compared to most other named steels, stainless steel is a generic term and doesn’t provide you much insight into the quality of the scissor or shear product you are purchasing. Based on research across multiple brands in Australia, the stainless steel products are usually between 55-58 HRC. Stainless steel scissors will cut hair, but you can expect them to be on the cheaper side ($99-200).
9. S-3 (S3): 62HRC
A rare and unique steel from Yasuki Silver in Japan. The S3 offers superior hardness for cutting blades and is mostly found in chef and kitchen knives, but also found in a few hairdressing scissor and barber shear blades from Japan. What can you expect from S3 steel? Premium hardness, corrosion resistant and an overall high-performing pair of hair scissors made for professionals.
10. 410: 56HRC
410 is a simple chromium stainless steel with superior wear, corrosion and damage resistance. Commonly found in mid-range hairdressing scissors from Japan.
11. Chromium Steel: 53-56HRC
Chromium steel comes in different sub-categories and is generally a low-to-mid range steel that is used in scissors from Germany or Europe. Famous brands like Jaguar use Chromium steel when making their entry-level hair scissors. Great for scissors on a budget, these will be affordable and the quality of the sharpness is better for bevel edge blades.
12. 4Cr14MoV: 56-58HRC
The 4Cr14MoV has similar characteristics as the 4Cr13, and is more commonly found in hairdressing scissors due to its availability. Found in mid-range hairdressing scissors. These perform well in the mid-range for hairdressing scissors and are very common in scissor brands made outside of Japan.
13. 3Cr13: 52-55HRC
The 3Cr13 is a simple stainless steel from China that has similar qualities to the popular 420J2 (AUS 4). A basic steel found in simple hair cutting scissors and is definitely not recommended for thinning shears.
14. 4Cr13: 55-57HRC
4Cr13, otherwise known as 40Cr13, is a standard stainless steel that is the tougher and harder brother of 3Cr13. The higher strength allows for scissor manufacturers to craft sharper convex edge or bevel edge blades. Should you be confident in a pair of scissors made from 4Cr13 scissors? They will perform like most mid-range hairdressing or barber scissors and the 55HRC+ hardness is good enough to keep cutting without breaking bank.
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