Tag Archives: product

by

Papa Needs a New Pair of Shears

The more experience I get, the more I’m able to tell that my student shears are… student shears. (Seeing them at a local store for $50 didn’t help either)

So I’m on the hunt for a new pair of shears. Since it’s my birthday in a week, I figure I can treat myself to a nice pair!

But of course, it’s damn near impossible to find any good info on shears that isn’t coming from the people selling them. I’ve read through the reviews on what sites and forums I could find, and all I’ve really learned is that Japanese straight shears are usually the best, Kamisori isn’t as good as it should be for what they charge, and Hikari is pretty good. Other than that it’s hit or miss. Some people buy cheap shears on ebay often, and every now and then hit on a great pair of shears.

The more I read about shears, the more it seems like an RPG video game – you just have to grind and grind, get a lot of stuff that doesn’t fit the bill, hoping eventually some monster will drop an awesome pair of shears.

I’m really attracted to Sam Villa’s shears:

Sam Villa 6.25" Shears - $350

From his website:

6.25″ Wet Cutting Shear Features & Benefits:

  • Shear made with 100% Japanese molybdenum alloy for strength and durability
  • Crane Handle: Designed for ergonomic comfort and precision control
  • Crane Handle Design: Keeps elbow in downward position versus opposing grip shear that forces the elbow in a raised, stressful position
  • Neutral, Natural Position: Helps reduce repetitive strain injuries
  • Handcrafted Convex Blades: Start out sharper and hold edge longer versus typical beveled edges
  • Leaf Tension System: Extends edge life
  • Teflon Lining In Pivot Point: Eliminates metal to metal grinding

The design looks perfect for me – the little finger cup thing on the end of the handle is exactly what I wish my shears had. I don’t like shears that only have one finger stabilizer thinger. But I suspect these shears are either great, or home-shopping-network-celebrity-endorsed type crap. And nobody seems to have a pair and have reviewed them (That I could find), so the only way to find out would be to purchase a pair.

Also, Sam Villa’s website/online store will not display the prices of his products until you register and log in – and they don’t make allowances for students. Only licensed professionals. Hmm….

But I’m still intrigued by the design.

For the same price point, I can get a smaller shear in Hikari’s lowest quality steel, cheapest line of shears:

5.5" Hikari "E" Series - $359

From their website:

Hikari E Series

  • GOOD – Hikari’s entry level, an excellent entree to the world’s best scissors.
  • Hikari’s proprietary blend of molybdenum, cobalt, and vanadium alloys (Hikari steel level 1) ensure this series performs powerfully with a sharp feel that holds up to aggressive cutting
  • 5.5″ with offset handle and removable finger rest.

The salon supply stores around here are all full of Dannyco shears. There’s a million of them, in different configurations and cheesy coatings. They’re like the Swatch of the shear world.

Dannyco Shears

Dannyco Shears

Dannyco Shears

Dannyco shears (at least all the ones I’ve seen) are 440 stainless steel or Titanium coated, and cheap feeling. The texturizing shears I have are Dannyco… I’m not fond of them.

All of this might be a moot point though, if my wallet demands I buy cheaper shears… I have to check my finances to make sure I can afford to spend this much on shears. Or, I’ll have to part with a guitar amp…

Shears... or ROCKIN OUT. What would you choose?