Everyone remembers their first pair of shears—straight out of your student kit. You were so excited to finally cut something, and then you spent hours focusing on how not to nick your fingers, watching your thumb and trying to keep the movement smooth and controlled. Those early days were full of clumsy attempts and little triumphs—and eventually, you mastered it.
In this article, we'll examine some key elements to consider when choosing a professional haircutting shear and what choices may be best.
How To Choose a Professional Haircutting Shear
Since then, everything from your skills and your confidence to your creativity have grown, and so has your need for shears that can keep up with your creativity.
We asked Jesse Linares, Sam Villa ArTeam Member and industry veteran, to guide us through that next big leap: Upgrading from school shears to your first professional pair.
Start With The Steel
Let’s start with the heart of every shear—the steel. You’ve probably heard “Japanese steel,” because this has become the industry standard for professional haircutting shears. It’s pure, it’s strong, and it’s trusted by pros worldwide. But here’s the thing: steel is just one part of the recipe. Like flour in a cake—it’s essential, but the way it’s treated, forged, and tempered by different manufacturers changes everything.
What you want to pay attention to is something called the Rockwell Hardness Scale. It’s part of an industrial rating system for metal and a term for how tough the metal is. Most professional shears fall between 58HRC to 63HRC. Higher numbers mean harder alloys so the blades stay sharp longer, sharpen more easily and resist corrosion better. For example, the The Sam Villa Essential Series Shear has a hardness rating of 58-60HRC, while their premium shear, The Artist Series Shear, rates at 60-61HRC.
Sam Villa Essential Series Shear
The Details: Handle Configuration & Blade Length
There are plenty of tips about measuring your palm to find the right blade length. But when it comes to which length of blade is best for our individual hand, the truth is that it’s not just about size—it’s about how it feels in your hand.
Handle Configurations:
The handle configuration is where the real magic happens. This is because how the thumb ring and opposing finger ring are oriented can make or break your love for a scissor.
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Symmetrical Thumb – A traditional design and great if you like a classic feel. The thumb and finger rings are set equally. Originally, haircutters would use their thumb and middle finger when holding this design. Example: Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear
- Offset Thumb – With plenty of variations of this design, from semi-offset to off-set or crane, the thumb ring is set forward to ease up hand strain. Example: The Classic Series Shear
- Forward-Set Thumb – This design is the most ergonomic. Setting the thumb ring forward to align the thumb's movement with the index finger it dramatically reduces hand and wrist strain and is very helpful when working with longer blades as it provides an exceptionally balanced grip. Example: The Artist Series Slide Cutting Shear
Extra Customization
The last detail when it comes to finding the right fit is to look at ring spacers. This is a step you don’t want to skip. They might seem small, but the right spacer makes a big difference in how your hand fits and moves with the shear because, usually without these spacers, the rings are too big for most fingers. This will cause you to unknowingly grip the shear improperly, which adds strain to the hands as well as the scissor. See proper spacing below.
Once your handle feels right, blade length becomes a matter of preference and functional decision. Shorter blades are often favored by haircutters who work with very disciplined sectioning. While longer blades can be helpful in shear-over-comb techniques or when cutting large, condensed sections of hair. But this is all a matter of personal preference.
Blade Types & Shapes
Most professionals today use convex blades (a.k.a hollow-ground blades)—they’re lighter, reduce metal-on-metal contact, and offer smoother motion.This is created by removing metal from the inside of the blade, isolating the contact area to the edge (ride line). They’ve become the professional standard and are what you'll find in quality scissors. Previously, beveled blades were, but are now mostly for basic scissors such as traditional barber scissors, household scissors, fabric shears, etc.
Here’s a breakdown of the blade types you’ll come across:
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Wet-Cutting Blades: The standard for most professional shears. Wet hair is less resistant to being cut, so all professional haircutting shears can be called “wet-cutting” scissors. Most modern scissors are hard enough to cut wet or dry hair. However, occasionally a scissor may be labeled specifically for wet cutting. As long as the Rockwell rating is high, they’ll handle both wet and dry as softer ratings are designed only for wet hair. A softer blade will lose its edge faster if used for dry cutting, which requires more force. However, as a rule of thumb, most professional shears can be safely and effectively used on wet and dry hair.
- Dry-Cutting Blades: Built for tougher hair and bigger sections. They often feature sword-style blades or a higher Rockwell rating to give more strength and control. Dry-cutting shears are often labeled as such because they are specially designed with features to increase the strength of the shear — allowing it to move more efficiently through wet hair, resistant dry hair, and work with larger sections. With broader, beefier blades, occasionally and a harder Rockwell rating, a specialized blade designs, such as the “sword” blade, adds even more rigidity and strength, a feature seen in the Sam Villa Signature Series Dry Cutting Shear.
- Slide-Cutting Blades: Designed to curve away from each other as they close, resulting in a slight “push” as the blades come together, it allows some hair to escape the cut. These are your go-to for a “soft cut” and creating interior texture with techniques like slide-cutting, channel-cutting and for softening ends. They’re not ideal for every cut, but amazing for the right technique. Often labeled as “dry-cutting” shears, slide-cutting scissors may be used on wet and dry hair. Example: Artist Series Slide Cutting Shear.
Blending vs. Texturizing: Know the Difference
There are so many choices when it comes to these types of shears. Instead of two straight blades, these shears feature one cutting blade and one toothed blade. Designed to remove a percentage of the hair, it makes them ideal for taking out unwanted bulk from a section or to blend away weight lines.
- Blending Shears: Think 23-40 teeth, narrow spacing They create a soft, diffused finish and are great for everyday cuts. Ideal for blending lines and thinning bulk subtly. The more teeth the blending shear has, the more hair it will remove, the Sam Villa Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear is a good example, it has 42 teeth.
- Texturizing Shears: Bold and more spaced out. Featuring fewer teeth (5-20), and a chunkier design. These create more pronounced separation because the teeth themselves are usually broader, with grooves or serrations on the tips to capture the hair when it gets cut. That spacing creates channels or “castle wall” effects seen in the Signature Series 14 Tooth Point Cutting Shear are great for visual texture and volume.
Ready To Upgrade?
Choosing your next shear isn't just about specs—it’s about how you feel behind the chair. Your confidence, your flow, your comfort. The more you learn, the more your tools should evolve with you.
Your first real upgrade is a milestone. And yeah, there are a lot of choices out there, but that’s part of the journey. Try things. Ask questions. Trust how it feels in your hand. And don’t forget—it’s not about having the “best” shears out there. It’s about having the right ones for you.
About Jesse Linares
Jesse Linares, Sam Villa ArTeam Member and stylist at Structured Hair @jesse.linares
Jesse Linares has worked full-time in the salon for nearly two (2) decades. He’s a veteran educator of over fifteen (15) years, obsessed with the unique challenges and educational needs of the working hairdresser.
Linares has taught hundreds of classes from coast to coast in every situation and venue imaginable. He is known for his real-world demeanor and for teaching in language that is down-to-earth, humorous, and easy to understand. He has trained extensively in all disciplines of hair, working alongside some of the industry's best with the intent and purpose of bringing that knowledge to the salon professional.
In addition, Linares leads monthly online classes for Sam Villa Partner Schools, each SkillsUP Student Training focuses on the skills students crave beyond the daily licensure curriculum.
