The Ultimate Sam Villa Professional Hair Cutting Shear Guide

Sam’s mission has been, and always will be, to design ergonomically correct tools for stylists that deliver maximum results with minimum effort - professional tools created by a stylist, for stylists.

You've probably heard about our professional shears but might be wondering, "What are the differences?" The type of metal used, the length of the blades, our tension adjustment systems and cost are just a few of the differences. Let's get you up to speed so when it comes time for you to purchase new shears you are holding the perfect pair that fits your wants and desires.

The key feature and ergonomic benefit that set our shears apart from most shears is the design of the forward-set thumb crane handle as the design keeps the elbow in a relaxed downward position for comfort and control.

“It’s not about another pair of shears, it’s about your hands,” Sam says. “If a stylist drops their arm at their side in a neutral position, then brings the elbow up naturally and holds a pair of my shears, they can feel the ergonomic design. The elbow will be level, the hands and fingers will be in a neutral position with the shear blades horizontal, and minimal thumb movement is needed to place the shear into the hand and to open and close the shear. If the same stylist were also holding opposing grip shears, they would be set at a different angle with the blades pointing more upward, and, more input would be needed from the elbow, shoulder and thumb to level out and open and close those shears which causes more strain on those body parts.”

Many new stylists and even some experienced stylists are under the common misconception that the length of their shears should be determined by the size of their hand. In reality, this is not the case. (There are many with larger hands who simply prefer short shears, as well as those with small hands who cut all day with a 7” shear). Instead, stylists must consider the variety of different styling techniques they will employ in order to carry out their work. Hair cutting shears are measured in inches with the entire length of the shears calculated from the ‘point end’ all the way to the back of the finger ring.

Different sized shears are used to perform different styling techniques. For example, a short shear is much better suited for detailed precision cutting, while a longer scissor is preferred for powerful cutting. The standard length most hairdressers use is between 5” and 6”. This falls neatly into the middle ground between some of the shortest shears on the market at 4.5” (Sam Villa Shears start at 5.5”) and some of the longer lengths to 7” like the Sam Villa Signature Series Dry Cutting Shear.

All Sam Villa Shears can be used on wet or dry hair. The 7" Dry Cutting Shear is designed with a power ridge on the top of both blades enabling effortless cutting through dry hair especially with compressed sections. When cutting dry hair with all our other shears, smaller sections are recommended for best results.

At Sam Villa we offer three series of shears for all skill levels:

1. Sam Villa Signature Series

2. Sam Villa Essential Series

3. Sam Villa Artist Series

4. What are the differences between the 3 Sam Villa blending shears?

ALL AVAILABLE IN RIGHT HANDED AND TRUE LEFT HANDED MODELS

All Sam Villa Signature Series Shears are made of 100% Japanese molybdenum alloy, which has been compression-forged for strength and durability and come with a leaf spring tension system. They all have a Rockwell Hardness of 60-61.

The added polymer lining in the pivot point eliminates metal on metal grinding extending the life of all the Signature Series shears.

Sam Villa Signature Series Features Benefits

SIGNATURE SERIES 5.75” 6.25“ WET CUTTING SHEARS 7” DRY CUTTING SHEARS:

The Sam Villa Signature Series Shears were the first of the Sam Villa shears presented to stylists with ergonomic benefits that would allow them to cut in a neutral/natural hand position so that at the end of a long day of cutting, there would be less stress on the wrists, arm, elbow and shoulders.

• Crane Handle: Designed for ergonomic comfort and precision control. Keeps elbow in a downward position versus an opposing grip shear that forces the elbow into a raised, stressful position.
• Forward Set Thumb: Puts the hand in a neutral/natural position for reduced repetitive wrist and shoulder strain injuries.
• Handcrafted Convex Blades: start out sharper and hold their edge longer versus typical machine-beveled blades.
• Leaf Spring Tension System: extends the edge life of the shear.

SIGNATURE SERIES 5.5", 6" 7" SWIVEL SHEARS

Our swivel shears offer the same top features and ergonomic benefits as our original Signature Series shears in addition to these swivel thumb benefits:

• Rotating crane handle lets you cut with your elbow down in every cutting position.
• Provides swivel thumb benefits for added flexibility and increased comfort and control to keep the wrist straight and the elbow down in all cutting positions.
• Steering of the blades is done with the index and middle finger instead of the entire body.

SIGNATURE SERIES REVERSIBLE BLENDING SHEAR:

This extremely well balanced blending shear with 42 radial (curved) teeth will extract the most hair out of any of the Sam Villa Blending Shears.

• Overall length - 6.5”.
• 42 Radial teeth cutting blade + straight sharp cutting blade.
• Maximum hair removal.
• Excellent for scissor over comb for left or right handed stylists.
• Designed to extract weight and control texture.
• Dual finger rest allows for changing cutting positions.
• The direction the teeth blade faces will influence the direction the hair will move.

SIGNATURE SERIES INVISIBLEND SHEAR:

Extract weight without leaving lines! Our 23-tooth InvisiBlend Shear is perfect for point cutting and slide cutting. Dual finger rests allow for reversible cutting positions. This blending and texturizing shear which allows you to slide out in any direction with zero drag or pull.

• Overall length 6.25”.
• Ideal for point cutting, slide cutting and weight removal.
• Extracts weight without leaving lines, offering seamless blending that delivers natural looking results.
• 23 teeth with very sharp convex edges which allows you to slide out in any direction with zero drag or pull.
• Dual finger rests allow you to flip the shear to get your body into a more comfortable cutting position.
• Teflon lining in the pivot point eliminated metal on metal grinding and will extend the life of the shear.
• Designed by Sam Villa for professional stylists.
• Constructed from 100% Japanese molybdenum alloy.

Signature Series Shears:

5.75", 6.25" Reversible Blending Shear - $375.00 Regular Price
7" - $400.00 Regular Price
InvisiBlend Shear - $475.00 Regular Price

Signature Series Swivel Shears:

5.5" 6" - $425.00 Regular Price
7" - $450.00 Regular Price

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ALL AVAILABLE IN RIGHT HANDED AND TRUE LEFT HANDED MODELS

True to our mission of making ergonomically correct tools for stylists that deliver maximum results with minimum effort, we wanted to offer a line of precision shears that any stylist could afford, regardless of whether they’re just getting out of beauty school or well established.

All Essential Series Shears are designed with the same forward-set thumb crane handle as the Signature Series Shears. This design allows you to cut with your elbow in a downward position, reducing stress on your hand, wrist and shoulder.

Sam Villa Essential Series Features Benefits

ESSENTIAL SERIES 5.5” 6“ SHEARS

All Essential Series Shears are designed with the same forward-set thumb crane handle as the Signature Series Shears. This design allows you to cut with your elbow in a downward position, reducing stress on your hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

• 100% Japanese 440C Stainless Steel - the highest grade of stainless alloy.
• Rockwell Hardness of 58-59.
• Crane Handle: Designed for ergonomic comfort and precision control, this keeps your elbow in a downward position versus an opposing grip shear that forces the elbow into a raised, stressful position.
• Forward set thumb places the hand in a neutral and natural position for reduced repetitive wrist and shoulder strain injuries.
• Convex blades provide the smoothest, longest-lasting cut available.
• Click set stream line tension system and a flat screw, is ideal for slide cutting.
• Cryogenically tempered steel improves the durability of the edge by up to 40%.

ESSENTIAL SERIES REVERSIBLE BLENDING SHEAR:

This extremely well balanced blending shear features 30 teeth and extracts a medium amount of hair compared to the Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear with 42 teeth that extracts the most amount of hair out of our three blending shears.

• 30-tooth cutting blade + a straight sharp cutting blade.
• Light to moderate weight hair removal, this shear is very forgiving for first-time blenders.
• 100% Japanese 440C Stainless Steel - the highest grade of stainless alloy.
• Rockwell Hardness of 58-59.
• Convex blades that start out sharper and hold their edge longer.
• Click Set Stream Line Tension System with a flat screw, making it great for slide cutting.
• Ideal for scissor over comb for left or right handed stylists.
• Designed to extract weight and control texture.
• Dual finger rest allows for changing cutting positions.

Sam Villa Essential Series Shears

5.5", 6" Reversible Blending Shear - All $225.00 Regular Price

Back to Essential Series Shears | Back to Main Index

The Sam Villa Team spent two years of consistent testing and refinement to develop a shear that is the ultimate expression of quality, ergonomics and value. The Sam Villa Artist Series Shear 6.25” is the finest of the finest!

Designed for the discerning artist and hairdresser, The Sam Villa Artist Series Shear takes all the ergonomic benefits from the Sam Villa Signature Series Shears and builds upon them with highly sculpted handles and contoured blades allowing for incredible comfort, control, and flexibility.

Sam Villa Artist Series Shear Features Benefits

• Blend of cobalt, molybdenum alloy and carbon for an extra long edge life, toughness and edge refinement.
• Sculpted crane handle design for maximum flexibility, comfort and control.
• Handcrafted and sculpted convex blades applied by hand and polished to reflect the skill of the craftsman.
• Forward set thumb position places the hand in a neutral position to reduce repetitive wrist and shoulder strain injuries.
• Flat line tension system with internal ball bearings provides stabilization, prevents wear and maintains perfect tension across the length of the shear.
• Fully lined polymer pivot provides a wider polymer surface, extending the life of the shear by eliminating metal-to-metal contact.

Artist Series Shear 6.25” - $999.00 Regular Price

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The Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear and Essential Series Reversible Blending Shear both extract weight and refine texture, both are excellent for shear-over-comb techniques, and the dual finger rests allows for changing cutting positions, often eliminating the task of having to cut "upside-down." A reminder that the direction the teeth of these shears are facing when cutting will influence the hair to move in that direction.

The Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear contains the harder molybdenum alloy, which holds its sharpness longer. It also has 42 radial (curved) teeth for removing bulk from a wider section of hair without leaving hard lines. The V-shaped groove at the end of each tooth enable the shear to capture larger amounts of hair to be cut, making for quite an aggressive blender. And you can blast through a relatively large section of hair with this shear. This shear is a favorite for working with men’s haircuts, especially scissor over comb work.

The Essential Series Reversible Blending Shear while ostensibly the same, is a much more forgiving shear featuring 30 teeth. This excellent entry level blender is also perfect when you simply do not want to get too aggressive with weight extraction. This shear is crafted in Japanese 440C Stainless Steel resulting in a lower price point.

The Signature Series InvisiBlend Shear is a wildly popular shear and has been met with rave reviews since its launch. Sporting all of the same bells and whistles as the rest of the Signature Series Shears, such as molybdenum alloy and polymer lining in the pivot point, the InvisiBlend is anything other than a traditional blender. The over-polished blunt blade does not cut the hair. The 23 sharp convex teeth forces the hair over the blunt blade in such a way that no two hairs are cut the same length! This makes for an extremely light removal of weight with no visible lines. When the blades are closed, the hair is not exposed to anything sharp so you are able to drag out in any direction without snagging. The InvisiBlend removes the least amount of hair, compared to our other two blending shears. Now you can actually remove bulk and hold onto most of your length in a section! And when it comes to point cutting with the InvisiBlend, well, it just doesn't get much better!

Sam Villa Signature Series Reversible Blending Shear - $375.00 Regular Price
Sam Villa Signature Series InvisiBlend Shear - $475.00 Regular Price
Sam Villa Essential Reversible Blending Shear - $225.00 Regular Price