The Best Dark Stag Scissors for Barbers
Dark Stag is a UK-based scissor brand launched in 2017 from Worthing, West Sussex, producing barber-focused cutting and thinning scissors sold through professional wholesalers and distributors in 15 countries. Five picks here run from $38 to $165, spanning the student Buck through to the premium DS+ line.
What are the best Dark Stag scissors?
The Buck, around $38, is the student entry point — a stainless steel barber scissor for training use in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The DS1, around $76, is the core professional cutting scissor in Japanese steel and the model most barbers start with in the Dark Stag range. The DSO Offset, around $102, puts Japanese steel into an ergonomic offset handle for barbers who cut all day and want a more comfortable hand position. The DS1 Thinner, around $76, is the Japanese steel thinning companion to the DS1 cutter, suited to texture and blending work in 6.0 inch. The DS+ Premium, around $165, is the top of the range — upgraded Japanese steel in 5.5 and 6.0 inch for barbers who want improved edge retention at the premium tier.
Dark Stag launched in 2017 from Worthing, West Sussex, and distributes through trade channels rather than general retail. The range covers cutting scissors, thinning scissors, and a left-handed model, with Japanese steel across the DS1, DSO, and DS+ tiers. The Buck student pair uses standard stainless steel. Sizes across the catalogue run to 5.5 and 6.0 inch for cutting models; thinning scissors are 6.0 inch only. All five picks are in-production professional models available through the brand’s trade network.
Verified Jun 2026
Five Dark Stag picks from $38 to $165
| Attribute | Dark Stag Buck Student Scissors Dark Stag | Dark Stag DS1 Dark Stag | Dark Stag DSO Offset Dark Stag | Dark Stag DS1 Thinner Dark Stag | Dark Stag DS+ Premium Dark Stag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$38 | US$76 | US$102 | US$76 | US$165 |
| Price tier | Budget | Budget | Entry-level | Budget | Entry-level |
| Steel | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Made in | UK | UK | UK | UK | UK |
| Handle | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blade type | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sizes (in) | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.5 · 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.5 · 6.0 |
| View product | View product | View product | View product | View product |
All five are UK-brand barber scissors. Guide prices at time of writing; confirm current figures on each product page.
Dark Stag: UK barber scissors on trade terms
Dark Stag launched in 2017 from Worthing, West Sussex and distributes through professional wholesalers and trade channels in 15 countries rather than general retail. The range covers cutting scissors, thinning scissors, and a left-handed model, with a barber-focused orientation throughout.
The catalogue runs three tiers: the Buck student pair at entry, the DS1 and DSO professional lines in Japanese steel, and the DS+ at the top of the range with upgraded Japanese steel. Sizes run to 5.5 and 6.0 inch for cutting models; all thinning scissors are 6.0 inch. UK distribution runs through Chris & Sons; darkstag.com is the reference for international stockist information.
The five picks
1. Dark Stag Buck (guide price around $38). Dark Stag’s student barber scissor in standard stainless steel, available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The Buck is the entry point to the Dark Stag catalogue — a training and academy pair at a price suited to students and trainees before moving into the professional Japanese steel range. Available through Dark Stag trade channels.
2. Dark Stag DS1 (around $76). Dark Stag’s core professional barber cutting scissor in Japanese steel, available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The DS1 is the baseline professional model in the range — the starting point for working barbers who have moved past student tools. Available through Dark Stag and Chris & Sons.
3. Dark Stag DSO Offset (around $102). Dark Stag’s ergonomic offset-handle cutting scissor in Japanese steel, in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The DSO puts the same Japanese steel construction as the DS1 into an offset handle, lowering the elbow through the cut and reducing arm and shoulder strain for barbers working full days. Available through Dark Stag trade channels.
4. Dark Stag DS1 Thinner (around $76). Dark Stag’s Japanese steel thinning scissor paired with the DS1 cutter, in 6.0 inch. A barber-focused thinner for texture work and blending — at the same guide price as the DS1 cutter, it pairs naturally for stylists who want both tools at the entry professional tier. Available through Dark Stag trade channels.
5. Dark Stag DS+ Premium (around $165). Dark Stag’s premium cutting scissor with upgraded Japanese steel for improved edge retention, available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The DS+ is the top tier in the Dark Stag cutting range, suited to barbers who want more from their edge between sharpenings than the DS1 provides. Available through Dark Stag trade channels.
How we chose
The five picks span the full Dark Stag catalogue: the Buck for students, the DS1 as the professional entry cutter, the DSO for the offset handle geometry, the DS1 Thinner as the thinning companion at the same price tier, and the DS+ Premium at the top. Guide prices move; confirm current figures before buying.
The wider Dark Stag catalogue
Dark Stag also produces the DSO Thinner (around $102) — the offset-handle thinning companion to the DSO cutter — and the DS+ Thinner (around $165), which matches the DS+ Premium cutter with upgraded Japanese steel in a 6.0 inch thinning build. A dedicated left-handed model is also in the range. Full details on the Dark Stag brand page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dark Stag is a UK-based brand launched in 2017, run from Worthing in West Sussex. It distributes exclusively through professional wholesalers and trade channels, with availability in 15 countries.
Both use Japanese steel, but they occupy different tiers. The DS1 (around $76) is the core professional entry cutter — the starting point for working barbers in the Dark Stag range. The DS+ Premium (around $165) uses upgraded Japanese steel for improved edge retention, positioned as the top-tier cutter in the catalogue. Both are available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch.
The DSO is Dark Stag’s offset-handle cutting scissor, built from Japanese steel and designed for barbers who cut through a full day of clients. The offset handle lowers the elbow and reduces arm and shoulder strain compared to a classic symmetric handle. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch at a guide price of around $102.
Yes. Dark Stag produces three thinning models: the DS1 Thinner at around $76 (Japanese steel, paired with the DS1 cutter), the DSO Thinner at around $102 (offset handle, paired with the DSO cutter), and the DS+ Thinner at around $165 (upgraded Japanese steel, paired with the DS+ Premium cutter). All are 6.0 inch.
Dark Stag is a trade-only brand distributed through professional wholesalers and distributors. In the UK it is carried by Chris & Sons. The brand’s own website at darkstag.com is the primary source for current stockist information across the 15 countries it serves.
The Buck (around $38) is documented as a student and training scissor, suited to academy and barber school use. The DS1 at around $76 is the core professional entry model in the Dark Stag range, using Japanese steel rather than the Buck’s standard stainless construction.