The Best Fresh Scissors for Hairdressers
FRESH is a direct-to-consumer scissor brand based in Rockmart, Georgia, selling professional-grade shears built with 440C Japanese steel. The range is structured by design and intended cutting technique rather than price — most models sit at the same $100 guide price, so the choice comes down to handle type and blade design, not budget. Five picks here cover the core salon model, the flip-handle Kik Flip, the slicer-blade Umi, the swivel-thumb Umi Swivel, and the barber-specific Matsu.
What are the best Fresh scissors for professional hairdressers?
The Pei, around $100, is the core salon model in 440C with an offset handle, available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The Kik Flip, around $100, puts 440C in a reversible flip handle across three sizes from 5.0 to 6.0 inch. The Umi, around $100, applies a slicer blade design to 440C for slide cutting and slicing work at 6.0 inch. The Umi Swivel, around $105, adds a swivel thumb ring to the slicer blade design. The Matsu, around $100, is the barber-specific model with longer blades and larger finger holes at 6.75 inch.
All five picks use 440C Japanese steel and are made in the USA. The Pei, Kik Flip, Umi, and Matsu sit at the same $100 guide price; the Umi Swivel adds $5 for the swivel mechanism. What separates the range is design and cutting application — choosing between Fresh models is about handle type and blade geometry, not budget tier. The slicer blade on the Umi and Umi Swivel is the major blade-design departure from the standard convex on the other three.
Verified Jun 2026
Five Fresh picks from $100 to $105
| Attribute | Fresh Pei 6.0 Hair Cutting Scissors FRESH | Fresh Kik Flip 5.5 Hair Cutting Scissors FRESH | Fresh Umi 6.0 Slicer Hair Cutting Scissors FRESH | Fresh Umi 6.0 Swivel Hair Cutting Scissors FRESH | Fresh Matsu 6.75 Modern Barbering Shears FRESH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$100 | US$100 | US$100 | US$105 | US$100 |
| Price tier | Entry-level | Entry-level | Entry-level | Entry-level | Entry-level |
| Steel | 440C | 440C | 440C | 440C | 440C |
| Made in | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA |
| Sizes (in) | 6.0 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.75 |
| Product links | View product | View product | View product | View product | View product |
All five made in the USA with 440C Japanese steel. Guide prices at time of writing; confirm current figures on each product page.
Fresh’s one-price range
FRESH is a direct-to-consumer scissor brand based in Rockmart, Georgia. Every model is built with 440C Japanese steel and made in the USA. What makes the line-up unusual is the pricing: nearly everything sits at the same guide price, so the question is never how much to spend — it is which blade design and handle type match your cutting work.
The five picks below represent the main design families in the Fresh cutting range: the standard offset Pei for general salon work, the reversible Kik Flip for adaptable positioning, the slicer Umi for slide and slicing techniques, the Umi Swivel for swivel-thumb slide cutters, and the longer-bladed Matsu for barbers.
The five picks
1. Fresh Pei (guide price around $100). FRESH’s core salon cutting scissor: 440C Japanese steel, convex edge, offset handle, in 5.5 and 6.0 inch — the two most commonly used cutting lengths. No specialist blade design or ergonomic mechanism; just the offset-grip, convex-edge 440C pair for everyday salon work. Available through Fresh directly.
2. Fresh Kik Flip (around $100). The handle-design pick: same steel and price as the Pei, but with a reversible flip handle that repositions for different cutting angles. Convex edge, in 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 inch — including a 5.0 option for detail work.
3. Fresh Umi (around $100). The blade-design pick: a slicer blade built for smooth slide cutting and slicing techniques, on an offset handle at 6.0 inch. Same steel and price as the Pei and Kik Flip — the difference is a blade geometry for stylists who slice and slide as primary techniques.
4. Fresh Umi Swivel (around $105). The Umi’s slicer blade with a swivel thumb ring added — the thumb rotates through the cutting stroke, a design intended to reduce wrist and hand strain during repetitive cutting. One size, 6.0 inch. At $105 it is the most expensive model on this page, five dollars above the standard Umi.
5. Fresh Matsu (around $100). The barber model: longer, wider blades and larger finger holes for barbers and stylists with bigger hands, suited to scissor-over-comb and long-panel cutting. Available at 6.75 inch as the primary size, with a 7.15 inch variant in the series.
How we chose
All five picks are made in the USA with 440C Japanese steel. They span Fresh’s primary design families — standard offset, flip handle, slicer blade, swivel slicer, and barber — at a near-flat $100 to $105. This is a range where the decision rides on cutting technique and handle preference rather than budget, so each pick serves a specific use case. The Makai series (Fresh’s most versatile, in 5.5 to 7.0 inch) is noted below. Guide prices move; confirm current figures before buying.
The wider Fresh range
The Fresh Makai (around $100) is the widest-size-run standard offset model in the Fresh range — available from 5.5 to 7.0 inch and described for longer cutting strokes and over-comb work. The Fresh Makai Swivel (around $105) puts a swivel thumb on a standard Makai offset design. The Fresh Koa barbering line covers blending shears at 14, 40, and 50 tooth for barber texturizing work. The full thinning range — including the Kama Blending and Kama Slice models — is on the FRESH brand page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fresh Scissors based and what steel does it use?
FRESH is based in Rockmart, Georgia, and sells direct to professional stylists and barbers via its own website. The range uses 440C Japanese steel across all cutting models, and each product page lists the USA as country of manufacture. Fresh’s direct-to-consumer model includes a 14-day trial period on their scissors — confirm terms on the Fresh brand website before purchasing.
What is the Fresh Kik Flip's reversible flip handle?
The Kik Flip’s flip handle is a reversible design that the product page describes as allowing adaptable cutting positions. A flip or reversible handle can be repositioned to suit different cutting angles or hand orientations — consult the product page or Fresh brand website for full details on how the mechanism works and which cutting positions it supports. The Kik Flip is available in 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 inch, all at the same $100 guide price.
What is the slicer blade design on the Fresh Umi?
The Umi’s slicer blade design is built for slide cutting and slicing techniques. A slicer blade typically has a profile optimised for the sliding cut — where the hair is sliced along the blade as the scissor closes, rather than being cleanly cut at one point — which creates softer, more textured ends compared to a standard blunt cut. The Umi is available in 6.0 inch only; the Umi Swivel adds a rotating thumb ring to the same blade design.
Who is the Fresh Matsu designed for?
The Matsu is Fresh’s barber-specific model. The product page lists longer, wider blades and larger finger holes for barbers and stylists with bigger hands — designed for scissor-over-comb and other barber cutting techniques that benefit from a longer blade span. The Matsu is available at 6.75 inch as the primary size, with a 7.15 inch variant in the series. Both are at the same $100 guide price.
Does Fresh make thinning scissors?
Yes. Fresh’s thinning and texturizing range includes the Kama Blending shears (30 and 35 tooth) and the Kama Slice texturizers (21 and 27 tooth). The Koa line is a barber-focused blending and thinning range. The full thinning catalogue is on the Fresh brand page. This roundup covers cutting scissors only.