The Best ICON Shears Scissors
ICON Shears is a Nashville-based brand founded in 2011. The company owns its own manufacturing facility in Sialkot, Pakistan, where each shear passes through over 100 handcrafted steps across about 30 days. The range is built on 440C stainless steel throughout, with cutting shears in offset, crane, and swivel-thumb configurations. Guide prices run from $465 for standard cutting models to $515 for the swivel-thumb variants.
What are the best ICON Shears scissors?
The ICT-900 is the core 5.5-inch offset shear in chrome finish at $465 — a standard starting point for stylists evaluating the ICON range. The ICT-100 puts the same 440C steel and semi-convex edge into a 6.0-inch chrome titanium build with a removable finger rest. The ICT-300 Speed King extends blade length to 6.5 inches in a multi-color titanium finish suited to speed cutting. The ICT-163 moves to a crane handle in multi-color titanium, which drops the thumb ring below the finger loop for lower arm and shoulder position during overhead passes. The ICT-125 adds a swivel thumb ring at $515, allowing the thumb to stay neutral while the hand rotates through a cutting stroke.
All five picks share the same underlying specification: 440C Japanese stainless steel, a semi-convex edge, and a one-year blade and edge warranty with unlimited sharpening, plus a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. The main variables across the range are blade length, handle type, surface finish, and whether a swivel thumb is fitted. ICON Shears lists wet cutting, dry cutting, and combined cut-and-thinning as its main specialties.
Verified Jun 2026
Five ICON Shears picks from $465 to $515
| Attribute | ICON ICT-900 Chrome Cutting Shear ICON Shears | ICON ICT-100 Chrome Titanium Shear ICON Shears | ICON 6.5" Multi-Color Hairstyling Shears ICT-300 ICON SHEARS | ICON ICT-163 Multi-Color Titanium Crane Shear ICON Shears | ICON ICT-125 Multi-Color Titanium Swivel Shear ICON Shears |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$465 | US$465 | US$465 | US$465 | US$515 |
| Price tier | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium | Premium |
| Steel | Unknown | Unknown | 440C | Unknown | Unknown |
| Made in | — | — | Pakistan | — | — |
| Handle | Offset | Offset | Offset | Crane | Swivel |
| Blade type | Semi-convex | Semi-convex | Semi-convex | Semi-convex | Semi-convex |
| Sizes (in) | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| View product | View product | View product | View product | View product |
All five built on 440C stainless steel at ICON's own Sialkot facility. Guide prices at time of writing; confirm current figures on each product page.
ICON Shears
ICON Shears is a US brand headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2011. The company owns its own manufacturing facility in Sialkot, Pakistan. According to the brand, each shear is assembled by hand across more than 100 steps and takes approximately 30 days to complete. ICON Shears also states it prioritises hiring women at its Sialkot facility, including in management roles.
The single-shear range runs on 440C stainless steel with a semi-convex edge across all catalogued models. Handle configurations include offset, crane, and swivel thumb. Standard cutting models carry a $465 guide price; swivel-thumb variants carry $515. A one-year blade and edge warranty with unlimited sharpening applies across the range, alongside a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects.
The five picks
1. ICON ICT-900 (guide price around $465). A 5.5-inch chrome cutting shear in an offset handle with a removable finger rest. The ICT-900 is a core model in the ICON single-shear lineup — 440C stainless steel, semi-convex edge, chrome finish, offset geometry. Available through ICON Shears.
2. ICON ICT-100 (guide price around $465). A 6.0-inch chrome titanium shear in an offset handle with a removable finger rest. The ICT-100 steps up from chrome to a chrome titanium surface finish and adds an inch of blade length over the ICT-900. Same 440C steel and semi-convex edge. Available through ICON Shears.
3. ICON ICT-300 Speed King (guide price around $465). A 6.5-inch multi-color titanium shear in an offset handle with a semi-convex edge. ICON describes the ICT-300 as designed for speed cutting — the 6.5-inch length allows longer blade sections to contact the hair in a single pass. The multi-color titanium coating adds surface hardness. Available through ICON Shears.
4. ICON ICT-163 (guide price around $465). A 5.5-inch multi-color titanium crane-handle shear with a semi-convex edge. The crane handle drops the thumb ring below the finger loop, which allows the elbow and shoulder to sit lower during overhead or elevated cutting passes. The ICT-163 has been among the more established crane-handle models in the ICON range. Available through ICON Shears.
5. ICON ICT-125 (guide price around $515). A 5.5-inch multi-color titanium swivel-thumb shear with a thick blade profile and semi-convex edge. The swivel thumb ring rotates freely during a cutting stroke so the thumb joint can stay neutral rather than tracking the hand’s rotation — which reduces accumulated thumb and wrist strain across a long cutting session. The thick blade profile suits wet and dry cutting. Also available in black titanium at the same price. Available through ICON Shears.
How we chose
The five picks span the main handle configurations in the ICON range. The ICT-900 covers the offset entry point at 5.5 inches. The ICT-100 adds a chrome titanium finish and moves to 6.0 inches. The ICT-300 takes the offset configuration to 6.5 inches for stylists who need more blade length. The ICT-163 provides the crane option for overhead cutting. The ICT-125 covers the swivel-thumb configuration for stylists managing cumulative thumb and wrist strain. All five share the same steel, edge, and warranty terms. Guide prices may move; confirm current figures before buying.
The wider ICON Shears catalogue
The ICON Shears range includes additional offset models across 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 inches — the ICT-907 (4.5-inch, cheetah-pattern), the ICT-112 (5.0-inch, straight handle), the ICT-704 (5.5-inch, crown-pattern handle), the ICT-702 (5.5-inch, point-cutting, diamond accents), the ICT-800 (5.5-inch, chrome titanium), and the ICT-159 (6.0-inch, thick blade). A second swivel model — the ICT-199A — pairs the swivel thumb ring with a rope-pattern handle design in multi-color, gold, and blue titanium finishes at $515. ICON Shears also carries thinning scissors, left-handed scissors, and razors; see the brand page for the full current listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
ICON Shears owns its own manufacturing facility in Sialkot, Pakistan. According to the brand, each shear passes through over 100 handcrafted steps and takes about 30 days to complete.
The ICON Shears range is built on 440C stainless steel throughout. All catalogued single-shear models use a semi-convex edge ground on that steel.
Standard cutting models in the ICON Shears single-shear range carry a $465 guide price. Swivel-thumb models — such as the ICT-125 and ICT-199A — carry a $515 guide price.
Offset-handle models position the thumb below the finger loop, which opens the hand and reduces wrist rotation during a cutting stroke. Crane-handle models drop the thumb ring further still, which allows the elbow and shoulder to sit lower during overhead or elevated cutting passes. Both handle types are available in the ICON range at the same $465 price point.
Yes. The ICT-125 and ICT-199A are swivel-thumb shears priced at $515. The swivel thumb ring rotates freely during a cutting stroke so the thumb joint can stay in a neutral position rather than tracking the hand’s rotation.