The Best Kasho Scissors for Hairdressers
Kasho is the professional scissors brand of KAI Corporation, a company established in 1908 and headquartered in Tokyo. Scissors are made in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture — Japan's primary blade-making centre. The range is built primarily around VG-10W, KAI's tungsten-enhanced VG-10 grade, across series from the entry Design Master through to the Green line and the sintered steel Millennium at the top. Five picks here span $227 to $812, all made in Japan in Seki City.
What are the best Kasho scissors for professional hairdressers?
The Design Master Offset, around $227, is the entry to Kasho's professional range in VG-10W with a semi-convex edge, Disc Operation System tension, and offset handle. The Blue Offset, around $292, steps up from the Design Master with a full convex edge in VG-10W — the same alloy and tension system, tighter finish. The Silver Offset, around $487, is a premium VG-10W pair at 58–60 HRC with higher finishing standards than the Blue. The Green Semi-Offset, around $584, is a semi-offset pair at the top of the VG-10W range at 58–60 HRC. The Millennium Offset, around $812, applies Kasho's sintered steel at 60–62 HRC — the highest-hardness tier in the Kasho range.
Every pick uses VG-10W except the Millennium, which uses sintered steel. VG-10W is KAI’s tungsten-modified VG-10 grade — the tungsten addition refines carbide structure for a more durable edge than standard VG-10. The practical step between Design Master and Blue is the edge finish (semi-convex to full convex); the step from Blue to Silver and Green is finishing quality and hardness bracket; the step to Millennium is the alloy change to sintered steel. Series names on the product page (Design Master, Blue, Silver, Green, Millennium) directly correspond to these tiers.
Verified Jun 2026
Five Kasho picks from $227 to $812
| Attribute | Kasho Design Master Offset Hair Cutting Scissors Kasho | Kasho Blue Offset Hair Cutting Scissors Kasho | Kasho Silver Offset Hair Cutting Scissors Kasho | Kasho Green Semi-Offset Hair Cutting Scissors Kasho | Kasho Millennium Offset Hair Cutting Scissors Kasho |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$227 | US$292 | US$487 | US$584 | US$812 |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Mid-range | Premium | Premium | Luxury |
| Steel | VG-10W | VG-10W | VG-10W | VG-10W | Unknown |
| Made in | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan |
| Handle | Offset | Offset | Offset | Semi-Offset | Offset |
| Blade type | Semi-Convex | Convex | — | — | — |
| Sizes (in) | 5.0 · 5.5 · 6.0 | 4.5 · 5.0 · 5.5 | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.3 · 6.2 |
| View product | View product | View product | View product | View product |
All five made in Seki City, Japan by KAI Corporation. Guide prices at time of writing; confirm current figures on each product page.
Kasho’s series structure
Kasho is produced by KAI Corporation — a Tokyo-headquartered company that has been making blades since 1908 — in Seki City, Gifu. The professional scissors range is built primarily around VG-10W, KAI’s tungsten-modified version of VG-10, and is organised into named series that correspond directly to production tiers.
The five series covered here form a progression. Design Master is the entry series with a semi-convex edge and Disc Operation System tension. Blue steps the edge to full convex. Silver and Green represent premium VG-10W finishing at 58–60 HRC, with Green at the top of the VG-10W line. The Millennium uses sintered steel at 60–62 HRC — a different alloy family entirely, not a finishing upgrade of VG-10W.
For a stylist buying into Kasho for the first time, the Design Master is the practical entry. For a stylist who already knows the design and wants the next finish level, the Blue is the step. The Silver and Green are the upper professional range within VG-10W; the Millennium is for stylists who want sintered steel performance.
The five picks
1. Kasho Design Master Offset (guide price around $227). Kasho’s entry professional series. VG-10W steel, semi-convex edge, Disc Operation System tension adjustment, offset handle. Available in 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 inch. The Design Master is the starting point for stylists entering the Kasho range — the same VG-10W alloy and Japanese production as the upper series, with a semi-convex edge finish rather than the full convex of higher tiers. A straight (classic symmetric) handle variant and thinning versions are also available in the Design Master range. Available through Japan Scissors and Shear Integrity.
2. Kasho Blue Offset (around $292). Kasho’s Blue series in VG-10W with a full convex edge. The Blue steps up from the Design Master’s semi-convex finish to a full convex edge while retaining VG-10W and the Disc Operation System. Available in 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 inch — the widest size range in the Kasho cutting collection. A straight handle variant is also available. Available through Japan Scissors and specialist Kasho stockists.
3. Kasho Silver Offset (around $487). Kasho’s Silver series in VG-10W at 58–60 HRC. The Silver represents a higher finishing standard in the VG-10W family — the hardness bracket is documented at 58–60 HRC on the product page, above the Design Master and Blue ranges. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. Straight handle and a black-coated offset variant (Silver Offset Black) are also available in the Silver series. Available through Japan Scissors and specialist Kasho stockists.
4. Kasho Green Semi-Offset (around $584). Kasho’s Green series in a semi-offset handle configuration. VG-10W at 58–60 HRC — the same hardness bracket as the Silver, with the Green series representing the premium production tier within VG-10W. Semi-offset geometry sits between offset and the full ergonomic drop of a crane, suited to stylists who want some ergonomic relief without the full offset. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. Available through Japan Scissors and specialist Kasho stockists.
5. Kasho Millennium Offset (around $812). Kasho’s sintered steel offset pair at 60–62 HRC. The Millennium uses Kasho’s sintered steel — a higher-hardness tier above VG-10W, with 60–62 HRC documented on the product page. Sintered steel is produced by powder metallurgy processes rather than conventional casting, giving a finer carbide structure and improved edge retention. Available in 5.3 and 6.2 inch. Available through Japan Scissors and specialist Kasho stockists.
How we chose
Each pick represents a distinct tier in the Kasho series structure. The Design Master and Blue cover the entry and step-up within VG-10W; Silver and Green cover the premium VG-10W finishing tiers; the Millennium is the sintered steel top. Guide prices move — confirm current figures before buying.
The wider Kasho range
The full Kasho cutting range includes an ergonomic model (Kasho XP Super Ergo), a dedicated slide-cut model (Kasho Green Slide), a ceramic composite option (Kasho Ceramic), and a Damascus-pattern pair (Kasho Damascus Offset). Left-handed models are available in the Design Master and Ivory series. Full thinning and texturising range on the Kasho brand page.
Frequently Asked Questions
VG-10W is KAI Corporation’s tungsten-modified version of VG-10. The tungsten addition refines the carbide structure in the alloy, which produces a harder and more wear-resistant edge compared to standard VG-10 at equivalent processing. In practice, VG-10W is used across most of the Kasho professional range — Design Master, Blue, Silver, Green, Impression, and others — as the standard working alloy. Standard VG-10 is used by other manufacturers; VG-10W is specific to KAI’s Kasho line.
The Disc Operation System is Kasho’s tension adjustment mechanism. A disc-shaped dial at the pivot allows the tension to be adjusted without a coin or separate key — turn the dial to increase or decrease blade pressure. It is documented on the Design Master and Blue series product pages. Higher-tier Kasho models may use a different tension mechanism; confirm on the product page for the specific model.
Design Master is the entry series: VG-10W steel, semi-convex edge, Disc Operation System, offset handle. Blue steps up with a full convex edge in VG-10W. Silver offers higher finishing standards in VG-10W at 58–60 HRC. Green is the top VG-10W series, also at 58–60 HRC, with the highest finish quality before the sintered steel Millennium. Each series is a distinct production tier rather than a cosmetic rebadge — the edge finish and production standards differ between them.
Yes. Kasho makes thinning scissors across several series including the Design Master (15, 30, and 38 tooth variants), Wasabi texturiser, and Green Sasa double thinning. The full thinning range is on the Kasho brand page. Thinning scissors are not covered in this roundup, which focuses on cutting models.