The Best Nikko Scissors for Hairdressers
Nikko is a UK scissor brand produced by Scissors Craft in Northolt, Middlesex. The cutting range uses Japanese Steel, Cobalt Alloy, and Damascus steel across ergonomic, offset, and straight handle configurations. The Ergo Cobalt documents a ball-bearing screw for smooth blade action; the Offset Damascus and Kokaji Slim Straight are at the top of the price range with layered Damascus steel and slim straight blade respectively. Five picks span $319 to $756, all made in the UK.
What are the best Nikko scissors for professional hairdressers?
The Ergo Cobalt, around $319, is Nikko's Cobalt Alloy scissor with an ergonomic handle and ball-bearing screw in two sizes. The Original Offset, around $356, is the Japanese Steel entry offset in two sizes. The Cobalt, around $399, is the flagship Cobalt Alloy offset in two sizes. The Offset Damascus, around $684, is the layered Damascus offset scissor in 6.0 inch. The Kokaji Slim Straight, around $756, is the Japanese Steel narrow-blade straight handle scissor in two sizes.
All five document the UK as country of manufacture. The Ergo Cobalt and Original Offset are the entry picks — Cobalt Alloy on the Ergo Cobalt, Japanese Steel on the Original Offset, both in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The Cobalt is the flagship Cobalt Alloy offset at $399. The Offset Damascus is the Damascus offset pick in a single 6.0 inch size. The Kokaji Slim Straight is the Japanese Steel straight-handle pick with a slim blade profile documented for point-cutting and detail work.
Verified Jun 2026
Five Nikko picks from $319 to $756
| Attribute | Nikko Ergo Cobalt Nikko | Nikko Original Offset Nikko | Nikko Cobalt Nikko | Nikko Offset Damascus Nikko | Nikko Kokaji Slim Straight Nikko |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$319 | US$356 | US$399 | US$684 | US$756 |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Mid-range | Mid-range | Premium | Premium |
| Steel | Cobalt Alloy | Unknown | Cobalt Alloy | Damascus | 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 made in the UK by Scissors Craft. Steel grades from product pages. Guide prices at time of writing; confirm current figures on each product page.
Nikko’s UK-made range
Nikko is a scissor brand produced by Scissors Craft in Northolt, Middlesex, UK. The cutting range uses Japanese Steel at the entry tier, Cobalt Alloy across the core range, and Damascus at the top, across ergonomic, offset, and straight handle configurations. The Ergo Cobalt documents a ball-bearing screw for smooth blade action; the Kokaji series distinguishes between a slim blade for point-cutting and a wider blade for bulk-removal work.
The five picks below span $319 to $756, covering the full steel progression and all three documented handle types.
The five picks
1. Nikko Ergo Cobalt (guide price around $319). Nikko’s Cobalt Alloy scissor with an ergonomic handle and ball-bearing screw. Cobalt Alloy steel, ergonomic handle, ball-bearing screw. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch — two standard salon lengths. The Ergo Cobalt is the entry Cobalt Alloy pick with a documented handle and pivot feature: the product page notes an ergonomic handle and a ball-bearing screw — a pivot design documented for a smooth blade rotation during the cutting stroke. The lowest price Cobalt Alloy model with confirmed handle documentation in the Nikko range. Available through Scissors Craft.
2. Nikko Original Offset (around $356). Nikko’s Japanese Steel entry offset scissor. Japanese Steel, offset handle. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch — two standard salon lengths. The Original Offset is the Japanese Steel entry to the Nikko core range: the product page describes it as the entry to Nikko’s core range, with a Japanese Steel blade on an offset handle for everyday salon cutting. The only Japanese Steel offset pick in this roundup at the entry price. Available through Scissors Craft.
3. Nikko Cobalt (around $399). Nikko’s flagship Cobalt Alloy offset scissor. Cobalt Alloy steel, offset handle. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch — two standard salon lengths. The Cobalt is described as the flagship of the Nikko cobalt range: Cobalt Alloy steel, forged for a sharp and durable cutting edge, on an offset handle. The Ergo Cobalt and the Cobalt are both Cobalt Alloy picks — the Ergo Cobalt on an ergonomic handle with a ball-bearing screw; the Cobalt on a standard offset as the flagship of the cobalt line. Available through Scissors Craft.
4. Nikko Offset Damascus (around $684). Nikko’s layered Damascus offset scissor. Layered Damascus steel blade, offset handle. Available in 6.0 inch — one size. The Offset Damascus is the Damascus offset pick: the product page documents a layered Damascus steel blade on an offset handle. One of three Damascus models in the Nikko range — the others being the Damascus straight model and the Damascus Barber — the Offset Damascus is the Damascus pick for stylists who want an offset handle in a single 6.0 inch size. Available through Scissors Craft.
5. Nikko Kokaji Slim Straight (around $756). Nikko’s Japanese Steel narrow-blade straight handle scissor. Japanese Steel, slim blade profile, straight handle. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch — two sizes. The Kokaji Slim Straight is the straight handle pick and the Japanese Steel upper pick in this roundup: the product page documents a slim blade profile — a narrower blade suited to detailed point-cutting and precision sectioning work — on a straight handle at the top of this price range. A straight handle positions finger and thumb rings at the same level. The Kokaji series pairs the Slim Straight with the Kokaji Fat, which documents a wider blade for bulk-removal and slide-cutting. Available through Scissors Craft.
How we chose
All five picks document the UK as country of manufacture. The Ergo Cobalt and Original Offset are the entry picks at $319 and $356 — Cobalt Alloy ergonomic vs Japanese Steel offset. The Cobalt is the flagship Cobalt Alloy offset at $399. The Offset Damascus is the Damascus pick at $684. The Kokaji Slim Straight is the straight handle and narrow-blade pick at $756. Three steel grades (Japanese Steel, Cobalt Alloy, Damascus) and three handle types (ergonomic, offset, straight) are covered across $319 to $756. Guide prices move; confirm current figures before buying.
The wider Nikko range
The Nikko Cobalt Slim (around $381) is the compact slim-blade Cobalt Alloy model in 5.0 and 5.5 inch — the two shorter lengths in the Nikko range. The Nikko Cobalt Super (around $513) is the Cobalt Alloy model with an ergonomic offset design, a step above the Cobalt in price. The Nikko Cobalt Gel (around $629) is the Cobalt Alloy model with a gel-finish handle for comfortable all-day cutting. The Nikko Damascus Barber (around $756) is the Damascus model in 6.5 and 7.0 inch — the barber-length Damascus pick alongside the Offset Damascus. The full range including the left-handed Cobalt Lefty and the ATS-314 models is on the Nikko brand page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nikko is produced by Scissors Craft, based in Northolt, Middlesex, UK. Country of manufacture is documented as UK on each product page. The cutting range uses Japanese Steel, Cobalt Alloy, and Damascus steel, with prices from around $205 to $762 across the catalogued models. For the current range and pricing, consult the Scissors Craft website.
The Ergo Cobalt product page documents a ball-bearing screw alongside the Cobalt Alloy blade and ergonomic handle. A ball-bearing screw uses a ball-bearing at the pivot rather than a standard flat or cone screw, producing a smoother rotation between the blades during the cutting stroke. The Ergo Cobalt is available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch.
The Nikko Cobalt product page describes it as the flagship model of the cobalt range — Cobalt Alloy steel on an offset handle, available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The Ergo Cobalt uses the same Cobalt Alloy steel but documents an ergonomic handle rather than an offset configuration, alongside a ball-bearing screw. The Cobalt is $80 higher than the Ergo Cobalt at guide price. Both document the UK as country of manufacture and are available in the same two sizes.
The Offset Damascus product page documents a layered Damascus steel blade on an offset handle, available in 6.0 inch. Damascus steel is produced by layering or folding different steel types, creating a patterned blade when etched or polished. The Offset Damascus is one of three Damascus models in the Nikko range — alongside the Damascus and the Damascus Barber. For full specification details on the Damascus construction, consult the product page or the Scissors Craft website.
The Kokaji Slim Straight product page documents a slim blade profile — a narrower blade cross-section than a standard width — on a straight handle and Japanese Steel, in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. The product description notes the narrow blade is suited to detailed point-cutting and precision sectioning work. A straight handle positions finger and thumb rings at the same level, suited to stylists who prefer a symmetric hand position. The Kokaji Slim Straight is one of two models in the Kokaji series — the Kokaji Fat documents a wider blade profile for bulk-removal and slide-cutting.
Yes. Nikko makes the Thinning Double, a double-serrated thinning scissor in Japanese Steel at 6.0 inch. This roundup covers cutting scissors only. The full range is on the Nikko brand page.