The Best Passion Scissors for Hairdressers
Passion is a UK scissor brand produced by Dowa International Ltd. in London, with Japanese craftsmanship documented across the range. The brand has been established since 1980. The cutting range spans ATS-314 at the entry tier through Cobalt Alloy at mid-range and Damascus at the top, with both UK-made and Japan-made models documented across the range. The Alto Barber pairs a Damascus outer layer with an ATS-314 cobalt cutting core. Five picks span $160 to $538, available through DOWA International and Shear Integrity.
What are the best Passion scissors for professional hairdressers?
The Avanti, around $160, is Passion's most affordable ATS-314 offset model in two sizes, UK-made with Japanese craftsmanship. The Vertex, around $196, is the Japan-made ATS-314 offset model with slim sword blades and fine tips in four sizes from 5.5 to 7.0 inch. The Cobalt Super II, around $266, is the Japan-made Cobalt Alloy offset model with a clam blade and tension locking screw in three sizes. The Cobalt Raptor, around $278, is the Japan-made Cobalt Alloy model with weighted Takefu VG10 blades and ergonomic handles in four sizes. The Alto Barber, around $538, is the Damascus model with an ATS-314 cobalt cutting core and straight blade for barbering in 6.5 and 7.0 inch.
The Avanti and Vertex are both ATS-314 offset picks, differentiated by country of manufacture — UK on the Avanti, Japan on the Vertex — and by size run and blade design: two standard sizes on the Avanti, four sizes with slim sword blades on the Vertex. The Cobalt Super II and Cobalt Raptor are both Cobalt Alloy Japan-made picks, differentiated by blade and handle documentation: clam blade on the Super II, weighted Takefu VG10 cobalt blades on the Raptor with ergonomic handles. The Alto Barber is the Damascus pick and the barbering-length model in two sizes.
Verified Jun 2026
Five Passion picks from $160 to $538
| Attribute | Passion Avanti Cutting Scissors Passion | Passion Vertex Cutting Scissors Passion | Passion Cobalt Super II Cutting Scissors Passion | Passion Cobalt Raptor Cutting Scissors Passion | Passion Alto Barber Damascus Cutting Scissors Passion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$160 | US$196 | US$266 | US$278 | US$538 |
| Price tier | Entry-level | Entry-level | Mid-range | Mid-range | Premium |
| Steel | ATS-314 | ATS-314 | Cobalt Alloy | Cobalt Alloy | Damascus |
| Made in | UK | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan |
| Handle | Offset | Offset | Offset | — | Offset |
| Blade type | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sizes (in) | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.5 · 6.0 · 6.5 · 7.0 | 5.0 · 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.5 · 6.0 · 6.5 · 7.0 | 6.5 · 7.0 |
| View product | View product | View product | View product | View product |
UK and Japan as countries of manufacture per product pages. Steel grades from product pages. Guide prices at time of writing; confirm current figures on each product page.
Passion’s Japan-crafted range
Passion is a UK scissor brand produced by Dowa International Ltd. in London, established since 1980 with Japanese craftsmanship documented across the range. The cutting range uses ATS-314 at entry and mid tiers, Cobalt Alloy at the mid-to-upper tier, and Damascus at the top. Both UK-made and Japan-made models are documented: the entry Avanti is UK-made; the Vertex, Cobalt Super II, Cobalt Raptor, and Alto Barber are Japan-made. The Alto Barber pairs a Damascus outer layer with an ATS-314 cobalt cutting core.
The five picks below span $160 to $538, covering both manufacturing origins, three steel grades, two Cobalt Alloy models with distinct blade and handle specifications, and a barber-specific Damascus pick.
The five picks
1. Passion Avanti (guide price around $160). Passion’s most affordable ATS-314 offset scissor, UK-made with Japanese craftsmanship. ATS-314 steel, offset handle, removable finger rest. Available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch — two standard salon lengths. The Avanti is the entry point of the Passion range: the product page describes it as the most affordable model, with Japanese craftsmanship applied to a straightforward ATS-314 offset scissor in two sizes. UK-made. Available through DOWA International and Shear Integrity.
2. Passion Vertex (around $196). Passion’s Japan-made ATS-314 scissor with slim sword blades and fine tips. ATS-314 steel, offset handle, slim sword blades with fine tips, ball bearing screw, weight balanced toward the hand. Available in 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0 inch — the widest size run among the ATS-314 picks in this roundup. The Vertex is the Japan-made ATS-314 pick: the product page describes it as a development of the Passion Zeta with slim sword blades and finer tips added for precision, a ball bearing screw system, and weight balanced toward the hand. Four sizes from 5.5 to 7.0 inch. Available through DOWA International and Shear Integrity.
3. Passion Cobalt Super II (around $266). Passion’s Japan-made Cobalt Alloy offset scissor with a clam blade. Cobalt special alloy, offset handle, clam blade, tension locking screw. Available in 5.0, 5.5, and 6.0 inch — three sizes. The Cobalt Super II is the clam-blade Cobalt Alloy pick: the product page documents a Cobalt special alloy blade in a clam profile — a convex curved blade cross-section — on a classic offset handle with a tension locking screw. Three sizes including the 5.0 inch short detail length. Japan-made. Available through DOWA International and Shear Integrity.
4. Passion Cobalt Raptor (around $278). Passion’s Japan-made weighted Cobalt Alloy scissor with ergonomic handles. Takefu VG10 cobalt alloy, weighted blades, ergonomic handles, ball bearing screw. Available in 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0 inch — four sizes. The Cobalt Raptor is the weighted-blade Cobalt Alloy pick: the product page documents weighted blades in Takefu VG10 cobalt alloy — suited to cutting through thick hair with extra power — with ergonomic handles and a ball bearing screw. Four sizes from 5.5 to 7.0 inch, tied with the Vertex for the widest size run on this page. Japan-made. Available through DOWA International and Shear Integrity.
5. Passion Alto Barber (around $538). Passion’s Damascus scissor with an ATS-314 cobalt cutting core, for barber lengths. Damascus steel with ATS-314 cobalt cutting core, classic offset handle, straight blade edge. Available in 6.5 and 7.0 inch — two barber lengths. The Alto Barber is the Damascus pick and the barbering specialist: the product page documents a Damascus outer layer with an ATS-314 cobalt cutting core — the cutting edge is the same ATS-314 cobalt steel used in the Vertex and Avanti — with a straight blade edge suited to barbering and a classic offset handle. The only two-barber-length pick in this roundup. Japan-made. Available through DOWA International and Shear Integrity.
How we chose
The Avanti and Vertex are both ATS-314 offset picks, differentiated by country (UK vs Japan), blade design (standard vs slim sword blades with fine tips), and size run (two vs four sizes). The Cobalt Super II and Cobalt Raptor are both Japan-made Cobalt Alloy picks, differentiated by blade (clam vs weighted sword) and handle (offset vs ergonomic). The Alto Barber is the Damascus and barber-length pick. Three steel grades (ATS-314, Cobalt Alloy, Damascus) across both UK-made and Japan-made models at $160 to $538. Guide prices move; confirm current figures before buying.
The wider Passion range
The Passion Cobalt Aqua (around $190) is an ATS-314 model with ergonomic fatigue-reducing handles and a wide mid-section blade documented for slide cutting — in three sizes 5.5 to 6.5 inch. The Passion Cobalt Crown (around $209) is the Cobalt Alloy model covering the widest size run in the range — four sizes from 6.0 to 7.5 inch — for stylists needing the longer barber lengths. The Passion Cobalt V10 (around $215) is the shortest-size Cobalt Alloy model in three sizes from 4.5 to 5.5 inch — the only Passion cutting model available at 4.5 inch. The Passion Nimbus (around $475) is a weighted Damascus model with ergonomic handles and straight clam blades — a Damascus pick at the standard 5.5 and 6.0 inch lengths. Thinning scissors are on the Passion brand page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Passion is produced by Dowa International Ltd., based in London, UK. The brand has been established since 1980. Several models document Japan as country of manufacture; the entry models including the Avanti document UK as country of manufacture alongside Japanese craftsmanship as a brand attribute. For full manufacturing and provenance details, consult the Passion brand website or an authorised retailer.
Several Passion product pages document country of manufacture as UK, including the Avanti, Microlight, Phantom, and Zeta. Others document Japan as country of manufacture, including the Vertex, Cobalt Super II, Cobalt Raptor, and Alto Barber. Both the UK-made and Japan-made models carry Japanese craftsmanship as a brand attribute — the Avanti product page documents this explicitly. For the specific manufacturing details of each model, consult the individual product page or the Passion brand website.
The Vertex product page documents slim sword blades with fine tips. A slim sword blade profile has a narrower blade body than a standard width shear, reducing contact with the hair during the cutting stroke and improving precision at the tip. Fine tips allow more control when point-cutting and working around hairlines and ears. The Vertex is described on the product page as based on the Passion Zeta design with these blade refinements added, alongside a ball bearing screw system and weight balanced toward the hand.
The Alto Barber product page documents Damascus steel with an ATS-314 cobalt cutting core. The Damascus outer layers provide the blade’s surface pattern and body; the ATS-314 cobalt core provides the cutting edge. Damascus blades are produced by layering different steel types — the Alto Barber’s ATS-314 core means the cutting edge is the same cobalt steel used in the Vertex and other ATS-314 models in the range. The product page also documents a straight blade edge suited to barbering, and the Alto Barber is available in 6.5 and 7.0 inch — the two barber-length sizes in this list.
Yes. Passion makes thinning scissors including the Cobalt Thinning, Cirrus Thinning, and other models. This roundup covers cutting scissors only. The full thinning range is on the Passion brand page.