The Best S-Gate Scissors for Hairdressers
S-Gate is a Japanese scissor brand established in 2009 by Shigemichi Sugiki in Shima City, Mie Prefecture. Manufacturing, retail, sharpening, and repair are handled under one roof. Five picks run from $1,169 to $1,234, guide prices being approximate USD conversions from JPY that will move with exchange rates.
What are the best S-Gate scissors?
The SA-A60 and SA-E60 are both 6.0 inch cutting scissors at the same guide price — the A and E designations indicate different handle geometry variants within the SA cutting line. The SB, SC, and SD series group three further 6.0 inch cutting scissors across handle geometry options. The SA thinning range spans 16 to 30 teeth across the SA-A and SA-E thinning sub-series. The YA-C30V is a 30-tooth thinning scissor from a separate YA thinning series within the S-Gate range.
All S-Gate scissors are made in Shima City, Mie Prefecture by a workshop that handles the full product lifecycle — making, retail, sharpening, and repair — in-house. The steel grade is not published on the brand’s product pages. Prices are confirmed in JPY (¥180,000–¥190,000 including tax) and converted here at approximately ¥154/$1; the USD figures will move with the exchange rate. S-Gate sells exclusively through its own shop at s-gatescissors.com, which is also the source for post-purchase sharpening and repair.
Verified Jun 2026
Five S-Gate picks from $1,169 to $1,234
| Attribute | S-Gate SA-A60 Cutting Scissors S-Gate | S-Gate SA-E60 Cutting Scissors S-Gate | S-Gate SB/SC/SD Series Cutting Scissors S-Gate | S-Gate SA Thinning Scissors S-Gate | S-Gate YA-C30V Thinning Scissors S-Gate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$1,169 | US$1,169 | US$1,169 | US$1,234 | US$1,234 |
| Price tier | Luxury | Luxury | Luxury | Luxury | Luxury |
| Steel | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| Made in | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan |
| Handle | Offset | Offset | Offset | Offset | Offset |
| Blade type | Convex | Convex | Convex | Thinning teeth | Thinning teeth |
| Sizes (in) | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | — | — |
| View product | View product | View product | View product | View product |
All five made in Japan (Mie Prefecture) by S-Gate. Guide prices are approximate USD conversions from JPY and will move with exchange rates. Confirm current figures on the S-Gate shop.
The S-Gate workshop model
S-Gate is a scissor workshop in Shima City, Mie Prefecture, founded in September 2009 by Shigemichi Sugiki. The brand makes each pair individually, handles retail and wholesale directly, and offers in-house sharpening and repair after sale — all from the same premises. There are no third-party distributors in the catalogue.
The range divides into SA series cutting (offset handle, convex blade, 6.0 inch) and thinning models across the SA and YA series. Steel grade is not published on the brand’s pages. All S-Gate scissors are made in Japan.
Guide prices below are approximate USD conversions from confirmed JPY figures and will move with the exchange rate.
The five picks
1. S-Gate SA-A60 (guide price around $1,169). A 6.0 inch offset cutting scissor with a convex blade in the SA-A geometry. The SA-A60 is the A-handle variant of the SA cutting series from S-Gate’s Mie Prefecture workshop. Available through S-Gate directly.
2. S-Gate SA-E60 (around $1,169). A 6.0 inch offset cutting scissor with a convex blade in the SA-E geometry — a distinct handle variant from the SA-A60 at the same blade length and guide price. The A and E suffixes indicate different ergonomic profiles within the SA cutting series. Available through S-Gate directly.
3. S-Gate SB/SC/SD Series (around $1,169). Three further 6.0 inch offset cutting scissors — the SB-A60, SC-A60, and SD-A60 — each with a different handle geometry from the SA series. The series prefix (SB, SC, SD) identifies the handle variant, giving stylists a set of ergonomic options at the same blade length and price. Available through S-Gate directly.
4. S-Gate SA Thinning (around $1,234). The SA thinning range spans five models — SA-A16, SA-A30, SA-E24, SA-E27, and SA-E30 — covering 16 to 30 teeth across two sub-series. Lower tooth counts (SA-A16) remove more hair per pass; higher counts (SA-A30, SA-E30) work for controlled blending. The A and E suffixes indicate handle or geometry variants within the thinning line. Available through S-Gate directly.
5. S-Gate YA-C30V Thinning (around $1,234). A 30-tooth thinning scissor from a separate YA thinning series within the S-Gate range — distinct from the SA thinning line. At 30 teeth, it sits in fine-blending territory for soft texturising and finish work. Available through S-Gate directly.
How we chose
The five picks cover the full S-Gate range as catalogued on ScissorPedia: two SA cutting geometry variants (SA-A60 and SA-E60), three further cutting series handle options (SB/SC/SD), the SA thinning range covering multiple tooth counts, and the YA-C30V as the separate YA series thinning pick. Guide prices in USD are conversions from confirmed JPY figures; confirm current figures before buying.
The wider S-Gate catalogue
For the complete current listing including any models not yet catalogued on ScissorPedia, the S-Gate shop is the authoritative source. The S-Gate brand page on ScissorPedia covers the brand overview and sharpening service contact details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both the SA-A and SA-E models are 6.0 inch offset cutting scissors at the same guide price. The A and E suffixes within the SA series denote distinct handle geometry variants — the differences in offset angle, handle length, or ergonomic profile between the two. For specific geometry details, the S-Gate shop at s-gatescissors.com is the authoritative source.
Cutting scissors in the SA series are confirmed at ¥180,000 (tax included) at s-gatescissors.com — approximately $1,169 USD at ¥154/$1. Thinning models in the SA and YA series are confirmed at ¥190,000 (tax included) — approximately $1,234 USD. The USD figures move with the JPY exchange rate.
Yes. S-Gate runs sharpening and repair from the same workshop that makes the scissors. Customers send their scissors back to the Shima City, Mie Prefecture workshop for servicing. This is described by the brand as part of the long-term ownership model.
S-Gate scissors cover wet cut, dry cut, blunt cut, stroke cut, slide cut, chop cut, and effect cut on the cutting side, and thinning for volume control on the thinning side, with removal rates from 20 to 50 percent depending on the model.
S-Gate sells exclusively through its own online shop at s-gatescissors.com. No third-party retailers are currently catalogued for the brand.