The Best UK Scissor Brands for Hairdressers
The UK has no Solingen equivalent — no protected city of scissor-making — but it does have brands that have built their ranges around specific engineering commitments: Matakki's 120-stage Japanese steel process from Hull, eBlade's seven-year ergonomic development in Surbiton, Glamtech's training-first catalogue from West Sussex. The brands below are nine catalogued on ScissorPedia with documented UK origins, from sub-$80 barber starters to £500+ precision pairs.
Which UK scissor brands are worth buying?
The nine UK-headquartered scissor brands on ScissorPedia cover entry to premium tiers. Dark Stag's DS1, around $76, is the budget Japanese steel entry from the Worthing brand founded in 2017 and now distributed across 15 countries. Haito's Kizamu, around $58, is the documented entry convex from Yorkshire. Ninja's Cosmo, around $112, is a VG-10 cutting shear from a Birmingham brand with 95-step production since 1999. TITAN's TGS630 VG-10, around $89, brings a Japanese-steel pair at an accessible UK price. Akito's Kaito, around $222, is a Japanese stainless offset shear from a West Yorkshire brand that donates five percent of profits to charity. Nikko's Titanium Black, around $228, is the mid-tier cobalt pair from Middlesex. Matakki's Beast, around $298, is the flagship convex from Hull's 120-stage Japanese steel process. Glamtech's Ultra Ceramic, around $304, is the ceramic blade option from Worthing. And eBlade's Master, around $578, is the multi-grip ergonomic pair built after seven years of development in Surbiton.
All nine brands operate their head offices or production in the UK and are catalogued on ScissorPedia with documented steel types, product ranges, and pricing. Most source their steel from Japan — particularly 440C, VG-10, and ATS-314 — with manufacturing processes carried out in the UK or under UK-directed quality control. This list is organised by price tier, with one representative product per brand.
Verified Jun 2026
Nine picks across nine UK brands, from $58 to $578
| Attribute | Dark Stag DS1 Dark Stag | Haito Kizamu Offset Scissors Haito | Ninja Cosmo Ninja | Titan TGS630 VG-10 Japanese Style Hair Thinning Scissors TITAN | Akito Kaito All-Round Cutting Scissors Akito | Nikko Titanium Black Nikko | Matakki Beast Matakki | Glamtech Ultra Ceramic Glamtech | eBlade Master Cutting Scissors eBlade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price guide | US$76 | US$58 | US$112 | US$89 | US$222 | US$228 | US$298 | US$304 | US$578 |
| Price tier | Budget | Budget | Entry-level | Budget | Mid-range | Mid-range | Mid-range | Mid-range | Premium |
| Steel | Unknown | Unknown | VG-10 | VG-10 | Unknown | Unknown | 440C | Unknown | VG-10 (Hitachi, Japan) |
| Made in | UK | Unknown | UK | UK | — | UK | UK | UK | UK |
| Handle | — | Offset | — | — | Offset | — | — | — | Multi-grip (Classic, Eastern, Inverted) |
| Blade type | — | Convex, hollow-ground | — | — | Convex | — | — | — | Convex |
| Sizes (in) | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.0 · 5.5 | 5.5 · 6.0 · 6.5 | 6.0 | — | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.5 · 6.0 | 5.75 · 6.0 · 6.25 | 5.5 · 6.0 · 7.0 |
| View product | View product | View product | View product | View product | View product | View product | View product | View product |
One representative from each UK-headquartered brand catalogued on ScissorPedia. Full range, sizes, and current pricing on each product page and brand page.
Nine UK brands, nine positions
UK scissor brands are spread across more price tiers than the German catalogue. At the entry end, Dark Stag, Haito, and TITAN cover the student, apprentice, and barber market with Japanese-steel pairs under $100. Ninja adds VG-10 steel just above that threshold. In the mid tier, Akito, Nikko, and Matakki run detailed Japanese-steel catalogues across a wide price spread. At the premium end, eBlade built a seven-year ergonomic system and prices accordingly.
What connects them is a UK base for the business and brand: design, distribution, and in most cases quality-directed production. Steel sourcing and the manufacturing process details are on each brand page.
Entry tier: under $100
Dark Stag — from $76, 8 models. Based in Worthing, West Sussex and founded in 2017, Dark Stag supplies professional scissors and barber tools through wholesalers in 15 countries. The Dark Stag DS1 at $76 is the brand’s core barber cutting scissor, built from Japanese steel for everyday professional use, in 5.5 and 6.0 inch. Available direct from Dark Stag.
Haito — $32 to $75, 12 models. Hair Tools Ltd operates from Yorkshire with a student-and-professional catalogue of offset-handle convex shears in Japanese stainless steel. The Haito Kizamu at $58 is the brand’s handmade offset pair with a convex cutting edge and crane-design handle, in 5.5 and 6.0 inch lengths. At that price, it is the most accessible documented convex on this list.
TITAN — $51 to $114, 24 models. Distributed from Birmingham with a 1918 heritage claim, TITAN runs a wide catalogue across 440C, VG-10, and ATS-314 builds. The TITAN TGS630 VG-10 at $89 is the Japanese-steel thinning scissor from the range — a UK-distributed pair carrying a Takefu VG-10 blade. TITAN’s cutting shears run across the $51 to $114 span.
Mid tier: $100–$350
Ninja — $112 to $339, 19 models. Ninja Scissors has operated from Birmingham since 1999 and documents over 95 production steps per shear. The range uses Japanese steel throughout. The Ninja Cosmo at $112 is a VG-10 cutting shear for slicing, point cutting, and scissor-over-comb work, in 5.5, 6.0, and 6.5 inch. Made in the UK.
Akito — $180 to $495, 8 models. Founded in 2016 and based in Yeadon, West Yorkshire, Akito sells direct to hairdressers and donates five percent of profits to charity. The catalogue covers cutting, thinning, and left-handed shears in Japanese stainless steel. The Akito Kaito at $222 is an offset convex cutting shear for all-round salon use, in Japanese stainless steel, available in 5.5 and 6.0 inch.
Nikko — $51 to $762, 25 models. Scissors Craft in Northolt, Middlesex, builds a range that runs from standard cobalt stainless to Damascus-core builds with ATS-314 cores. The Nikko Titanium Black at $228 is a titanium-coated pair with a cobalt steel blade. A left-handed build sits in the range; Damascus models reach the $762 ceiling. More than 90 percent of the catalogue is cutting shears with a thinning line alongside.
Matakki — $100 to $1,518, 68 models. From Hull, founded 2003, Matakki describes a 120-stage production process and backs its pairs with a lifetime guarantee. The range uses 440C and VG-10 Japanese steel across 68 catalogued models, spanning cutting shears, thinning scissors, and matched sets. The Matakki Beast at $298 is the flagship convex, available in standard and red finishes, at 5.5 and 6.0 inch lengths.
Premium tier: $300 and above
Glamtech — $16 to $304, 17 models. From Worthing, West Sussex, founded 2004, Glamtech has put over 40,000 new stylists through its training-accessible One scissor range since launch. The current catalogue spans 440C student pairs to ATS-314 mid-range and ceramic-blade builds at the top. The Glamtech Ultra Ceramic at $304 is the full ceramic-blade pair — no metal at the blade surface, suited to stylists with nickel sensitivity or who cut heavily on bleached hair.
eBlade — $578 to $621, 5 models. Developed in Surbiton, Surrey over seven years before its 2017 launch, eBlade builds each pair around three grip modes: classic, Eastern, and inverted. A stabilising bar sits at the balance point, and each model ships in 5.5, 6.0, and 7.0 inch lengths. All five models use VG-10 cobalt stainless. The eBlade Master at $578 is the entry point into the line, with the TX and X variants above it.
How we chose
The nine brands above are UK-headquartered scissor brands on ScissorPedia with documented steel types and catalogued products. Representative product per brand: the model that best shows what the brand does at its core tier. Guide prices move; current figures are on each product page and brand page.
Adjacent roundups
For the German brands that sit in a different European tradition, the German scissor brands roundup covers Jaguar, TONDEO, Cerena, Nic, and EKS. For Japanese brands across price tiers, the Japanese brands by tier roundup maps the range from $64 to over $1,200.
Frequently Asked Questions
It varies by brand. Most UK scissor brands source Japanese steel and have manufacturing carried out in Japan or under Japanese quality standards, then sold and supported from UK offices. Matakki is based in Hull and describes a 120-stage process; TITAN references Birmingham distribution and a heritage since 1918; eBlade was developed and is sold from Surbiton, Surrey. Manufacturing location details are on each brand page.
Most UK-headquartered brands use Japanese steel grades. Matakki uses 440C and VG-10. Haito uses Japanese stainless steel. Nikko uses ATS-314 cobalt. TITAN’s range includes VG-10 and ATS-314 builds. eBlade uses VG-10. Glamtech uses ATS-314 and 440C, with full ceramic blades in the Ultra Ceramic. German steel is more common in brands operating from Germany or central Europe.
The catalogued range runs from $15 to $762 guide prices across the nine brands. Entry options: Dark Stag from $76, Haito from $32, Sanguine from $15, TITAN from $51, Ninja from $112. Mid-range: Akito from $180 to $495, Nikko from $51 to $762 including Damascus builds. Matakki runs $100 to $1,518 across 68 catalogued models. eBlade sits at $578 to $621. Glamtech covers $16 to $304.
Several UK brands are positioned for the student and apprentice market. Haito’s range, from Hair Tools Ltd in Yorkshire, uses Japanese stainless steel convex construction at prices from $32 to $75. Glamtech’s One range, from Worthing in West Sussex, is the brand’s entry tier and has been used for student training globally. TITAN’s entry models start under $60 and include VG-10 builds in that range. Dark Stag’s DS1, at $76, is another barber-focused option at the entry level.