Naruto

Six decades of hand work sit behind Naruto Scissors. The Takarazuka workshop has built professional shears since 1963 and still finishes every pair by hand. Naruto’s 56 models run from 5.3 to 7.0 inches in the brand’s sintered cobalt alloy, with guide prices from about US$350 to US$2,770 through authorized dealers.

Company Background

Naruto Scissors (ナルトシザー) was founded in 1963 in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. The company has been handcrafting professional hairdressing shears at its Takarazuka workshop for over six decades. Among Japanese professionals, Naruto is one of the most recognized names in the industry. Multiple Japanese trade sources reference Naruto as a benchmark brand in discussions about premium shears.

The company operates under the leadership of president Yuji Kawano and maintains a small, focused production team. Every pair is built by hand, not by machine. According to Naruto, their craftsmen finish each set of blades and parts to a mirror polish individually. Naruto says its shears are built to last 20 to 30 years.

Distribution and Purchasing

Naruto sells through an authorized-dealer network. The brand site provides product and company information, while dealers handle current prices, availability, and orders.

This minimal web presence is intentional. Naruto’s sales channel relies on personal relationships between dealers and stylists, which is a more traditional Japanese purchasing model. In Japan, beauty dealers (ディーラー) visiting salons with sample cases remains the dominant way professionals buy shears.

Craftsmanship and Production

According to Naruto, the ideal blade angle is 45 degrees. Blades are finished evenly from the base to the tip while maintaining consistent thickness throughout. That thickness is what the company says produces their signature “soft cutting feeling.”

The blade curve, which directly affects the cutting sensation, is created by striking the blade with a mallet. Naruto’s craftspeople set the curve by eye and accumulated experience, targeting about 0.03 mm, roughly the thickness of a single strand of hair.

Sharpening is done with a whetstone to create the blade line on the inside edge. The craftsmen work by feel, applying just enough pressure so the shears open and close smoothly. Metallic dust produced during sharpening must be removed carefully. According to Naruto, one mistake at this stage and the scissors are ruined.

Naruto describes their construction as a “three-dimensional circular ride” structure. This proprietary internal geometry, combined with their hand sharpening technique, is what the company credits for the longevity and feel of their shears.

The Narashi-Giri Break-In Period

One detail worth knowing before you cut with a new pair of Naruto shears: they require a break-in period. (See our blog post: New Shear Break-In: Narashi-Giri and the First Clients.) This process is called narashi-giri (慣らし切り). Naruto’s care page asks owners to cut soft hair for about the first 10 clients before heavier cutting. The blades settle into their final action and feel through actual use. If you pick up a brand new pair and expect them to feel perfect on the first client, you will be disappointed. Give them time. This is normal for shears at this level and is part of the handmade nature of the product.

Pricing

Naruto sits in the Luxury band (US$800+) and sells through authorized dealers. Contact a dealer for current prices and model availability.

See Also

Best Naruto scissors →