Okamiya
- Japan
- Est. 1958
-
Budget Luxury
Okamiya is a Japanese scissor maker founded in 1958 in Osaka, known for patented contactless ball bearing pivots and HRC 64+ blade hardness.
Research sits inside Okamiya’s registered name (Okamiya Blade Craftsmanship Research Co., Ltd.), and the Toyonaka, Osaka scissor maker, founded in 1958, works accordingly. A patented contactless ball-bearing pivot arrived in 1991, the patented 3DII screw update in 2018, and a wave-blade process it calls WavePower in 2020, with blades heat-treated...
Research sits inside Okamiya’s registered name (Okamiya Blade Craftsmanship Research Co., Ltd.), and the Toyonaka, Osaka scissor maker, founded in 1958, works accordingly. A patented contactless ball-bearing pivot arrived in 1991, the patented 3DII screw update in 2018, and a wave-blade process it calls WavePower in 2020, with blades heat-treated to HRC 64 and above. Its cutting and thinning shears sell direct through the company’s own online shop.
Overview
Okamiya is a Japanese scissor manufacturer founded in 1958 and based in Osaka Prefecture. The company operates under the formal name 有限会社岡宮刃物技研 (Okamiya Blade Craftsmanship Research Co., Ltd.). According to the brand, their focus has been on developing proprietary technologies related to blade hardness and pivot systems.
Okamiya has a long history of tool innovation. In its early years the company built equipment for scissor inspection, including a deflection gauge used to measure blade warping. In 1991, the brand released what it describes as Japan’s first patented scissors with contactless ball bearings. That bearing system was later updated with a patented 3DII screw design in 2018.
Product Range
Okamiya produces cutting scissors and thinning scissors. Their thinning models cover a range of cut rates, including 25% and 30 to 35% options. According to the brand, their proprietary heat treatment process brings blade hardness to HRC 64 or higher, which they say extends edge retention well beyond standard levels.
In 2020 the company introduced what it calls “Super Dense Wave Blade WavePower” technology. This is a wave blade processing method that, according to Okamiya, further extends sharpness longevity beyond what high hardness alone can achieve.
Distribution
Okamiya sells through its own online shop and through an official product page at okamiyahamono.com. The brand is positioned in the mid to upper price range. Okamiya’s headquarters and operations remain in Osaka, where the company has been based since its founding.
See Also
Okamiya at a glance
- Budget
- Mid-range $200–400
- Makes
- Cutting Scissors, Thinning Scissors
- Based in
- Japan
- Catalogue
- 8 models listed
- Established
- 1958
Product Types
Specialties
Materials & Construction
The steel, edges, and handle styles Okamiya works in:
Where to Buy
Official Brand Websites
Products
How Okamiya Compares
| Brand | Okamiya | bmac | alpha | Alu-Coba |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan |
| Typical price | Mid-range | US$970–US$1,500 | Mid-range | US$200–US$250 |
| Steel | Super Gold II, Stainless cobalt alloy | VG-10, Super Gold II | SG2 | Cobalt steel |
| Blade types | — | — | — | — |
| Handles | — | Classic | — | Offset |
| Specialties | Blunt cut, Thinning(25%), Thinning(30~35%) | Blunt cut, Slide cut, Dry cut, Texturizing, Blending, Creative cut | Volume control, Slide cut, Stroke cut, Blunt cut, Texture control | Base cut, Step cut, Volume control, Texture control |
| Founded | 1958 | 2002 | 2006 | 1946 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Okamiya is a Japan-based maker founded in 1958 and based in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture, operating as 有限会社岡宮刃物技研.
Okamiya is known for its pivot engineering. In 1991 it introduced a patented contactless ball-bearing pivot, and it heat-treats its high-hardness blades to HRC 64 and above for long edge retention.
Okamiya’s high-hardness models use Super Gold II, a powder-metal stainless run at HRC 64 to 64.5; see the SG2 / R2 reference. Its AT-series models use a stainless cobalt alloy.
Okamiya’s catalogue covers cutting and thinning scissors, with thinning models offered in roughly 25 percent and 30 to 35 percent cut rates.
Okamiya prices sit mid-band for professional Japanese-made shears. Per-model figures are not catalogued here; current prices are listed in the company’s own online shop and at okamiyahamono.com.
Okamiya sells direct through its own online shop and lists its full range on its official site at okamiyahamono.com.
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