Yagyu
- Japan
- Est. 1990
-
Budget Luxury
Yagyu is a Japanese scissor manufacturer founded in 1990 in Hiroshima, known for its patented split screw pivot and handcrafted production.
Look at Yagyu’s logo and you are looking at its pivot screw, the patented split screw, a loosening-resistant design from the Japanese scissor maker. Founded in February 1990 by Matsuo Yagyu and based in Kure City, Hiroshima, with a Tokyo branch in Shibuya, the company sells its largely handmade cutting...
Look at Yagyu’s logo and you are looking at its pivot screw, the patented split screw, a loosening-resistant design from the Japanese scissor maker. Founded in February 1990 by Matsuo Yagyu and based in Kure City, Hiroshima, with a Tokyo branch in Shibuya, the company sells its largely handmade cutting and thinning scissors direct through its own store, with no third-party distributors. Left-handed models sit alongside the standard range.
Overview
Yagyu is a Japanese scissor manufacturer founded in February 1990 by Matsuo Yagyu, who serves as President and CEO. The company is headquartered in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, with a Tokyo branch in Shibuya. Yagyu operates under a direct sales model, selling its scissors without third-party distributors. The brand also sells under the “Leox” product line.
Manufacturing
Yagyu’s factory is located in Kure City, a region in southwestern Hiroshima Prefecture facing the Seto Inland Sea. The city has a history of industrial manufacturing dating back to its days as a major naval port. Yagyu states that most of their production processes are performed by hand, including welding blade material to handle parts, polishing blades into clam-shell or sword edge profiles, and the final back pressing process that determines the scissor’s finish.
The company produces cutting scissors, thinning scissors, and left-handed scissors. Their product range covers techniques including blunt cutting, slide cutting, stroke cutting, chop cutting, dry cutting, and various levels of volume and texture control.
Split Screw Technology
Yagyu’s founding story centers on the development of a “freely adjustable, loosening-resistant split screw.” Professional scissors open and close thousands of times daily, making the pivot screw a critical component. Standard screws face a tension between being replaceable and staying tight during use. Yagyu’s split screw design, which uses a spring inserted into a screw cut in half, addresses this problem. The company logo is modeled after this split screw mechanism.
Yagyu holds multiple patents related to their screw and scissor designs, both in Japan and internationally (including the United States and Europe).
Distribution
Yagyu sells directly through its online store at yagyu.shop-pro.jp. The company’s direct sales approach means buyers purchase from the manufacturer rather than through retail intermediaries. For customers needing in-person service at the Tokyo branch, Yagyu asks that they contact the Hiroshima head office in advance.
See Also
Yagyu at a glance
- Budget
- Mid-range $200–400
- Makes
- Cutting Scissors, Thinning Scissors, Left-Handed Scissors
- Based in
- Japan
- Catalogue
- 5 models listed
- Established
- 1990
Product Types
Specialties
Where to Buy
Official Brand Websites
Products
How Yagyu Compares
| Brand | Yagyu | alpha | Alu-Coba | Atali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Japan | Japan | Japan | Japan |
| Typical price | Mid-range | Mid-range | US$200–US$250 | US$70–US$100 |
| Steel | — | SG2 | Cobalt steel | Japanese Stainless Steel |
| Blade types | — | — | — | — |
| Handles | — | — | Offset | Offset, Even |
| Specialties | Blunt cut, Slide cut, Stroke cut, Chop cut, Volume control (5-40%), Texture control (10-32%), Thinning (12~15%), Dry cut, Treatment cut | Volume control, Slide cut, Stroke cut, Blunt cut, Texture control | Base cut, Step cut, Volume control, Texture control | — |
| Founded | 1990 | 2006 | 1946 | — |
Verified Sources
- Primary 🇯🇵 Yagyu Scissors — Official Shop (manufacturer official)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Matsuo Yagyu set the company up in February 1990, and it is headquartered in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, with a Tokyo branch in Shibuya. Its scissors are made in Japan.
Yagyu is known for its patented split screw pivot, a loosening-resistant design that the company logo is modeled on, and for production that is largely done by hand.
Yagyu makes cutting scissors and thinning scissors, covering techniques such as blunt cut, slide cut, stroke cut, chop cut, and dry cut, plus volume and texture control models.
Yes. Yagyu offers left-handed models alongside its standard right-handed cutting and thinning shears.
Handcrafted Japanese scissors at mid-range money. With no Yagyu models catalogued yet, current pricing comes from the maker’s own online store, its only sales channel.
Yagyu sells directly through its own online store rather than through third-party distributors, so buyers purchase from the manufacturer.
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