Yagyu

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

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