MIZUTANI

“The Beauty of Imperfection” We Japanese have long believed that tools used with care over many years become imbued with spirit. In this age of mass production and consumption, I believe we must not forget the concept of “cherishing and using one item for a long time.” Having continuously observed the art of cutting hair, contemplated the relationship between “hair,” “hands,” and “scissors,” and pursued our own research and development from material selection to design and production, we remain committed to crafting each pair meticulously by hand. Mizutani continues to create products without forgetting the traditions, passion, pride, and skills passed down from craftsman to craftsman for generations. Unlike standardized machine-made products, Mizutani scissors are individually hand-carved from steel and carefully finished—they may be “imperfect” but convey “warmth” and become more cherished with use. The scissors pictured above were made by our founder and used by a barber for over 30 years, sharpened until the tips became thin with wear. Having our products used with affection for many years—that is the joy of scissor-making for us at Mizutani. HISTORY of Mizutani Mizutani takes pride in its long history and tradition of scissor making. The first Mizutani was born in Asakusa, Tokyo in 1921, when our founder designed and created scissors out of his own passion and necessity for better tools. Unsatisfied with scissors that “merely cut,” he relentlessly pursued “scissors that cut well and are easy to use,” ultimately earning the support of users. We continue to refine our inherited traditional techniques, maintaining the patience, passion, and strong determination to spare no time or effort in creating better scissors. MATERIALS at Mizutani It takes time to develop our material preferences into products. This requires perseverance to overcome many obstacles without giving up. By constantly testing new steel materials and overcoming various challenges, we have been able to develop and gain recognition for groundbreaking steel materials such as “Stellite,” “Damascus,” and “Nano Powder Metal.” At Mizutani, we believe ideas only have value when put into action. Rare metals like “cobalt,” which improves wear resistance and strength against heat and rust; “molybdenum,” which enhances toughness and lasting sharpness; and “vanadium,” which refines the steel structure and increases flexibility and wear resistance—Mizutani’s history can be described as a quest for the most suitable alloy steel for scissors with these elements appropriately added. CRAFTSMANSHIP at Mizutani What handcrafting makes possible. The essential fusion of materials and craftsmanship. Our continued pursuit of and commitment to better quality drives us toward handcrafting. Allowing the material to naturally take form in the craftsman’s hands, moving slowly and honestly toward completion with hand finishing—this means sparing no time or effort in creation. Hastily and forcibly made objects cannot match the lifespan of those finished slowly and lovingly. At Mizutani, each pair of scissors is meticulously crafted over time with a commitment to “handcrafting,” never forgetting the traditions, passion, pride, patience, and skills passed down from craftsman to craftsman for generations. THE BEAUTY of Mizutani When creating new scissors, we consider what users need and focus on how to unify function, quality, and beauty. We believe a craftsman’s work is to breathe life into scissors. Only when the maker’s passion is palpably transmitted does it become a beautiful existence. Every model is designed with meticulous attention to detail and developed with passion and precision. “Function, quality, and beauty”—without any one of these, they are not Mizutani scissors. Mizutani continues to demand from design not only numerical specifications but also added value beyond the material—the sense of warmth, comfortable use, joy of ownership, and pleasure of use. MIZUTANI 100 years: History of Spectacle-Type Scissors Even simple scissors evolve alongside hairstyles and fashion. The scissors shown here are spectacle-type, but their design has changed with the times. For example, the 4.5-inch model from the 1970s was from the era when the Sassoon cut was popular. The long-handled type from the 1960s evolved from the traditional bob-cut style. Additionally, the leaf type from the 1960s became the prototype for today’s Acro Leaf and Acro Leaf Wide. The New Pixy, announced in 2006, features an organic form with three-dimensional handles. Though seemingly simple, the spectacle-type is the basic scissor style that has evolved to match each era. The New Pixy announced in 2006, the STELLITE 1 series announced in 2011, and the ACRO TYPE M series announced in 2011 all feature organic forms with three-dimensional handles. Then in 2014, the Sword MB series was announced, made with the new material Nano Powder Metal. Though seemingly simple, the spectacle-type is the basic scissor style that has evolved to match the hairstyles of each era.

About Us

“The Beauty of Imperfection” We Japanese have long believed that tools used with care over many years become imbued with spirit. In this age of mass production and consumption, I believe we must not forget the concept of “cherishing and using one item for a long time.” Having continuously observed the art of cutting hair, contemplated the relationship between “hair,” “hands,” and “scissors,” and pursued our own research and development from material selection to design and production, we remain committed to crafting each pair meticulously by hand. Mizutani continues to create products without forgetting the traditions, passion, pride, and skills passed down from craftsman to craftsman for generations. Unlike standardized machine-made products, Mizutani scissors are individually hand-carved from steel and carefully finished—they may be “imperfect” but convey “warmth” and become more cherished with use. The scissors pictured above were made by our founder and used by a barber for over 30 years, sharpened until the tips became thin with wear. Having our products used with affection for many years—that is the joy of scissor-making for us at Mizutani. HISTORY of Mizutani Mizutani takes pride in its long history and tradition of scissor making. The first Mizutani was born in Asakusa, Tokyo in 1921, when our founder designed and created scissors out of his own passion and necessity for better tools. Unsatisfied with scissors that “merely cut,” he relentlessly pursued “scissors that cut well and are easy to use,” ultimately earning the support of users. We continue to refine our inherited traditional techniques, maintaining the patience, passion, and strong determination to spare no time or effort in creating better scissors. MATERIALS at Mizutani It takes time to develop our material preferences into products. This requires perseverance to overcome many obstacles without giving up. By constantly testing new steel materials and overcoming various challenges, we have been able to develop and gain recognition for groundbreaking steel materials such as “Stellite,” “Damascus,” and “Nano Powder Metal.” At Mizutani, we believe ideas only have value when put into action. Rare metals like “cobalt,” which improves wear resistance and strength against heat and rust; “molybdenum,” which enhances toughness and lasting sharpness; and “vanadium,” which refines the steel structure and increases flexibility and wear resistance—Mizutani’s history can be described as a quest for the most suitable alloy steel for scissors with these elements appropriately added. CRAFTSMANSHIP at Mizutani What handcrafting makes possible. The essential fusion of materials and craftsmanship. Our continued pursuit of and commitment to better quality drives us toward handcrafting. Allowing the material to naturally take form in the craftsman’s hands, moving slowly and honestly toward completion with hand finishing—this means sparing no time or effort in creation. Hastily and forcibly made objects cannot match the lifespan of those finished slowly and lovingly. At Mizutani, each pair of scissors is meticulously crafted over time with a commitment to “handcrafting,” never forgetting the traditions, passion, pride, patience, and skills passed down from craftsman to craftsman for generations. THE BEAUTY of Mizutani When creating new scissors, we consider what users need and focus on how to unify function, quality, and beauty. We believe a craftsman’s work is to breathe life into scissors. Only when the maker’s passion is palpably transmitted does it become a beautiful existence. Every model is designed with meticulous attention to detail and developed with passion and precision. “Function, quality, and beauty”—without any one of these, they are not Mizutani scissors. Mizutani continues to demand from design not only numerical specifications but also added value beyond the material—the sense of warmth, comfortable use, joy of ownership, and pleasure of use. MIZUTANI 100 years: History of Spectacle-Type Scissors Even simple scissors evolve alongside hairstyles and fashion. The scissors shown here are spectacle-type, but their design has changed with the times. For example, the 4.5-inch model from the 1970s was from the era when the Sassoon cut was popular. The long-handled type from the 1960s evolved from the traditional bob-cut style. Additionally, the leaf type from the 1960s became the prototype for today’s Acro Leaf and Acro Leaf Wide. The New Pixy, announced in 2006, features an organic form with three-dimensional handles. Though seemingly simple, the spectacle-type is the basic scissor style that has evolved to match each era. The New Pixy announced in 2006, the STELLITE 1 series announced in 2011, and the ACRO TYPE M series announced in 2011 all feature organic forms with three-dimensional handles. Then in 2014, the Sword MB series was announced, made with the new material Nano Powder Metal. Though seemingly simple, the spectacle-type is the basic scissor style that has evolved to match the hairstyles of each era.