Joewell

Models here

27

Includes

18 cutting, 6 thinning, 3 sets

Lengths

4.5″ to 7.0″

At the heart of the Joewell collection is the classic shape: a straight, balanced cutting shear with both rings level, a satin finish and a removable finger rest. Around that classic, the collection has grown to include cobalt and powder-metal models, several kinds of offset handle, a thoughtful thinning range and a small group of shears made only for the left hand.

What ties it together is a habit of describing each shear plainly: the handle, the blade type, the finish and, for thinners, the share of hair each close removes. That makes Joewell easy to read once you know the vocabulary.

The classic line

The Joewell Classic is the reference point. It has a classic, level handle, what the maker calls the standard Joewell blade, a satin finish and a removable finger rest, in sizes from 4.5 to 7.0 inches under simple model numbers: 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70.

Around it sit close relatives:

• Classic PRO. The same level handle with a convex edge, as the PRO 450 to PRO 600.
• New Era. A level, symmetric handle and the standard blade, in 5.0 and 5.5 inches.
• Classic Serrated. A serrated Joewell blade, which holds the hair still as the blades close, in 4.5 to 5.5 inches.
• Bamboo. The Joewell Bamboo blade, offered with either a classic or an offset handle.

The level handle lets the shear turn freely between the fingers. It suits stylists who cut with an open, upright hand and like to rotate the shear as they move around the head.

Steels and the Supreme

Most Joewell models are listed in the maker's supreme stainless alloy. Two other materials stand out.

• Cobalt base alloy CBA-1. Used on the Cobalt, in a satin finish, and on the New Cobalt, in a black colour coating, which is offered with a classic or an offset handle.
• Powder metal alloy. Used on the Supreme SPM models, with a powder finish.

The Supreme family is a quiet lesson in handles. The Supreme SPM Offset pairs a sword and flat blade with an offset handle and a permanent finger rest covered in silicone rubber. The Supreme Symmetric pairs a sword and convex blade with a level handle. The Supreme Convex, in cobalt base alloy, adds a convex pro blade and a titanium-coated handle in 5.7 and 6.0 inches. Holding all three is the clearest way to feel how much a handle changes a shear.

Offset designs

Joewell's offsets come in degrees.

• 3D offset. The FX and FX PRO angle the thumb ring as well as lowering it. The FX PRO adds a sword flat blade.
• Ergonomic offset. The Ergo ZII uses a convex Joewell blade suited to both blunt and slice cutting, with a permanent finger rest.
• Semi offset. The X Offset and the SZ Semi sit between level and offset, in the in-between sizes of 5.25 and 5.75 inches.

For a stylist moving from a classic Joewell to an offset, a semi offset is often the gentlest first step.

Thinners, by cut ratio

Joewell lists most of its thinners by cut ratio, the share of hair each close removes. It is a more direct guide than tooth count alone.

• SNT-40 Volume Control. 40 teeth, a 5% cut ratio and tiny grooves at the tip of each tooth: for the lightest blending.
• E series. The E-30 at 15% and the E-40 at 35%, on a classic handle with a reversible finger rest, 5.6 inches.
• BC-40 Black Crest. 40 teeth at 35%, with a black titanium colour coating, 5.9 inches.
• FX-PRO 40. 40 teeth at 35% on a 3D offset handle, 6.0 inches.
• HXG. A texturizer with 20 teeth at 15 to 20% or 17 teeth at 25 to 30%.
• JGC-12. 12 teeth and an 80% cut ratio: closer to a cutting shear with gaps than a thinner.

Notice that the SNT-40 and the BC-40 share a tooth count but not a cut ratio. That is why the ratio matters.

Shears for the left hand

Joewell offers three cutting shears made only for left-handed stylists: the FX LEFTY (FX-L55) with an offset handle, the LC LEFTY in 5.0 and 5.5 inches, and the LSF Lefty, a 6.5 or 7.0 inch barber shear with a slicing convex edge. Each is a reversed design, so the blades meet cleanly under a left-hand grip.

Sets

The Classic, Classic PRO and New Era sets each pair a cutter with an E series thinner, and you choose the E-30 or the E-40. The cutter and thinner share the classic handle and satin finish.

Who Joewell suits

Joewell suits stylists who trained on a level handle and want to keep that feel; those who want to try offset handles within one familiar maker; anyone who prefers to choose a thinner by cut ratio; and left-handed stylists looking for a dedicated design. If you own a Joewell you like, matching its model number and size is the surest way to choose the next one.

Choosing, and caring

Choose the handle first, then the size, then the blade and steel. Removable finger rests can come off if they press on your little finger. Wipe the blades after each client, oil the pivot at the end of the day and keep the shear in its case. Prices are in Canadian dollars.

To see Joewell beside a maker with a very different approach, read Joewell and Ichiro compared. Or browse the Joewell collection.