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Maker story

Yasaka

Made in Japan. A compact range of cutting shears with clam-shaped convex edges, distinct handles for distinct hands, and thinners by tooth count.

By Japan Scissors Canada · Updated

On this page
  1. One edge, carefully repeated
  2. The steels
  3. A handle for each way of cutting
  4. Reading a model code
  5. Thinners by tooth count
  6. Sets
  7. Who Yasaka suits
  8. Choosing, and caring
Origin
Made in Japan
Models here
21
Includes
15 cutting, 3 thinning, 3 sets
Lengths
4.5″ to 7.0″

Yasaka shears are made in Japan. The range is small and deliberate. Rather than one design in many colours, Yasaka offers a set of shapes, each with a clear job and a plain model code: a shear for dry cutting, a long blade for barbering, a French handle, a left-handed design, and thinners chosen by the number of teeth.

The finish is the same polished steel across the collection. What changes from model to model is the handle, the length and the blade shape. That makes Yasaka an unusually clear maker to compare: put two models side by side and the difference you see is the difference you'll feel.

One edge, carefully repeated

Nearly every Yasaka cutting shear is listed with a slice cutting edge and what the maker calls a clam-shaped convex blade. In cross-section, the blade swells slightly and then curves down to the cutting line, like the outline of a clamshell. The result is a smooth, quiet close and a clean slice through the hair.

Because the edge is consistent, you can move between Yasaka models without relearning how the blades behave. Many stylists value that above any single feature. Only the shape of the blade varies: the Dry Cut, for instance, uses a wide, curved blade the maker likens to a bamboo leaf.

The steels

Three steels appear across the cutting shears, each named on the product page.

  • ATS314 cobalt stainless steel is the most common, used on the Offset, Traditional, Dry Cut, Dry W, KM, SK Long, SL, L 65 and the 7.0 inch barber shear.
  • SUS440C is used on the SA Classic, the SA Offset and the YA, and on the 440C left-handed shear.
  • VG10 appears on the SSS, and a VG10 cobalt steel on the F-CUT.

A handle for each way of cutting

This is where Yasaka is most generous. For so compact a range, the product pages list a wide spread of handle styles:

  • Traditional and Classic. Both rings level, for an open, upright hand. The Traditional, the SA Classic, the L 65 and the SSS use them.
  • Offset. The thumb ring sits lower, so the elbow can stay down. The Offset, the SA Offset, the YA, the SL, the SK Long and the Dry Cut use this style.
  • 3D Offset. The KM adds an angle to the offset for a more natural thumb position.
  • Semi offset. A gentle offset on the 7.0 inch barber shear, halfway between the two.
  • Hennessy. The Dry W is built on a Hennessy handle, its own distinct shape.
  • French. The F-CUT, a 6.5 inch shear, uses a French handle.
  • Lefty offset. The left-handed shear is a reversed design with its own offset handle.

If you already know which handle suits you, Yasaka will usually have a model built around it.

Reading a model code

Yasaka model codes carry useful information. In the Offset line, SS-450, S-500, SM-550 and M-600 are the 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0 inch sizes. The Traditional line follows the same pattern as SS-45 to M-60. On the SK Long, SK-6.0 and SK-7.0 give the length directly, and the DRY-5.5W tells you it is the 5.5 inch Dry W.

The product pages also name the fulcrum screw, the part that holds the blades together and sets the tension. Most models use a flat screw in a small or large size; the YA, the left-handed shear and the 7.0 inch SK Long use an adjustable screw.

Thinners by tooth count

The YS thinner is a 6.0 inch offset thinning shear offered with 16, 20, 30 or 40 teeth, as the YS-160, YS-200, YS-300 and YS-400. Fewer teeth take out more weight with each close; more teeth blend more softly. The maker describes its teeth as sharpened prism teeth.

The YS-30 is a 30-tooth thinner on a traditional handle, offered as the 30S, 30T and 30W. The SA-30 OF is a 5.5 inch, 30-tooth thinner in SUS440C with an offset handle.

Sets

Yasaka's sets pair a cutter with a YS thinner, and you choose the tooth count. The Offset set and the Traditional set offer cutters from 4.5 to 6.0 inches, and the Traditional set pairs its level-handled cutter with an offset thinner. The Professional Barber set combines the 7.0 inch cutter with a 6.0 inch thinner.

Who Yasaka suits

Yasaka suits stylists and barbers who already know their preferred length and handle, and who want a precise, consistent shear built around that preference. It suits dry cutters, through the Dry Cut and Dry W; barbers, through the SK Long and the 7.0 inch shear; and left-handed stylists, through a true reversed design.

Choosing, and caring

Choose the handle first, then the length from the model code, then the steel. A convex edge asks for a soft cloth after each client, a drop of oil at the pivot at day's end, a closed case and a sharpener who knows convex edges. Prices are in Canadian dollars. If a model shows as backorder, it ships once the next stock arrives.

For a side-by-side view, read Juntetsu and Yasaka compared. Or browse the Yasaka collection.

From the Yasaka collection

See all 21 Yasaka models

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