Sanguine

Most budget scissor brands are content to import and rebadge. Sanguine, working out of Barking in east London since 2009, took the less common route of moving from reselling into making its own line. That history shows in how the brand pitches itself: affordable, but with the specs you would normally associate with a step or two up the ladder.

The professional range is built around 440C stainless with a convex edge and adjustable tension, finished by hand and offered in a fair spread of handle colours. Weights tend to land in the 45 to 50 gram bracket, which keeps the pairs light enough for long days without feeling flimsy.

Who it suits

This is kit for students and early-career stylists who are still building out a bag and would rather not spend a week’s wages on a single pair. Sanguine sits firmly in the budget band, generally under 100 dollars, and it has clearly found an audience there. The brand’s Amazon UK presence runs to thousands of reviews, which is a useful signal of volume even if it tells you nothing about how a pair feels in your own hand.

A convex edge on a budget shear is a sensible trade-off to understand before you buy. It cuts cleanly and suits slide work, but it is fussier to maintain than a bevel and benefits from a sharpener who knows what they are doing rather than a generic grind.

Range and where to buy

Hair scissors are the core, with shaving razors and salon accessories rounding out the catalogue. You can order direct from sanguinescissors.co.uk, and the brand also lists on Amazon, eBay, and Etsy in the UK. Distribution is UK-focused, though the marketplace listings put it within reach further afield. For more options at this price point, the brands directory and the UK hub are good places to compare.