SHIHAN

Shihan is a young line, launched in 2022 in the United States under the established Saki Shears umbrella. The name borrows a Japanese term for a master teacher or expert, and the positioning follows suit: professional cutting and thinning shears pitched at working barbers and stylists rather than collectors.

Sitting under a parent that already knows the professional shear market gives Shihan a head start a brand-new independent would not have, from supply chains to warranty handling. It also helps explain why a two-year-old brand can already offer a varied steel lineup, with blades drawn from VG-10, ZA-18, ATS-314, and 440C across different models.

Range and price

The catalogue stays focused: cutting scissors and thinning shears, built for blunt cutting, detailed trimming, shaping, texturizing, blending, and combined cut-and-thinning work. Pricing lands in the accessible band, roughly 100 to 200 dollars, which makes Shihan an easy pair to recommend to a stylist who wants reputable Japanese-style steel without a premium outlay. Because the steel varies model to model, check the grade on the specific pair you are buying rather than assuming the dearest alloy across the board.

Warranty and buying

Shihan backs its shears with a lifetime warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, with repair or replacement of any pair that fails under normal use; check the brand’s site for the full terms and exclusions. You can buy direct at shihanshears.com or through Scissors HQ. For other entry-to-mid options, the USA hub and the wider brands directory are worth a look.