Washi

Washi has been around long enough to have earned its reputation honestly. Marc Milman started the company in 1988, and more than thirty-five years later it still runs as the Washi Scissor Company out of Hobe Sound, Florida. The pitch has stayed consistent: professional shears at fair prices, made in Japan, sold by an American outfit that knows the difference between marketing steel and real steel.

The steel story

That last point matters to Washi more than most. The company makes a specific promise around its Hitachi Japanese steel and says it guarantees the authenticity of what goes into the blades, which is a pointed claim in a market where steel names get borrowed loosely. The grade depends on the line. The flagship AX Ultimate runs cobalt ATS-314, the Knockout Master and Ultimate Silk use VG-10, and the GEN Master pairs V1 with ATS-34. Edges are convex, with an Anti-Push profile on the cutting models.

Range and techniques

The catalogue covers cutting shears, thinning shears, and genuine left-handed models like the Black Star Lefty, rather than righties flipped over. The supported work runs deep: slide and point cutting, scissor-over-comb, blending and texturing, weight removal, and texture control in the 10 to 20 percent range. Pricing lands mid-range, broadly $200 to $400 for most of the line.

Track record

Recognition has followed. Washi reports winning American Salon’s Professional’s Choice and the Launchpad Readers’ Choice across multiple consecutive years, which says less about any single pair and more about a brand that working stylists keep coming back to. You’ll find Washi on its own site plus Stay Sharp Shears and Edgemaster International. For company, our USA brands hub lists similar makers.

Sources

• Washi brand profile and manufacturer statements (washiscissor.com)