If you are just starting your hairdressing career, you need good tools! You must rely on your tools to give you high-quality results, but while you are building your clientele you're probably also cost-conscious. You want to find the best value for what is likely a limited budget, and your shears may be the first tool you take time and care to purchase.

Price + Longevity

While one of your primary considerations in your purchase of shears will be cost, you also should factor in durability. The longer your shears last, the less they cost in the long run. If you find you have to replace shears frequently, they're not much of a bargain no matter how low they're priced. Also, as the team at Sensei Shear Systems points out, when you amortize your purchase over a decade or more, you may be able to afford to add specialty shears to your toolkit, saving you time and improving your results. The team says that Sensei Shear Systems makes shears that last for decades and offers a selection of quality texture shears and specialty shears.

The Sensei team recommends starting your career with shears from the affordable Sensei Fundamentals line:

• Sensei Power (PWR), a high-quality, affordable shear with a powerful cutting feel.

• Sensei ZIP, available in both left-handed and right-handed models.

• Cane Grip (CG), Neutral Grip (NG), and Swivel Grip (SG), all available iin both left-handed and right-handed models. Each series includes texture shears as well.

All of these shears are cryogenically tempered to minimize how often they need sharpening. Like all Sensei tools, the shears are backed by a lifetime warranty. 

"Start with these for the first few years of your career, and they will help you get great results," the Sensei team members advise. "Over time you can graduate to some of our next-level shears called ManeStays, which compare with models selling for hundreds more. Or you can advance to our ToughBlade series of phenomenal shears with high-tech features, truly among the best in the world with edges that last three years or more between sharpening."

Buyer Beware

The team urges new hairdressers to be wary of letting a high-pressure salesperson talk you into buying a "designer shear" on a payment plan.

"Before you spend more than $300 on a scissor," the team cautions, "make sure you are getting features that will make that shear worth it, like polymer-lined pivots, ball bearings, and Zero-Gravity Tension Systems™. If someone wants to sell you a sharpening plan so you can sharpen your shear three times a year, ask yourself why your scissor should need to be sharpened more than once in a year. At Sensei, we try to educate, with no pressure, and we know our quality and durability will serve you well at all levels of your career.