How do you find the Left Handed scissors that suit your needs? German, Japanese or other well-known scissor manufacturing countries are making unique ergonomic shears that will keep you comfortable while you cut effortlessly.
Everyone tends to forget Left Handed hairdressers and barbers when it comes to releasing the new and exciting models of hair scissors.
We are focusing today on Everything Left Handed Hair Scissors and the Top 5 Left Handed Hair Scissors for professionals and home hairdressing enthusiasts.
Let's jump right into it!
Quick Summary
We have chosen these best 10 shears based on Australia's top-selling pairs, reviews, customer ratings, scissor manufacturer history and reputation, and the best value for money.
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The #1 Choice
Joewell LC Hair Cutting Scissors
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Best Lefty Set
Ichiro Rose Hair Scissors
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Best Entry Scissor
Jaguar Pre Style Left
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Best Quality
Yasaka Offset Cutting Scissors
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Best Entry Set
Mina Umi Cutting & Thinning Scissors Set
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Read more about: The Best Professional Hairdressing Scissor Brands!
3 Tips Know For Buying Left Handed Hair Scissors
Left handed hairdressing scissors are like any other pair of hair shears, but what should we look for when buying a new lefty pair?
Here we cover a few of the 'need-to-know' basics around buying lefty scissors.
1. The Size Of Hair Shears
When buying right handed hairdressing scissors, we often see 5", 5.5" and 6", but with Left handed scissors, we also see 5.25", 5.6" and 5.75" shear sizes.
This can be a little confusing, but the short answer as to why Left Handed Scissor Sizes are different is because of the angles of our left hand vs our right hand.
The most common left handed scissor sizes used by female hairstylists are:
- 5.25" inch shears
- 5.5" inch shears
- 5.75" inch shears
- 6.0" inch shears
- 5.75" inch shears
- 6.25" inch shears
- 6.5" inch shears
Follow these steps to find the correct size of hair scissors for left handed hairdressers and barbers:
Before you get started with shopping online for a new pair of hairdressing scissors, follow these steps to choosing the right size for you:
- Get a ruler or an old pair of hairdressing scissors
- Open your left hand and place it on the palm of your hand
- Measure the full hair scissors or ruler against the palm of your hand
- Put the tip of the blade or the ruler on the end of your middle finger
- Measure the blade or ruler against your middle finger
If in doubt, the most common female size of lefty scissors are 5.5" and 5.75" and the male size are 6.0" and 6.25".
Read more about: How To Choose Hairdressing Scissors!
2. The Types Of Left Handed Scissors
Left handed scissors are not too different than regular scissors. Here we explain the most commonly used and bought left handed hair cutting and thinning scissors in Australia.
Short Lefty Scissors
Short left handed hairdressing scissors are between the sizes of 4.5" and 5.25" inches. These are portable and are capable of most hair cutting techniques.
Easy to move between locations and are powerful for point and cutting techniques.
Long Lefty Scissors
For most barbering techniques and hairdressers looking for a left handed scissor with more power, the long blade shears are the best choice.
These long blade left handed scissors sizes range between 6.5" and 7.25" inches.
Texturizing & Thinning Lefty Scissors
For hair styling that requires a bit of thinning, the left handed scissors have the same cut ratio as right handed scissors.
Left handed thinning and texturising scissors are best sizes are between 5.5" and 6.25" inches.
The most common types lefty thinning scissors have between 30 teeth and 40 teeth.
3. The Hair Scissor Handles
There are a few default scissor handle types that are also available for left handed hairdressers and barbers.
The most popular left handed scissor handles are ergonomic to support hair cutting movements without putting strain on your muscles and joints.
Offset Scissor Handles
The left handed offset handles on hair scissors are best suited for professionals cutting for long-hours. The angles naturally support the grip in your left hand and this maintains a comfortable cutting position.
Offset scissors with a lefty positioned handle is the best ergonomic choice for safe hair cutting.
Opposing Classic Scissor Handles
The opposing (symmetrical) left handed handle is a traditional style that is the second most common type found in hair salons and barber shops.
Even though the Opposing classic handles are not ergonomic, they do not put heavy strain
Crane Scissor Handles
The Crane style left handed scissor handles are the most ergonomic (non-swivel) choice available for hairdressers and barbers.
The crane handle is a deeper offset pushing than the basic offset shear and provides a more nested and comfortable ergonomic grip.
Summary
If you are unsure of what type of left handed scissors you should buy, then we have provided a few examples based on the most popular and commonly sold lefty shears.
- Female hairdressers: 5.5" inch left handed offset short blade scissors
- Male hairdressers: 6" inch left handed offset short blade scissors
- Female barbers: 6.5" inch lefty offset long blade shears
- Male barbers: 7.0" inch lefty offset long blade shears
Read more about: The different types of hairdressing scissors!
The Top 10 Best Hair Cutting Scissors
1. Joewell LC Left Handed Cutting Scissor
Joewell comes from Northern Japan and is made with their unique all-rounder hair cutting blades that are suitable for all hair styling techniques.
Easily one of the best value and high quality Left Handed scissors from Japan.
Browse more from the: Joewell Scissor Brand Here!
Pros
- ✔️ Made in Japan with premium materials
- ✔️ Sharp Japanese Joewell Blade
- ✔️ Well-balanced design
- ✔️ Offset ergonomics
Cons
- ❌ Joewell standard blade may not be as popular as convex edge
2. Ichiro Rose Left Handed Scissor Set
The most popular left handed scissor set on the Japan Scissors online platform. Made with 440C steel and offset ergonomics, they are capable of most hair cutting techniques.
The Ichiro left handed models use a convex edge blade for the sharpest cuts and a hand-adjustable tension.
Browse more from the: Ichiro Scissor Brand here!
Pros
- ✔️ 440C Stainless Steel
- ✔️ Convex Edge Blade
- ✔️ Well-balanced design
Cons
- ❌ Unique handle design might not be suitable for everyone
3. Jaguar Left Handed Relax Scissor
Jaguar produces left handed scissors from Germany with sharp micro serrated blades and high quality chromium steel.
The Jaguar left handed scissors use a fine satin finish, key adjustable tension and a light-well-balanced design for professional hairdressers and barbers.
Browse more from the: Jaguar Scissor Brand Here!
Pros
- ✔️ Offset Ergonomics
- ✔️ Light-Weight German Steel
- ✔️ Micro Serrated Blades
Cons
- ❌ Serrated Blades might not suit advanced hair styles
- ❌ Only available in right-handed models
4. Yasaka Left Handed Scissors
Yasaka produces high quality left handed hairdressing and barbering scissors in Nara, Japan.
The Yasaka Lefty shears use offset ergonomics, clam-shaped convex edge blades and a light-weight well balanced design for professional use.
Browse more from the: Yasaka Scissosr Brand Here!
Browse more from the: Yasaka Scissosr Brand Here!
Pros
- ✔️ Best quality steel for scissors
- ✔️ Sharpest convex edge blade
- ✔️ Professional offset ergonomics
- ✔️ Hand tension
Cons
- ❌ Simple design
5. Mina Umi Left Handed Scissor Set
Mina Umi is the most popular entry-level left handed scissors that are as effective at cutting hair for professionals as they are for home hairdressing.
The Umi scissors use a sharp flat-edge blade, offset ergonomic design and a thinning scissor with a 30-40% cut ratio.
Easily the most affordable Left Handed scissor set available!
Browse more from the: Mina Scissor Brand Here!
Pros
- ✔️ Most Affordable Set
- ✔️ Ergonomic offset design
- ✔️ Sharp All-Rounder Design
Cons
- ❌ May require sharpening more often than Joewell or Yasaka shears
5 Simple Tricks For How To Cut Hair With Left Handed Scissors
Left handed people account for 10% of the world's population, but how many lefty hairdressers and barbers are there in Australia?
There are a lot of left handed hair stylists, but it can be difficult learning right handed hair cutting techniques.
So we have put together 5 tips on how Left Handed people can cut hair at home or in the salon or barber shop.
What you need to get started is a pair of scissors, a spray bottle, a comb, and a lucky person looking to get a trim.
1. Spray The Hair Lightly With Water
Get out that spray bottle and use it lightly across all areas. Be careful not to soak or drench the hair, but a light spray will allow you to easily cut the hair.
2. Comb Through The Hair
3. Start Cutting Hair
Start cutting the slightly wet hair by grabbing an area of hair and holing it with the ends of your fingers with your left hand (right hand if you are a lefty).
You will leave one or two inches of hair at the top of your fingertips for cutting.
Cut the hair diagonally. Then grab the hair behind this section and start cutting in the same fashion. Continue to do this until you have cut across all areas of the head.
4. Review, Trim and Perfect
If areas seem too thick or long, you can go through it once more and cut to perfection.
5. Trimming Hair Bangs (Fringe)
Depending on the style you are going for, trimming the bangs can be as easy as the rest of the head. You can comb the hair down, the decide how to start trimming.
Do Left Handers Need Special Scissors?
Left Handed (Lefty) hairdressing scissors account for 20-30% of scissor sales, but only 1 in 50 models include a special Lefty scissor design.Left handers require a special handle and scissor blade that is angled in the position of the left side of our body and have a left to right cutting motion.
A good hairdresser is a perfectionist, professional left-handed scissors are designed specifically for left-handed professionals cutting for hours on end.
Imagine cutting hair if you are left-handed and don’t have the right tools. You want a single hairdressing tool that can handle it with ease and precision.
It is all about left-hand-feel! As a lefty, you can't get away with using right-handed scissors every day.
The correct scissors should feel almost like an extension of your arm. We interviewed multiple hairdressers and barbers and a scissor expert to define what makes the best left-handed hairdressing scissors.
How Do Left Handed People Use Hair Scissors?
If a left handed person picks up a right handed scissor, the grip and handle will be in an unnatural and uncomfortable position.
Left handed people tend to squeeze the index finger and thumb together in a weird way that makes it extremely difficult to cut hair properly.
The problem with how left handed people use right handed scissors is that it may cause permanent damage such as callouses in your hand.
The angle of having a right handed scissor in your left hand means obscures and disrupts the cutting site of the blade.
How Do We Choose The Best Left Hand Hairdresser Scissors
What Size Should I Pick For Left-Scissors?
One important detail for hair-professionals is the blade length and material: All the experts we spoke with recommended anywhere from 4.5 inches to 7-inch, steel blades for left-handed hairdressers.
“I use seven inches,” Hair Salon Owner Julie Fernandez explained. “Standard industry size is 5.5 inches, but the trend is showing all our girls and boys use seven inch (7-inch)”
Stainless Steel Scissor Blades
We placed an emphasis on stainless Japanese And German Scissors. Trevor Morgan from Scissor Expert Magazine mentioned that “All experts agree that the Japanese stainless steel hand-crafted left-handed scissors are truly amazing in quality, durability and performance.”
Choosing The Best Left-Handed Thinning Scissors
Interview with Elizabeth from Germany
We have asked Elizabeth what her opinion is when choosing left-handed thinning scissors as a hairdressing professional:
“If you decide on one of the top brands like Yasaka, Juntetsu, Jaguar or Fuji MoreZ I highly recommend all of them as they have been in the market for a while and are proven within the hairdressing industry. I personally use Yasaka and Juntetsu for thinning as they both have a fantastic design that really give you a great feeling when thinning hair and the result are truly amazing!”
We Put 6 Left-Scissors To The Test
Ian Hannagan Professional Hairdresser with 30 years’ experience and owner of Hair Care International, visited our testing room to help us. It was great speaking with Ian as he is well respected in the hairdressing community in Australia and Internationally.
Top-grade stainless-steel scissors specially made for the left-hand-feel, we put our scissors through three common hairdressing tasks. Without going into too much detail Hannagan said” Yasaka, Jaguar and Juntetsu products are truly amazing. I am left-handed and using the latest stainless-steel scissors made my job more accurate and my customers and I are very happy with the results.“
The Best Left-Handed Scissors & Thinners
Number 1 Left Handed Hairdressing Scissor Thinner
Most Popular Left Handed Professional Hairdressing Scissors
Best for Experienced Hairdressers
What Scissors Are Lefty Scissors?
For a 2020 Guide to Left-Handed hairdressing scissors, its as simple as looking for the right handle, steel, blade and size. Below is a perfect example of a quality pair of lefty scissors from our 2020 guide on hairdressing scissors.
If you notice any missing hairdressing scissor details, feel free to contact us and we will confirm it with you. :)
The Conclusion: How Do I Choose The Best Left Handed Scissors?
There are different types of left handed scissors, but how do I choose the best one for me?
We want to see you with the best hair scissor choice and we strongly encourage left handed hairdressers and barbers to only use LEFTY handles.
The most popular left handed scissor for female hairdressers and barbers includes:
- 5.5" to 6.25" inch scissor size
- Offset and Opposing (Classic) lefty handle design
- Short and Long blade
- 30-40 teeth for thinning and texturising shears
The most popular left handed scissors for male hairdressers and barbers includes:
- 6" to 7" inch scissor size
- Offset and Opposing (Classic) lefty handle design
- Short and Long blade
- 30-40 teeth for thinning shears
The difference between a left handed scissor and a right handed scissor is primarily with the angle of the blade and the type of handle.
A left handed handle on hair scissors will be angled and designed to comfortably fit into our left hands.
If a left handed hairdresser or barber uses a right handed shear, you may cause damage to your wrist, elbow or joints.
Do left handers need special scissors to cut hair?
Left handers do need special scissors with unique handles that are angled in the left hand position that supports your fingers, thumb, elbow, and provides you with a comfortable cutting motion.
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Comments
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I’ve noticed that crane handles work best for me, especially if I have a lot of appointments on that day. I have the Jaguar scissors, both the cutting and thinning one, amazing quality, sharp and so easy to work with. One of those first expenses you make as a hairstylist that really pays off.
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With the proper tools, haircutting is so much easier. When I first started out I had no idea there’s such a thing as left-handed scissors so I just pulled through with regular scissors. The result? An awful wrist pain that is still present today, it lingered for years and years.
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