History of Scissors

Scissors, whether they are home scissors for all types of use, or shears that are specialized for haircutting, are very familiar to almost all of us. Most people have at least one (or lots more!) of this particular tool.

But have have you ever thought about the history behind scissors or when the first scissor was invented? As a hairstylist who works with shears every single day to make my living, I thought I would investigate this a little bit.

Apparently, the first scissors were used around 3,000 to 4,000 years ago in Egypt. They were made with two bronze blades connected by a thin, curved bronze strip at the end of the blades. Squeezing the blades brought them together and releasing opened them up. This is called “spring scissor,” and it's a style still made to this day.

The direct ancestor of modern-day scissors (two blades joined at a pivot) was created by the ancient Romans around 100AD and called “pivoted scissors”.

This design then came into to China, Japan, and Korea, where ancient blademaking traditions were applied to make these pivoted scissors. The Hangzhou Zhang Xiaoquan Company in Hangzhou, China has been manufacturing scissors since 1663 and is considered the OG of scissor production. Isn't it incredible that modern day scissors are actually not very modern at all?

Japanese craftsmen applied their own blademaking tradition, spirit, and quality of steel to produce exceptional tools for many different trades.

For instance, the KAI Corporation, the makers of KASHO Shears, has been in the blade making business since 1908.

Today, they are proud to offer KASHO Shears as one of the best options for hairstylists, barbers, and other hair professionals. KASHO will continue to keep the spirit of blademaking alive, and will continue to produce the best hair shears possible for haircutters around the world. Thank you always for your continued support. #ilovekasho

With much Love,

Ty Isobe

磯部太一

Kasho Design Educator