If you cut left-handed, you've probably been handed a right-handed scissor at some point and told you'll get used to it. You won't, and it's not your fault. Here's why a true left-handed scissor matters, how to check you've got one, and an honest look at what we can offer you right now.
Why a right-handed scissor won't do
A scissor cuts because the blades are pressed together as they close. Hold a right-handed scissor in your right hand and your thumb naturally pushes the blades into each other. Swap it to your left hand and the same movement pulls them apart. The hair bends between the blades instead of being cut cleanly, so you squeeze harder, your hand gets tired and your lines come out chewed.
There's a second problem. With a right-handed scissor in your left hand, the top blade sits over your guideline, so you can't see exactly where you're cutting.
What makes a scissor truly left-handed
A true left-handed scissor is built as a mirror image of a right-handed one. The blades are swapped over so the top blade is on the other side, and the handle is shaped for a left hand. Turning a right-handed scissor upside down doesn't do the same thing; the blades still part when you squeeze.
Watch out for scissors sold as "ambidextrous" or "for either hand". Usually that means a level handle that sits comfortably in either hand, but the blades are still set up for one side.
A quick way to check
Lay the scissor next to a right-handed one, both with the tips pointing away from you, and look at which blade sits on top. On a true left-handed scissor, the top blade is on the opposite side to the right-handed one. If both top blades are on the same side, it isn't a true lefty, whatever the label says.
What we offer left-handed
Here's the honest part. Our range is small, and right now one model comes in a true left-handed version: the Mina Umi Hair Cutting Scissors.
The left-handed Umi comes in 5.5, 6.0 and 7.0 inches. It has an offset handle shaped for the left hand, a flat cutting edge, a mirror polish and a key-adjustable tension screw, and the box lists a travel case, a cleaning cloth and a tension key. On the product page, choose Left in the options, then your length.
Why we think it's a sensible left-handed scissor:
- The flat edge is forgiving. It grips the hair slightly, which helps with blunt lines and suits newer hairdressers.
- The offset handle keeps your elbow down. Handy over a long day.
- 5.5 and 6.0 inches cover most salon work, and the 7.0 gives left-handed barbers a scissor-over-comb length.
The catch
We'd rather tell you now than have you find out after you've ordered.
- Left-handed sizes are limited. The Umi isn't offered left-handed in 4.5, 5.0 or 6.5 inches. Those sizes are right-handed only.
- There's no left-handed thinner or set in our range at the moment. The Mina Sakura, Black Diamond and Timeless sets and the Yasaka Offset are offered without a left-handed option.
If you thin a lot and need a left-handed thinner, our range won't cover everything you need today. We'd rather say that plainly than sell you something that doesn't suit your hand.
Choosing your size as a lefty
Size works the same way whichever hand you cut with: measure the scissor you're comfortable with, tip to the end of the longest finger ring, and stay close to it. If you're between sizes, the left-handed Umi's 5.5 and 6.0 cover the common salon lengths. Our guide to scissor sizes, sorted has the details.
Tips for left-handed hairdressers
A few habits that make life easier on a shared salon floor:
- Keep your own kit. Sharing with right-handed workmates rarely works, and a left-handed scissor in a right hand feels broken. Label your case.
- Pick your station. If you can, take the end of a row so your cutting elbow has room.
- Mirror what you're taught. Most cutting is taught right-handed. Mirror the sectioning and the direction you work around the head, then check balance in the mirror.
- Look after the edge. The scissor care guide covers the daily routine, which is the same for either hand.
If you cut with both hands
Some hairdressers switch hands for different parts of a cut. If that's you, choose for the hand you use for blunt lines and detail, because that's where a clean close matters most.
Questions?
If you're left-handed and not sure the Umi suits you, email us with the scissor you use now and the work you do most. We'll give you a straight answer, even if it's that we're not the right fit this time. The address is on the contact page. Or head back to the NZ guide.
