Size is the question we get asked most, and it's the one that's easiest to get wrong online. You can't pick a scissor up and try it, so you need another way to know what suits your hand. Here's how we'd work it out with you if you walked into a salon with us: measure what you've got, match the length to the work you actually do, then check which sizes each model really comes in.
Measure the scissor you already use
If you've got a scissor you like, you're most of the way there. Close it, lay it flat, and measure in inches from the tip of the blades to the end of the longest finger ring. Don't include the finger rest, the little tang that sticks out under the ring. Most scissors land on a half inch: 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 and so on.
If your current scissor feels good after a full day on the floor, order the same length. Honestly, that's the safest advice in this whole guide. If something about it bugs you, keep reading.
What each length is good at
Here's how the lengths in our range tend to get used in New Zealand salons and barbershops. It's a starting point, not a rule.
- 4.5 inches. Small and nimble. Good for fringes, detail around the ears and point cutting, and comfortable in small hands. Only the Mina Umi and the Yasaka Offset come this short.
- 5.0 inches. Still compact, with a bit more reach for short layers. A good apprentice size if your hands are on the small side.
- 5.5 inches. The everyday salon length. Short enough for detail, long enough for most layers and bobs. Every model we sell comes in 5.5.
- 6.0 inches. More blade for longer sections and blunt lines. A popular choice once you're cutting confidently.
- 6.5 inches. Long, steady sections and some scissor-over-comb.
- 7.0 inches. The barber's length. Built for scissor-over-comb and long one-length lines.
Which sizes each model comes in
This is where it pays to check before you fall for a model. Not every scissor comes in every length.
| Model | Cutter lengths | Thinner |
|---|---|---|
| Mina Umi Hair Cutting Scissors | 4.5 to 7.0 inches, right-handed; 5.5, 6.0 and 7.0 left-handed | None |
| Yasaka Offset Hair Cutting Scissors | 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0 inches | None |
| Mina Sakura Hairdressing Scissor Set | 5.0 to 7.0 inches | 6.0 inches |
| Mina Black Diamond Hairdressing Scissor Kit | 5.5, 6.0 and 7.0 inches | 6.0 inches |
| Mina Timeless Scissor Set | 5.5, 6.0 and 6.5 inches | 6.0 inches |
Here's the catch with the sets: you choose the cutter length, but the thinner is 6.0 inches whichever cutter you pick. For most hands that's fine, because a thinner works across a section rather than along a line. If you've got small hands and prefer a short thinner, it's worth knowing before you buy.
The other catch: the Yasaka stops at 6.0 inches. If you want a 6.5 or 7.0 for barbering, look at the Mina Umi, the Sakura set or the Black Diamond kit instead.
Sizing for apprentices
If you're starting out, don't buy for the stylist you'll be in five years. Buy for the cuts you're doing now. For most apprentices, that means 5.5 inches, or 5.0 if your hands are small. A shorter scissor is easier to control while your technique settles, and you can add a longer one later.
A set is handy at this stage because it gives you a cutter and thinner that feel the same. Just check the cutter length suits you, and remember the thinner is fixed at 6.0 inches.
Hand size: a tiebreaker, not the answer
People often size by hand alone. It helps, but how you cut matters more. Plenty of hairdressers with small hands cut beautifully with a 6.0, and some with big hands swear by a 5.0 for detail.
So use hand size to break a tie. Stuck between 5.5 and 6.0 with smallish hands? Go 5.5. Big hands and the shorter scissor feels cramped in the rings? Go 6.0.
Going up or down a size
Changing length feels strange for a week or two. Your hand expects the tips to be somewhere else. A few tips to make it easier:
- Move half an inch at a time. Jumping from 5.0 to 6.5 in one go is a lot to get used to.
- Try it on cuts you know well first. Save the tricky restyles until the new length feels natural.
- Give it two weeks. If it still feels wrong after that, it probably is.
Signs the length is wrong: you keep stopping halfway through a close because the blade reaches too far (too long), or you need a string of short snips to get across a simple line (too short).
Choosing your size online
When you open a product page, you pick the length in the options before you add it to your cart. Lengths that don't exist for that model, or for that hand, can't be selected. If you're torn between two, email us with the scissor you use now and the cuts you do most, and we'll give you an honest answer. The address is on the contact page.
For handles, edges and the rest of the basics, head back to the NZ guide. If you cut left-handed, read left-handed scissors in NZ before you choose a size, because the left-handed sizes are limited.
