How do we know? How are they different from each other?

1) Japanese Shears

A quick and easy way to check the authenticity of Japanese shears is to check the country of origin.

Federal law states that all items imported to the US must be legibly and permanently marked with their country of origin, preceded by the words “Made in.”

“Japanese steel,” “Japanese 440C”, or any other label that may mention the words Japan/Japanese does not necessarily mean that it is “Made in Japan.”

2) Pakistani Shears

To correctly understand the Pakistani shears, it is necessary to check the history of shear production in Pakistan.

During the Vietnam War, the US military requested Pakistan to provide surgical tools for them. 

After the war, Pakistani factories eventually expanded their business to the beauty industry.

Metal similar to 420 steel is commonly used for medical scissors because of the softness of the steel. 

It allows them to make various forms of tools easily. 

Based on reliable sources, it is known that Pakistanis use similar steel and manufacturing processes used on surgical shears to make beauty shears. However, shears made to cut skin or bandages are different than shears meant to cut hair. This is why Pakistani shears are hard to sharpen when you use the same methods for Japanese or Korean shears.

3) Chinese Shears 

Unlike Pakistan, Chinese factories learned how to make beauty shears from Japan and Korea from the beginning. This is why the Chinese and Pakistani shears have different qualities. 

Currently, Chinese factories are focusing more on handle designs than on the quality of the shears.