Mina vs Ichiro: Which Barber Scissors First?
Quick answer
Buy Mina if you want a plain convex or flat-bevel SUS440C cutter, alone or in a set with a 6.0″ thinner. Buy Ichiro if you want a sword blade, a micro-serrated edge or a VG-10 step up. Both are independent Japanese brands. Start on a 6.0″ offset in either, and add a 6.0″ thinner when you start blending.
Our verdict
Mina for a plain proper barber cutter and a clean first set. Ichiro when the edge or the blade shape matters more than the set.
Buy if
- You want a convex 6.0″ or 7.0″ cutter and a thinner in one buy (Mina Sakura II set)
- You want a micro-serrated grip or a sword blade (Ichiro Ergo or Offset)
Skip if
- You want a lightened VG10 sword blade or ATS314 cobalt: look at Juntetsu or Yasaka
- You need a German classic-handle cutter: look at Jaguar
Top picks
Best Ichiro first set
Ichiro Ergo Slice & Serrated Hairdressing Scissor Set
Choose convex or micro-serrated
Buy Mina if you want a plain convex or flat-bevel SUS440C cutter, alone or in a set with a 6.0″ thinner. Buy Ichiro if you want a sword blade, a micro-serrated edge or a VG-10 step up. Both are independent Japanese brands.
How we compared: job first (first cutter, over-comb reach, a set), then edge, steel and length, then what is in the box. Specs come from the product files, not hands-on testing. Product details checked 3 November 2026. BarberScissors sells both brands, so the links go to our store. Who runs this store, and the other ShearAlliance members, is on the ShearAlliance page; how we write our guides is on the reviews and content page.
Mina vs Ichiro at a glance
Scroll sideways to compare all columns.
| Mina | Ichiro | |
|---|---|---|
| Steel | SUS440C at 58 HRC on the selling cutters, thinners and sets | Ergo: stainless alloy, 56-58 HRC. Offset and Tsurugi: 440C, 58-60 HRC. Taiyo and Tsuki: VG-10, 60-62 HRC |
| Edge | Sakura II and Ash convex; Black Diamond flat bevel; Umi flat edge | Ergo 5.5″ convex or 6.0″ micro-serrated; Offset and Tsurugi sword blade |
| Cutter lengths | Sakura II 5.0 to 7.0″; Umi 4.5 to 7.0″; Black Diamond 5.5, 6.0, 7.0″ | Offset 5.0 to 7.0″; Ergo 5.5 or 6.0″; Tsurugi 6.0 to 7.0″ |
| Handle | Offset, right-handed; Umi also left | Offset, right-handed |
| First set | Sakura II set: cutter plus 6.0″ 30-tooth thinner | Ergo set: cutter plus 6.0″ thinner; Offset set: sword cutter plus 6.0″ thinner |
Pick the edge before the brand. The rest of the choice follows from it.
Steel and edge: one steel against a ladder
Every selling Mina is SUS440C at 58 HRC, so the choice inside Mina is edge and length, not steel. Ichiro climbs a ladder: Ergo for the first pair, 440C Offset and Tsurugi for the working barber, VG-10 Taiyo and Tsuki when you want a harder steel.
The edge guide shows convex and bevel in cross-section. In short: convex slices, so it suits slide and point cutting; a flat bevel or micro-serrated edge holds the hair, so it suits blunt lines and over-comb work.
Lengths: who has the one you need
Both brands reach 7.0″ and both start short. Choose 5.0″ or 5.5″ for detail around the ears and neckline, 6.0″ as the daily length and 6.5″ to 7.0″ for scissor over comb. If you are unsure, measure the pair you cut with and use the size guide.
- Mina Sakura II: five lengths in one convex blade, the widest convex range of the two brands.
- Ichiro Offset: five lengths in a sword blade, which keeps a straight, firm line along the comb.
- Ichiro Tsurugi: starts at 6.0″, for barbers who already know they work long.
Sets and what is in the box
The Mina Sakura II set pairs the cutter, in the length you choose, with a 6.0″ 30-tooth thinner. The Ichiro Ergo set pairs a 5.5″ convex or 6.0″ micro-serrated cutter with a 6.0″ thinner, and the trade-off is that you pick one edge. The Mina Black Diamond kit is the flat-bevel set: it holds hair for blunt lines but does not slide through a section like a convex edge.
Where each runs out
- Mina has no sword blade and no VG-10. When you outgrow it, the step up is Juntetsu or Yasaka.
- Ichiro has an Ergo cutter in only two options, and its Offset is a sword blade. If you want a plain convex cutter in five lengths, Mina Sakura II is the answer.
- Neither makes a classic-handle cutter in this range. For level rings, see Jaguar.
Pick by career stage
- Apprentice: the Mina Sakura II set, once your course tool list is in. Ichiro Ergo if you want to choose the edge.
- Working barber: the Ichiro Offset in the length you use, with a 6.0″ thinner when you start blending.
- Upgrading: Ichiro VG-10 Taiyo or Tsuki, or step to Juntetsu.
Read the full verdicts in are Mina scissors good and are Ichiro scissors good. Buy from the Mina and Ichiro collections, or start with the first kit guide and the apprentice shortlist. For edge and steel basics, the complete buying guide covers both.
Questions
Is Mina or Ichiro better for an apprentice?
Mina Sakura II if you want one proven length range and a thinner in the set. Ichiro Ergo if you want to choose the edge: a 5.5″ convex or a 6.0″ micro-serrated. Wait for your course tool list before buying either.
Are Mina and Ichiro independent brands?
Yes. Both are independent Japanese brands that we stock.
Which has the longer cutters?
Both reach 7.0″. Mina Sakura II and Ichiro Offset run 5.0 to 7.0″; Mina Umi starts at 4.5″; Ichiro Tsurugi runs 6.0 to 7.0″.
Convex or micro-serrated for a first pair?
Convex slices and suits slide and point cutting. Micro-serrated grips the hair, which helps on blunt lines and scissor over comb.
Do either come left-handed?
Some models offer a left-hand option, such as Mina Umi. The left-handed collection lists the models that come in a left-hand option.