Barber Scissors in Australia
What to buy first, the lengths barbers use, delivery Australia-wide, care by climate, training kits and servicing.
Illustration Quick answer
Most Australian barbers start with one 6.0″ offset cutter, then add a 30-tooth thinner and a 6.5″ or 7.0″ for scissor-over-comb. We deliver Australia-wide: standard A$6, free over A$89, express A$9.95. Care is the same everywhere, dry and oil daily, but humid, coastal and tropical shops can't skip a day.
Top picks
Apprentice, micro-serrated option
Ichiro Ergo Apprentice Hair Cutting Scissor
5.5″ convex or 6.0″ micro-serrated
Apprentice cutter and thinner
Mina Sakura II Professional Scissors Set
Cutter plus 6.0″ thinner, SUS440C
Most Australian barbers start with one 6.0″ offset cutter and add a thinner once the work calls for it. We ship Australia-wide from one stock pool, so the buying advice is the same in every city: get the length and hand right, then look after the edge for your climate.
What to buy first
One cutter you can control does more for you than a full roll. Buy in this order:
- A 6.0″ offset cutter. It covers point cutting, clipper-over-comb finishing and most detail. Go 5.5″ if your work is mostly detail.
- A case. A two or four-slot felt case protects the first kit.
- A thinner with around 30 teeth, when blending and weight removal come into your work or course.
- A 6.5″ or 7.0″ for scissor-over-comb, once you’re doing it regularly.
- A backup, usually your first cutter after you upgrade.
The first professional kit guide explains each step. For named models, see the best barber scissors in Australia and the apprentice picks.
The lengths barbers use
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| Length | Job | Who |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0″ to 5.5″ | Detail, ears, necklines, point cutting | Detail partner |
| 6.0″ | All-round cutting and clipper-over-comb finishing | First cutter for most barbers |
| 6.5″ | Scissor-over-comb with more control | Second cutter |
| 7.0″ | Scissor-over-comb, flat tops, long sections | Barbers doing a lot of over-comb |
Sizes are overall shear length. The size guide shows how they are measured, and the size chart puts every length on one page. Left-handed? Buy a true left-handed pair from the left-handed collection.
Delivery Australia-wide
Online checkout delivers to Australian addresses, metro and regional.
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| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Standard | A$6, free over A$89 |
| Express | A$9.95 |
Checkout shows handling of 1 to 2 business days and arrival in 2 to 4 days, with the estimate for your address before you pay. If the kit is for a course start date or a booked shift, order with that time in hand and have it delivered where someone can receive it. Shipping has the details and the orders and delivery help page covers tracking and problems.
Care by climate
The routine is the same everywhere: wipe the blades and pivot dry after each client, one drop of oil on the pivot at close, store closed in a dry case. What changes is how much margin your climate gives you. The climate care guide has the full detail.
Tropical north: Darwin, Cairns, Townsville
The wet season brings months of high humidity and storms that soak a kit between the car and the door. Oil twice a day in the wet, check the bag on arrival and dry the scissors before the case. Carry a dry cloth in a sealed bag for mobile work.
Coastal: Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Perth, Adelaide
Sea air and clients coming in off the beach leave moisture and salt on the steel. Wipe salt-water hair off the blades straight after the cut, and keep the kit away from open doors and the wet towel stack. If a pouch keeps coming up damp, move where it sits.
Dry inland: Alice Springs and the inland
Dry air is easy on steel, but dust and fine hair get into the pivot. Keep the case shut when the scissors are out, and clean the pivot before you oil it. Oil over grit grinds the edges.
Cold south: Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra
Cold is easy on steel. The catch is a cold kit carried into a warm shop: steel can fog with condensation. Let the case warm up, wipe the blades before the first client and oil at close as usual.
Training kits: TAFE and RTOs
Your training provider sets the tool list, and some supply part of the kit. Get the list before you buy. What published course pages said when we checked in October 2026:
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| State or territory | Provider and campus | Kit note |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | TAFE NSW, Granville and Bankstown | Ask the campus for the current tool list |
| VIC | Box Hill Institute, Melbourne | Kits supplied on the first day |
| QLD | TAFE Queensland, including Cairns, Townsville (Pimlico) and Mooloolaba | Wait until after orientation before buying tools |
| ACT | CIT, Woden | Students buy their own tools before off-the-job training starts |
| SA | TAFE SA, Adelaide City | Needs a Contract of Training with an employer |
| TAS | TasTAFE, Campbell Street, Hobart | The teacher identifies the tools to bring |
| NT | Charles Darwin University, Palmerston and Alice Springs | Apprentices receive an individual call-up |
Wherever you train, ask four things: what you must own, what the shop or campus lends, which tools you need for the first practical, and how left-handed tools are handled. Then buy the cutter on the list. The apprentice mistakes guide covers what to avoid in your first month.
Servicing and sharpening
A sharp, well-set shear only needs a sharpen when it starts pushing or folding hair at the right tension. When you choose a service, local or by post, ask:
- Do you sharpen convex Japanese edges on this model and length?
- How do you reset the tension after sharpening?
- How long will the pair be away, and how does it travel back?
- What happens if you find damage that needs more than a sharpen?
Plan a backup before the pair goes. Our sharpening guide covers choosing and posting to a service, and the blunt shears guide helps you tell a blunt edge from a tension problem. For a fault on a new pair, see warranty.
Pick by stage
- Apprentice: a 6.0″ Mina Sakura II or Ichiro Ergo, or the Mina Sakura II set if your course needs a thinner.
- Working barber: an Ichiro Offset in 6.0″ and 7.0″ for detail and scissor-over-comb.
- Upgrade: move your main cutter to VG10 or cobalt steel. The ultimate guide covers the step up.
Questions
How long does delivery take in Australia?
Checkout shows handling of 1 to 2 business days and arrival in 2 to 4 days. Standard delivery is A$6 and free over A$89; express is A$9.95. See shipping.
Do you deliver to regional and remote Australia?
Yes. Online checkout delivers to Australian addresses, at the same standard and express rates. Checkout shows the estimate for your address before you pay.
What scissors do I need for a TAFE barbering course?
Get the course tool list first. TAFE Queensland tells students to wait until after orientation, CIT says students buy their own tools before training starts, and some providers supply kits. Most lists start with one cutter and a thinner.
What length barber scissors are most popular in Australia?
A 6.0″ offset cutter is the usual first pair. Barbers who do a lot of scissor-over-comb add a 6.5″ or 7.0″. A 5.5″ suits detail around the ears and neckline.
How do I care for scissors in a humid climate like Darwin or Cairns?
Wipe the blades and pivot dry after every client and oil the pivot twice a day in the wet season. Keep the case away from wet towels and never close a damp pair inside it.
Where can I get barber scissors sharpened in Australia?
Use a sharpener who works on convex Japanese edges, local or by post. Ask whether they sharpen your model, how they reset tension and how long the pair is away. Our sharpening guide lists the questions.