Thinning Scissors Under A$300: 7 Compared by Tooth Count

Every thinner in the store that costs less than A$300 comes from Mina, Ichiro or Juntetsu. Pick by the tooth count and the handle, not the finish: the seven below run from 10 teeth to 30, and one has a swivel thumb.

All seven are right-handed 6.0-inch tools. For a left-handed thinner, use the left-handed thinning list. If you only want a plain 30-tooth blender, Mina Classic II is the straightforward entry.

How this list was made

On 3 November 2026 the store listed 62 thinning and texturising products. Thirty cost less than A$300, and all thirty come from Mina, Ichiro and Juntetsu. The Joewell, Yasaka, Kasho and Kamisori thinners all sit above A$300, so they belong in the higher-priced thinning shortlist.

We compared the 30 from each product record: listed tooth count, handle, steel field, size, hand and price. Many are the same 6.0-inch tool in a different finish, so we picked one entry for each design that genuinely differs. We did not test any of them. This is a comparison of listings, not a hands-on review.

The order is by price on that date. It is not a ranking. All seven options were below A$300 on that date; each card shows the option’s current price.

JapanShears sells every thinner below and links to its own product pages. Mina, Ichiro and Juntetsu are independent Japanese brands, not JapanShears brands. JapanShears is a member of the ShearAlliance and is run by the same seller as four other Australian ShearAlliance stores. See our editorial policy for how we write comparisons.

Compare the seven

Count leaves width and spacing open

Open illustration at full size

1. 1
   Narrower bodies and wider gapsCount stays the same while the drawn tooth width is smaller.
2. 2
   Wider bodies and narrower gapsThe same count can coexist with a different tooth body and gap arrangement. Read the exact model’s tip design too.

1. Mina Classic II: a plain 30-tooth blender

Suits: a stylist who needs a first or backup blender and already owns, or is buying, the Classic II cutter. Deciding fields: 6.0 inches, 30 V-shaped teeth, semi-offset handle, right-handed. Trade-off: the steel field says only “stainless-steel”, so there is no grade to compare. The Classic II pair bundles it with a cutter.

2. Mina Sakura Double Swivel: the swivel thumb on this list

Suits: someone who wants to try a movable thumb without moving to Kamisori. Deciding fields: 30 V-shaped teeth, SUS440C steel, a separate movable thumb assembly, one fixed size. Trade-off: the swivel is a handle choice, not a tooth choice, so it tells you nothing about how much hair a closure removes. Read fixed or swivel thumb first.

3. Ichiro Ergo Apprentice: a convex edge on the thinner

Suits: an apprentice or stylist who already has an Ergo cutter. Deciding fields: 30 teeth, convex edge, offset handle, “stainless alloy” steel field. Trade-off: it is a single thinner; the Ergo cutter is a separate purchase, and its 5.5-inch and 6.0-inch options have different edges.

4. Ichiro Texture Master: choose the removal style at the selector

Suits: a stylist who wants light, medium or heavy removal from the same 30-tooth, 6.0-inch tool. Deciding fields: three variants, W (light, 10-15%), V (medium, 20-25%) and H (heavy, 30-35%), as the option names record them. Trade-off: those percentages are labels, not a promise of what will leave a section; placement and passes still decide that. The cut-ratio guide explains how to read them.

5. Ichiro 16T Texturizing: sixteen teeth in 440C

Suits: a stylist who wants an open 16-tooth line for planned texture rather than a fine blender. Deciding fields: 16 V-shaped teeth, 440C steel, convex edge, offset handle. Trade-off: it is a texturiser, not a solid-blade cutter for the main line, and it is a single tool with one size.

6. Ichiro Kawa Z-Balance: pick the chunker or the blender

Suits: a stylist who knows whether the missing tool is a visible texturiser or a fine blender. Deciding fields: a 14-tooth “chunker” and a 30-tooth “blender” in one listing, 440C steel, a fixed Z-Balance offset handle. Trade-off: the two options are different tools at the same price. Order the one that names the tooth line you want, and note the SKU (ICH-KAW-14C or ICH-KAW-30B).

7. Juntetsu VG10 Chomper: three tooth counts in one family

Suits: a stylist who wants a more open tooth line than a 30-tooth blender. Deciding fields: the same 6.0-inch VG10 tool with 10 teeth (JUN-CHMP-T10), 16 teeth (the card above) or 21 teeth (JUN-CHMP-T21). All are right-handed with an offset handle (the 10-tooth page calls it 3D offset). Trade-off: each count is a separate product page, so check the title before you add it to your cart.

What did not make the seven

Three more Juntetsu VG10 6.0-inch thinners (Crystal Elite, Zenith and Tsunami Elite) are also below A$300. Crystal Elite and Zenith list 30 V-shaped teeth, and the three differ mainly in handle, pivot and finish. Several Mina and Ichiro 30-tooth tools are the same pattern in another colour. The Ichiro Taiyo is a 15-tooth VG-10 texturiser, also below A$300 on 3 November 2026, so it is the option if you want 15 teeth in VG-10 rather than 440C.

What would change this list

A different brand dropping below A$300, a changed record, or a left-handed need would all change it. If you need a hand other than right, see the left-handed thinning list. If you want a maker’s published cut-rate figure, see same count, different thinners and the higher-priced list.

Before you order

• Tooth count is not removal percentage. Joewell’s thinning manual says count and tooth shape both matter. Our thinner anatomy guide shows the parts.
• Under supervised practice, ask your educator which tooth line your course expects before buying. The supervised thinner comparison lists what to take to that conversation.
• Check the exact title and SKU on the page you are ordering, because several of these families sell different tooth counts under almost identical names.