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Japanese hair shears for considered cutting choices

ATS-314 in Japanese Shears

A maker-named cobalt stainless steel, used in different shear builds.

By JapanShears EditorialUpdated

Hands inspecting a closed shear beside a loupe, notebook and comb.
Generated editorial inspection scene. A photograph and loupe do not establish a steel grade or hardness.
On this page
  1. Read the maker’s material term
  2. Yasaka SL and Kasho Silver at 5.5 inches
  3. Keep construction attached to the grade

ATS-314, also written ATS314, is a material designation on several Japanese professional shears. It can narrow a material shortlist. The more useful next step is to compare how two makers have built a cutter around it.

Read the maker’s material term

Yasaka’s materials page describes ATS314 as Yasugi Specialty Cobalt Stainless Steel and names Proterial, formerly Hitachi Metals. This is a cobalt-containing stainless steel description. It is different from a maker explicitly naming a cobalt-base alloy, such as Joewell CBA-1; our cobalt guide separates those terms.

You do not need an unofficial chemistry table to make use of the name. Keep ATS314 on the specification sheet, then record the edge, size, handle and tension system of the shear carrying it.

Yasaka SL and Kasho Silver at 5.5 inches

The Yasaka SL, 5.5 inch and Kasho Silver Offset, 5.5 inch are both right-handed offset cutters with ATS314 named in their specifications.

DetailYasaka SL, 5.5 inchKasho Silver Offset, 5.5 inch
Stated blade constructionConvex clam edgeHollow-ground convex blades
Handle familyOffsetOffset
Pivot detail for the shortlistFollow the SL’s own tension guidanceFlat centre screw

Yasaka’s SL model page identifies its ATS314 material, slim offset shape and separate full-length and blade measurements. The convex clam edge wording comes from our SL listing. Kasho’s Silver series page supports ATS314, the hollow convex construction and flat screw. The words “offset” and “convex” give you a useful broad comparison, but they do not make the ring contours, blade shape or hardware identical.

For detail work, compare the tips and the blade length you can place accurately around your fingers. For a longer cutting section, the Silver listing also has 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0-inch options. Choosing another size changes the tool you are comparing; it is not an ATS314 upgrade within the same blade length.

Keep construction attached to the grade

Before ordering, you should be able to describe why that particular model belongs in your kit. “ATS314, 5.5 inch, offset, with this blade and pivot” is a much more useful brief than “the hardest steel available”.

Tell a sharpener the actual model and original edge, rather than asking for an ATS314 sharpening routine. Yasaka also makes clear that stainless steel is not rustproof; the maintenance guide covers cleaning and drying without turning the alloy into a service calendar.

If your other candidate is advertised as ZA-18, use ATS-314 versus ZA-18 to build a fair comparison. It starts with a named shear on each side, not a winner chosen from two grade labels.