Dog Grooming Scissors Review – Shears Direct Japanese 440C Curved Ball-Tip Shears
Recently, I wrote a post about small dogs and their fur…yes, their fur!
And, it got me thinking of what I use on our little dogs for grooming and what I’ve found I like to use, which is the curved, rounded-tip or as they’re also called ball-tip scissors.
In my experience, I honestly love using these kind of scissors to cut my little doggies’ fur! So, I thought I’d write a review and share how awesome these gently curved shears are to use, especially on a dog that is a wriggly little ball of fur and energy…
But, unfortunately, the ones I use are a bit dated, and I have no idea what brand they are anymore since I cannot find a name on them and of course, I no longer have any of the packaging it came in either…
Whaaaaat? Now, why didn’t I save it?
Hey now….it’s been years, and plus, I’m not that much of a pack rat!
Anyways, I found ones that are very similar in appearance, features, and are of a higher quality than the others I came across…
Yes, these scissors have a few nifty little features! Okay?
(I’ll eventually include a photo of mine to compare to the one I reviewed here once I get the chance to dig the old camera out and take a picture).
Now, on to the Review…
Shears Direct Japanese 440C Curved Ball Tip Shear with Anatomic Handle, 6.5-inches
Product: Shears Direct Japanese 440 Curved Ball Tip Shears with Anatomic handle by Shears Direct
Price: Check Price at Amazon
Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (based on 29 reviews at Amazon)*
I find I really like using curved scissors such as these ones when cutting the hair on our dogs, Daisy and Mocha.
I just feel much safer since the blade is slightly curved upwards and away from the skin. So, to myself anyways, this makes them much easier to use than straight-bladed ones.
Plus, the tips of these scissors are rounded, or as they’re also called…ball tipped.
No pointy, sharp end to accidentally poke into our little dogs tender skin if they happen to move…
Who am I kidding? Of course they’re happening to move…at least mine do.
They’re little wriggly balls of fur!
Anyways, here’s the things I found:
Pros:
- Curved upwards (slight curve in blade helps keep dog safer)
- Rounded tips/Ball tips
- Anatomic Thumb – helps prevent carpal tunnel
- Japanese 440C stainless steel – high-end quality stainless steel
- Adjustable tension – Blue Gem Stone Tension knob, which allows you to adjust the tightness on the blades of the scissors
- Sharp and cut very smoothly – according to a majority of the reviews on Amazon when I checked
Cons:
- Expensive
- Doesn’t cut when using the tips of the scissors (*according to one reviewer on Amazon…but, isn’t that the point of the ball tips?)
My Thoughts on Shears Direct Curved 6.5 inch, Ball Tip Shears
Do I Recommend These? Yes, I certainly Do!
Although, no I don’t own these yet, I’d actually love to buy a pair of these sometime soon!
I searched through tons of different ones on Amazon, trying to find ones that are similar to what I already own, and these seem to be pretty close to it, but maybe better!
Again, I have no idea what the brand is that I do have and cannot find the exact match to them. But, reading through various reviews of these and some of the other scissors that have the same features and size as mine, I’d have to say I’d order these ones, even though they are a bit pricey.
Why, Exactly Would I Recommend These?
The features that I was looking for to compare scissors:
- 6.5-inch length
- Curved
- Adjustable tension knob
- Anatomic thumb
- Ends that are rounded or ball tipped.
I believe these would also be better than what I have now in both quality and comfort to use. The Japanese 440C stainless steel is a higher quality of stainless steel and less likely to become dull and rusty over time.
Plus, there weren’t too many as far as I could find with ALL of the features mentioned above.
If you’d like to learn more about stainless steel, according to this article about 440C stainless steel, by Jay Fisher, a highly experienced knife maker, it is corrosion resistant and also highly resistant to the effects of wear.
Another thing about these curved scissors from Shears Direct that caught my eye was their rating with more than just a handful of reviews from people that have tried them out and liked using them.
*If you’d like to learn more or even order a pair for yourself you can do so here on the link below*…
>> Shears Direct Japanese 440 Curved Ball Tip Shears with Anatomic handle <<
Have you ever tried these 6.5-inch, Curved Ball Tip Shears? If so, I’d love to hear what you think of these scissors!
Please leave any questions or comments you may have in the box below…I always appreciate them!
And, one last little thing…a tiny favor, if I may ask?
Could you please share this if you liked reading or found it helpful in some way?
I’d appreciate it…and my dogs would too!
Thanks for reading and have an awesome day, my fellow dog people!
Best wishes 🙂 ~Sherry
*Please note: Affiliate disclosure at the very bottom of the page. Any prices and/or number of reviews are also subject to change at any time.
Hey Sherry, thanks for coming up with this review. My dog groomer just had an accident yesterday where she unintentionally cut a Maltese ear who belongs to a customer.
The poor white puppy was all covered with blood around the ears. It’s unfortunate because these little ones tend to move a lot when you tell them not to. Fortunately, the owner was understanding and my friend took full responsibility to pay for the medical fee.
I think she should get one of these to prevent anything from happening again.
Hey Cathy,
Oh my, I’m sorry to hear that…I bet your dog groomer was horrified that it happened. That’s good to hear the dog’s owner was so understanding…some might not have been.
Hhaving two little dogs myself to groom, I definitely agree that they don’t listen very well at all to stay still…they’re constantly moving around! Especially, once you’re just about to cut some of their hair, and all of a sudden they move! Oh man, it’s hard to avoid cutting skin then!
I definitely can see how it could happen, especially if using straight scissors, which I haven’t used in years now. I really like using these kind of curved shears, since they have ball-tip ends which help to prevent accidentally stabbing them if they move.
Of course, it still could somehow happen even with these curved scissors, but I think it’s less likely to do so. At least, in my experience with using the curved ones on my dogs it hasn’t happened yet.
I really think your dog groomer friend would probably like these, especially after what happened with the white Maltese…I can only say I’d have been horrified seeing all that blood! Especially, knowing it’s not my dog either and worrying how the owner would react.
Thanks for sharing your experience here Cathy! Sorry to hear that happened to your friend and the poor little Maltese though…hope things went smoothly afterwards for the little pup.
Best wishes 🙂 ~Sherry
Hey there Sherry,
These are just what I need, I have been using a pair of regular short-bladed scissors and frankly, I hate them. I really like that these ones are curved, I’m always afraid I’m going to cut one of them some day.
So, these curved shears would be handy to have, and with the rounded ball tips, I think would be a great feature too. Because yes, they do move on occasion, and I have poked them on occasion. Not real bad, but it did make them yelp, and I just feel so terrible when that happens.
The price does seem a little high, but they sound like very good quality, and I think it would be worth it.
Thanks for this great review, I’m glad I came across it.
Kim
Hey there Kim,
Thank you for checking it out! I’m glad to hear you found the review here helpful…and, yes, I agree with you on those regular scissors. I used to hate using those for cutting the dog’s fur, since it’s pretty much impossible to keep them still enough not to accidentally poke them with those sharp, pointy scissors!
I agree, the price is a bit high, but they do seem to be good quality and would be worth it in the long run, especially since I’ve had mine for years…although I’m not sure what brand mine are, but they did cost quite a bit at the local store here even back then. I’m thinking these curved grooming shears by Shears Direct would probably last just as long and probably be more comfortable to use than mine. The ones I have don’t have the anatomic thumb.
Thanks again for checking it out and if you do get these or something similar, I’d love to hear what you think of them!
Best wishes 🙂 ~Sherry
Grooming dogs can be very tricky and hard work without a bit of skill, and especially the right tools. What works on humans (scissors, clippers) doesn’t necessarily work on dog hair. They need products made just for them.
These scissors look awesome, and I like the way the tips are rounded so there is no chance of accidentally nicking or cutting our pets. I’m gonna get some of these. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Darren,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting here!
Yes, grooming dogs can be quite tricky! Those that are professional groomers are quite skilled at it, having to deal with different dogs all the time…some that behave very badly too!
I definitely agree not all clippers or scissors work on dog hair. I’ve found out that to cut our Shih Tzu’s hair, normal scissors do not work at all…unless you cut a few hairs at a time, then they sort of cut, lol. That would take forever though!
I’ve been using these curved grooming scissors for many years now, and I really love that the tips are rounded since my two small dogs aren’t good at holding still. Since they wiggle around so much using regular pointed-tip scissors makes me very nervous! And, them too…since they sense I’m nervous they pick up on it and become even more squirmy.
Plus, it being curved too makes it less likely to cut their skin as well. It can be very hard to see where their skin is at under all that fur, so I feel safer that it’s curved upwards at the end.
Thanks again, Darren…and, if you do get a pair of these scissors, I’d love to hear how they worked for you on your dog, so feel free to stop by here again anytime!
Best wishes ~Sherry
These look adorable! I used to have a long haired chihuahua who I would have probably used these on. Sometimes the fur around her bum area got really matted and messy and I liked keeping it trimmed.
But now I’ve got a Portuguese Water Dog and she’s a lot bigger. But for her, I like trimming her “beard hair” and bangs since she carries around all the water with her for an hour after she drinks and it drips everywhere! And also she can’t catch a thing when her bangs get too long cuz she can’t see. Would you recommend these for that?
Hi Martina,
Thank you for stopping by and commenting, I appreciate it!
I’ve never owned a chihuahua yet myself, but they are so cute! I never realized the long-haired ones had so much hair, lol. My two little ones, a Shih Tzu and a Teddy Bear both have the same problem with it matting up in the bum area if it’s not kept trimmed.
Not exactly a fun job trimming back there, but I guess it’s gotta be done! Otherwise, it can become a big mess I know…unfortunately, I learned my mistake of not trimming it as much as I should. n
Anyways, your Portuguese Water Dog sounds quite a bit like our two little gals as well…along with too much butt hair, they have beards too, lol. Plus, the hair above the eyes, especially on our Mocha, the Teddy Bear grows very long and covers the eyes.
I’ve used my scissors that are this size for my two smaller dogs, the Shih Tzu and Teddy, and they work fine for cutting these areas on the chin and above the eyes. I also use a shorter pair too sometimes for under their eyes and along the bridge area of the nose, in the smaller areas mainly…otherwise, they can grow some crazy mustaches, lol!
I’m not sure how big your dog is, as I’m not familiar with the Portuguese Water Dog breed, but if it’s close to the size of a Shih Tzu these 6.5-inch curved shears should definitely work for you too. At least, for the majority of it.
As for the other, smaller scissors, I’ll have to find ones to share on here too. They’re about the same as these, just a smaller, shorter version and I only use the small ones instead for those harder to get at areas on the face.
Thanks again for commenting! I’ll have to look more into the Portuguese Water dog…now, I’m curious as to what they look like! Hope you and your dog have an awesome day!
Best wishes 🙂 ~Sherry