German vs Japanese Shears

German-style shears have non-honed, beveled blades which are serrated to grip hair. "German-style" and "beveled" are interchangeable terms. Beveled shears produce a crisp cut, are durable and exceptional for dry and taper cutting, pretty good for wet and point cutting, and poor for slide cutting.

Japanese-style shears are honed, convex blades with a very sharp, more delicate edge. "Japanese-style" is synonymous with "convex". Convex shears produce a softer cut, are exceptional for slide, wet and point cutting, very good for dry cutting, and pretty good for taper cutting.

Beveled shears retain their edges longer, but require more force than convex shears, push hair more, and are noisier. Convex shears have a much sharper edge which requires less force, but dull faster than beveled shears made from the same metals and are more susceptible to nicks.

Semi-convex Shears

Semi-convex shears are a hybrid of convex and bevel utilizing a convex blade shape and a beveled edge, usually with serration. Semi-convex blades provide greater sharpness than beveled blades, and greater durability than convex, honed blades, and are about as quiet as a convex shear. Semi-convex shears are outstanding for dry and taper cutting, and provide improved finishing over beveled blades, making semi-convex shears a popular choice for pet grooming.