Most household scissors are stamped from a sheet, ground once, and never touched again. Scissors from Seki are made the way the town has made blades for 800 years: the two halves are ground and set against each other by hand so the edges meet along the whole cut, not just at the pivot. That's why they slice cleanly to the tip instead of folding paper or crushing herbs. It's also why they stay sharp for years rather than months. You're paying for the adjustment, not the steel.

It depends on the steel, and we say which on every product page. Stainless steel blades won't rust from normal kitchen use; rinse, dry with a cloth, done. Carbon steel blades are harder and hold a keener edge, but they will spot and rust if left wet, so dry them straight away and wipe a little oil on the blade before storing. What damages both types is the dishwasher: heat and detergent dull the edge and can loosen the pivot. A drop of oil on the pivot now and then keeps the action smooth. That's the entire care routine.

Yes, but you probably won't need to for a long time. When the day comes, a fine whetstone at the existing bevel angle is all it takes; a few passes on each blade. If you'd rather not, any knife sharpener who handles Japanese blades can do it in minutes. What you should never do is run them through a pull-through gadget, which grinds both edges to the wrong angle and undoes the hand adjustment.

Like almost all traditional Japanese scissors, yes: the blades are set so the cutting edges close correctly when held in the right hand. A left-handed user can operate them but the edges push apart slightly, which affects the cut. If you're buying for someone left-handed, write to us before ordering and we'll tell you honestly whether we have a pair that suits.

Every order ships from Japan with tracking. If anything arrives damaged, defective or not what you ordered, email us within 7 days of delivery with photos of the item and the packaging, and we'll arrange a replacement or refund; we handle the carrier claim, not you. If you simply change your mind, you can return unused items in their original box within 30 days of delivery. Write to us first for a return authorisation, then send it back tracked at your own cost, and we refund the item within 10 business days of receiving it. Sale items are final. For U.S. orders, duties are prepaid at checkout, so there's nothing to pay at the door; for other countries, local VAT or duties may be charged on arrival and aren't refundable if a parcel is refused.