The earliest scissors were two bronze blades joined by a curved strip of metal that worked as a spring, and they date back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The pivoted, cross-bladed kind we use now arrived around 100 AD, when Roman craftsmen joined two blades at a point between the tips and the handles. In 1761, Robert Hinchliffe of Sheffield made the first modern pair from hardened, polished cast steel.

Steel still matters. A stylist told the New York Post that regular scissors are not sharp enough and can push or pull hair as they cut, and a dull edge can bend or crush the ends instead of slicing them. That is why hair cutting scissors have finer, harder blades than the pair in your kitchen drawer.

Cutting at home had its big moment in the spring of 2020, when Nielsen data showed demand for hair clippers up 166 percent. Scissors were the quieter part of that story, for bangs, ends and beards. Consumer Reports advised taking off no more than a quarter inch to half an inch at home, with a thin, 5-inch blade. That is still the best rule I know. It is much easier to take a little more off tomorrow than to wait months for a mistake to grow out.

The first grid is eight shears and kits for cutting at home. The second grid is the clips, combs and extras that make the cut cleaner. My tip: cut a little less than you think, then check it dry before you take more.

Fromm has three shears here, all 5.75 inches with ice-tempered Japanese steel. Explore is the most reviewed shear in this edit, an all-steel, all-purpose cutter with a beveled blade. Venture has a microserrated edge that grips hair so it does not slide, a good feature for beginners, and Transform has a smooth, straight blade and a semi-offset handle that is easier on the wrist.

The Wahl Haircutting Scissors and Accessory Kit has the highest rating in this grid, stainless steel barber shears with a blade cover, a nylon cape and a styling comb. If you are starting from nothing, this is the easiest single pick.

up&up has two simple pairs. The Stainless Steel Barber Shears are basic and sharp, and the Shears with Safety Blade Cover have a micro-serrated blade and soft handles. Diane makes the Home Hair Cut 5 Piece Kit, with Japanese steel shears and a cutting comb, and the Dahlia 5 inch shear, a small one for bangs and ends, though it has the lowest rating here.

What I would skip: using these shears on paper or tape. Keep them for hair only, or the edge dulls fast, and wipe them dry after every cut. Store them in the blade cover, away from the bathroom sink.

Drybar Hold Me Hair Clips are the most reviewed product in this grid, four alligator clips with jaws that stay put. Use them to hold top sections out of the way while you cut underneath. The up&up Hair Sectioning Metal Hair Clips are the pointed, rust-resistant kind, twelve to a pack, for finer sections.

The L3VEL3 Level 3 Cape keeps hair off your clothes and has a rubber neck that closes snugly, and it resists water, color and bleach, so it is useful on dye days too.

For combs, the Mane Knot Ur Avg Wide-Tooth Hair Comb has the highest rating here and glides through wet or dry hair. The Yves Durif Comb is handmade in Italy from resin and is static free, Crown Affair The Comb No. 001 is a palm-sized wide-tooth comb, and the Tangle Teezer Dual-Sided Comb is made for 3C to 4C hair, with long, wide-set teeth on one side.

The Trim Mustache Scissors and Comb Set is a small stainless steel pair for brows, beards and mustaches.

What I would skip: cutting hair you have not combed straight. Comb every section flat, clip the rest away, and then cut. Work from the back to the front, and check both sides in a mirror before you finish.

I think the right hair cutting scissors for home are a sharp 5 to 6 inch shear, a few clips and a good comb, not a big kit. Start with the Wahl kit or a Fromm shear, section with clips, and take off a quarter inch at a time. Cut bangs dry so you can see where they fall. And if a cut goes wrong, stop and see a stylist, since fixing a little is far easier than fixing a lot.