Niko, Niko II Bearing Collection – the highest quality scissors Material by #440C, Japanese forged stainless steel, HRC 60 ~ 61 degrees. Finished by the most skillful craftsmen, reaches the best sharpness, long blade cutting life, as well as the smooth balancing of the unique individual scissors. In addition, designed with Japanese Bearing Screws creates smoothly effortless cutting. The Rockwell hardness factor indicates the hardness of the steel and the price level of your scissors. The higher the factor, the longer the useful life of your scissors will be. 440C - Of all the 440 stainless steels, it has the most amount of carbon, making it extra strong steel.