The tooth count is the first number on every thinner we list, and the most useful one. It tells you how the blade divides a section of hair. It does not tell you, on its own, how much hair leaves the head.
What is being counted
A thinner has one straight cutting blade and one toothed blade. The count is the number of teeth on the toothed blade, from the pivot end to the tip.
Count them yourself under good light: run a pen tip along the points, never a fingertip. Start at the pivot end and count every point to the tip.
A few models carry teeth on both blades. Those don’t fit a single number cleanly. If a listing is unclear, ask us for the exact blade configuration before you choose.
The three bands we use
We sort thinners into three browsing bands. They are a starting point, not a rule.
| Band | Tooth count | What it does in the hair |
|---|---|---|
| Blending | 30 teeth or more | Many fine teeth close together. Each close takes small, scattered strands across the section. The result is soft and diffused. |
| Texturising | 16 to 29 teeth | Fewer teeth with more space between them. Each close takes defined pieces. You start to see separation. |
| Chunking | 15 teeth or fewer | Wide gaps between broad teeth. Each close takes bold pieces out. Used for deliberate texture and fast bulk removal. |
Browse each band: blending, texturising and chunking.
Why the count isn’t a percentage
Some makers publish a cut percentage. We don’t add one where the data doesn’t give it, and we don’t treat a published figure as a promise. The same thinner removes a different amount depending on:
- section size and density: a thick section fills more of each gap;
- where you close: near the ends, through the mid-lengths, or closer to the scalp;
- how many closes you make, and how far apart;
- the angle of the blade to the section;
- tooth form and spacing, which vary between two blades with the same count.
So two 30-tooth thinners can feel different in the same section. Treat the count as the shape of the blade, then judge the result in the hair.
Spacing and tooth form
The count sets how many points there are. Spacing and form set what each point does.
- V-teeth are cut to a point and guide hair into each gap.
- Notched or grooved teeth have small cuts along the tooth that help hold strands in place as the blades close.
- Wide, flat-topped teeth on chunking blades take a broader piece with each close.
Blade length changes the spacing too. Thirty teeth along a 5.5-inch blade sit closer together than thirty along a longer blade. Most thinners we list are 6.0 inches, which keeps comparisons fair.
Real counts from the range
Here is how the counts in our range spread out:
- 40 teeth: Joewell FX-PRO 40, Joewell E-40, Joewell BC-40 Black Crest.
- 38 teeth: Kasho Design Master 38 Tooth.
- 30 teeth: the busiest band, including the Juntetsu Zenith, Mina Jay II and Kamisori Diamond.
- 21 teeth: Juntetsu Chomper 21-Teeth.
- 16 teeth: Juntetsu Chomper 16-Teeth and the Ichiro 16T.
- 15 teeth: Kasho Design Master 15 Tooth and the Ichiro Taiyo.
- 12 teeth: Joewell JGC-12.
- 10 teeth: Juntetsu Chomper 10-Teeth.
Bench note: the gap between 30 and 40 teeth is smaller in the hair than it looks on paper. The gap between 30 and 15 is large. If you own a 30-tooth blender, your next thinner usually wants a clearly different pattern, not ten more teeth.
Choosing by count
- One thinner only? Start in the blending band. Thirty teeth covers softening lines, blending layers and light weight removal.
- Heavy, dense hair to debulk? Add a texturising or chunking blade and work inside the section.
- Visible, piecey texture? Chunking, with fewer closes placed with intent.
- Clipper-to-scissor blending? Fine teeth, 30 to 40, over the comb.
Our blending vs debulking guide goes deeper on matching the pattern to the job, and texturising vs thinning untangles the names makers use.
Read the label, then the blade
Makers name tools loosely. A thinner labelled “texturising” can carry 30 teeth; one labelled “thinning” can carry 15. Read the count and look at the blade before you read the name. Then use the Thinning Finder to shortlist by tooth count, job and hand.