Do not attempt to operate
your clippers without first oiling the blades.
Do not use WD 40 or other similar solvents/scouring agents to
clean the clipper or the blades.
Do not attempt to sharpen the blades yourself - they need a
special machine.
A wide range of “snap-on” blades can be fitted to the clippers,
including those made by Wahl as well as the Oster range and
others similar “snap-on” type blades.
The “snap-on” type blades should not be taken apart other than
for sharpening purposes at the place of sharpening.
Blades need to be regularly sharpened to keep a good cutting
edge, and they must be constantly oiled during use.
Cleaning of the blades and inside of the clipper head should
be thoroughly carried out after every clipping session to avoid
a build up of hair and dirt.
Remove all traces of oil and hair with a small stiff brush and
wiped clean with a dry clean cloth. The use of an airline is
ideal, if available. Failing that, use a small oil paint brush:
The stubby type:
This will enable you to remove most of the muck, after which
a good “blow” will usually do the rest! Try to avoid a build
up of dirt and hair, it makes cleaning easier!
The foam “hair” protector located at the top of the housing
is designed to stop hair from getting into the head assembly.
With the cleaning of the head this may become dislodged and
come away. This is not a disaster and the clipper will continue
to function quite happily. When the machine next goes for service
this will usually get replaced as the Service Centre.
When completely free from hair clippings and oil, re oil all
working parts within the head and likewise to the blades to
prevent any occurrence of rust.
Remember even the smallest spots of rust can have an adverse
effect on the cutting performance of the blades, in some cases
making clipping impossible.
Blade
Usage Guide
Understanding
what different types of blades are capable of can make you a
more efficient groomer. Familiarizing yourself with the following
terms and types of blades will help.
Blades
All blades have two parts. The larger bottom blade, called the
comb, feeds the hair into the top, or cutting, blade. The cutting
blade is moved back and forth very quickly by the clipper motor
to cut the hair.
Cut
Length of hair left when cutting against the natural lie of
the coat, or on a dog with off-standing coat, such as a Poodle
or Bichon Frise. Cutting with the grain of the coat on most
breeds leaves it one blade length longer. For instance, a #7
blade leaves approximately 1/8" hair when going against, but
will leave approximately 1/4" when going with the lie.
Skip Tooth Blades
Perfect for blending short areas with longer lengths. Ideal
for coarse-coated breeds such as Terriers. The coarse or uneven
teeth on a Skip Tooth will feed the hair into the cutting blade
more effectively, which allows you to clip under mats. Often
used before the bath for rough-cuts, and on dogs that must be
shaved completely down.
Finishing/Full Cut Blades
The teeth on this blade are even, creating a smoother finish.
Can be used before and after the bath. Used for a smoother finish
or full shavedowns.
Wide/T-Blades
Cutting surface is wider than regular blades for larger breeds
or faster stripdowns.
Surgical Blades
Used by veterinarians to prep an area for surgery by removing
hair down to the skin. Also used for show cuts on Poodles. Best
blades to use with Snap-on combs.
Blade Size
Cut
Usage
50
1/125"
Surgical prep, Show Poodle feet, face, sometimes pattern.
Surgical prep, Show Poodle feet, face and pattern,
Pet Poodle feet. Excellent for using under Snap-on combs.
30
1/50"
Pet Poodle feet, between pads of some dogs. Good for
using under Snap-on combs.
15
3/64"
Sensitive Poodle feet, pads, face on Poodles, Cockers
and Terriers.
10
1/16"
Sanitary trim (tummy & genital area), face on
Poodles, Cockers and Terriers, most cat clippings. A
very short, but safe blade.
Wide 10
3/32"
Similar to the size 10 blade, but with a wider blade
sweep. Good for full-body shavedowns and large breeds.
T-84
3/16"
Stripping heavy coats, medium length, wider cutting
surface than standard blades.
9
5/64"
Sporting Breed's necks and sometimes bodies, very
smooth finish. Popular on Cockers, Springers and Schnauzer
bodies.
8 1/2
7/64"
Head, face, neck and sometimes body on Sporting Breeds
and Terriers.
7
1/8"
Skip tooth— body work on Sporting Breeds and Terriers,
Pet Poodles, excellent for clipping matted dogs where
blending is required.
7F/7FC
1/8"
Finish blade for 7 Skip Tooth, unmatted cats.
5
1/4"
Skip Tooth, body work on Sporting Breeds and Terriers,
Pet Poodles, body work on short trims on Lhasa Apsos
and Shih-Tzus.
5F/5FC
1/4"
Finish blade for 5 Skip Tooth.
4
3/8"
Body work on the low-slung Terriers (West Highland
White, Scottish, Cairn, etc.), Pet Poodles, short trims
on Lhasa Apsos and Shih-Tzus.
4F/4FC
3/8"
Finish blade for 4 Skip Tooth— also used against the
lie of the coat of thick-coated Springers or Cockers
for a very short but very smooth look.
3 or
3 3/4
1/2"
Skip Tooth, good for a plush, almost puppy look on
Lhasas, Shih-Tzus, Old English Sheep Dogs— anything
that you want to give a short, but not shaved look.
3 or
3 3/4FC
1/2"
Finish Blade for 3¾ Skip Tooth— can also be used against
the grain as with the 4F and 4FC.
5/8 HT
5/8"
Finish Blade— good for slightly longer puppy cut.
Longest blade cut available.
7/8
1/32"
Cutting surface is 7/8" across. For small areas. Ideal
for setting patterns such as the Dutch Clip on Miniature
Poodles, great for small Poodle feet.
5/8 or 5/8 NC
1/32"
Cutting surface is 5/8" across. For small areas. Ideal
for setting patterns such as the Dutch Clip on Toy Poodles,
great for small Poodle feet.
List
of Blades
In
general, uses for each blade can be categorized in three areas.
They are Body Cutting, All Purpose Cutting and Specialty Cutting.
Below you will find a list of popular blades, but there are
additional ones not listed here.
BODY CUTTING
Size
Cut
Description
4
3/8" / 9.5 mm
Skip Tooth blade ideal
for short legged dogs - Westies, Scotties, Cairn etc.
4F
3/8"
/ 9.5 mm
Full
Tooth finishing blade version of the Size 4.
5
1/4" / 6.4 mm
Skip Tooth blade for
body work leaving a shorter cut than Size 4.
5F
1/4"
/ 6.4 mm
Full
Tooth finishing blade version of the Size 5.
7
1/8" / 3.2 mm
Skip Tooth blade popularly
used on many breeds. Ideal for matted coats.
7F
1/8"
/ 3.2 mm
Full
Tooth finishing blade version of the Size 7.
ALL
PURPOSE CUTTING
Size
Cut
Description
8
7/64" / 2.2 mm
Head, face and neck,
commonly used on some Terriers and Sporting Breeds.
8
1/2
5/64"
/ 2.0 mm
Ideal
for various uses on Terriers.
9
1/16" / 1.6 mm
Smooth finish commonly
used on Spaniels and Schnauzers.
T-84
3/16"
Wide
cutting surface for medium length. Large dogs and dense
coats.
10
1/16" / 1.6 mm
Underbody areas such
as the stomach and genital areas. Short, popular blade.
15
3/64"
/ 1.2 mm
Poodle
feet and pads, face, as well as Terrier and Cocker faces.
Close cut.
30
1/100" / .25 mm
Closer than Size 15,
often used in show trimming. Can use under Snap-Ons
SPECIALTY
CUTTING
Size
Cut
Description
5/8
1/32" / 0.8 mm
Only 5/8 inch wide
cutting surface. Usually used for setting patterns.
Very close cut
7/8
1/32"
/ 0.8 mm
Only
7/8 inch wide cutting surface. Usually used for setting
patterns. Very close cut
Breeds
Clipper Blade Chart
All Breeds
& Mixed Breeds
Sanitary Prep
#10
Very Heavy Coats
#7 or #T84
Pads
#15
Legs
AC* or scissor
Slightly Matted
#5 & #5FC
Feet (except poodle)
scissor
Very Matted
#7 & #7FC
Airedale Terrier
Body, sides & tail
#7 or #5
Ears
#10 or #15
Head, throat
#9 or #7 & #7FC
Underbody
scissor
Bearded Collie
Puppy Trim - Body
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC or
1-1/4" AC*
Bedlington
Terrier
Body
#5 & #5FC
Head, ears, tail
#10 or #15
Bichon Frise
Plush Look - Body
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Pet Trim, Short - Body
#4 & #4FC or #5 & #5FC
Bouvier Des
Flandres
Body, sides
#3-3/4 or 1" AC*
Cheeks & Throat
#4
Legs, underbody, face
scissor or 1-1/2" AC*
Briard
Puppy Trim - Body
1" AC*
Face, legs, underbody
scissor or 1-1/2" AC*
Cairn Terrier
Head, face, legs, underbody
Body
scissor
#4 or #3-3/4
Ears
#10 or #15
Cats
Very Matted
#10
Some Matting
#7FC
Cocker Spaniel
Body, sides, back, tail
#7 & #7FC or #5 &
#5FC
Underbody, feet, legs
scissor
Face, ears, throat, head
#10 or #15
Dandie Dinmont
Terrier
Body, sides, back
#4
Legs, underbody
scissor
Head, tail, feet
scissor
Top of ears
#10 or #15
English Cocker
Spaniel
Body, back, sides
#7 & #7FC
Head, neck, ears, face
#15
Front of forelegs
#7 & #7FC
Underbody, legs
scissor
English Setter
Body, sides, back
#7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC
Top of Ears
#10 or #15
Head
#9
Underbody, tail, legs
scissor
English Springer
Spaniel
Body, sides, back, tail
#7 & #7FC or #5 &
#5FC
Underbody & legs
scissor
Head, neck, ear tops, throat
#10
Irish Setter
Body, sides, back
#7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC
Underbody, tail, legs
scissor
Head, ears, throat
#10
Irish Terrier
Body, sides, back, tail
#5
Head, ears, throat
#10
Kerry Blue
Terrier
Body, sides, back, tail
#4 & #4FC or
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Neck, ears
Head
#10 or #15
#8-1/2
Lakeland Terrier
Body, sides, back, tail
#4 or #5
Neck, ears
#10
Head
#8-1/2
Lhasa Apso
& Maltese
Puppy Trim
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Head, face, tail, underbody
scissor
Shorter Pet Trim
#5 & #5FC or #4 & #4FC
Old English
Sheepdog
Puppy Trim
1-1/4" AC*
Head, face
scissor
Shorter Pet Trim
#4 & #4FC or
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Pekingese
Short Pet Trim - Body
#5 & #5FC or #4 & #4FC
or #3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Poodle
Face, feet, base of tail
#10 or #15
Body
#7 & #7FC or #5 & #5FC
Top knot, tail piece
scissor
or #4 & #4FC or
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Portuguese
Water Dog
Body
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Head, tail
scissor
Shorter Pet Trim
#4 & #4FC
Schnauzer
Body, back, sides
#7 & #7FC
Head, ears, cheeks
#10
Legs, underbody
scissor
Scottish Terrier & Sealyham
Terrier
Body, back, sides of face
#5 or #4
Top of head
#8-1/2
Ears, throat
#10
Tail
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Shih Tzu
Puppy Trim
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Head, tail & ears
scissor
Shorter Pet Trim
#4 & #4FC
Silky Terrier
Puppy Trim
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Head, underbody
scissor
Shorter Pet Trim
#4 & #4FC
Ears
#10
Soft Coated
Wheaten Terrier
Body, tail
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Legs, underbody
scissor
Shorter Pet Trim
(body, throat)
#4 & #4FC
Head, ears
scissor
Welsh Terrier
Body, back, sides, tail
#5
Head, ears, throat
#10
West Highland
White Terrier
Body, back & sides
#4 or #3-3/4
Ear tips
#10 or #15
Head, tail, underbody
scissor
Yorkshire Terrier
Puppy Trim
#3-3/4 & #3-3/4FC
Face, head
scissor
Shorter Pet Trim
#4 & #4FC
Ears
#10
Snap
On Combs
Why Snap-on Combs?
There was a time not so long ago that groomers never used snap-on
combs because they had not yet been invented. Once they landed
on the scene many groomers adopted them quickly claiming they
improved their efficiency. Yet there was another group of groomers
who even unto this day don't use them favouring scissor and
clipper only grooming.
From our experience snap-on comb attachments were indeed a great
way to improve efficiency and overall productivity, and they
were never mean to eliminate scissor finishing. Today, almost
every groomer has a few sizes of snap-on combs. It's not unusual
to find them useful every day. Anything that saves time and
reduces hand fatigue should be important to all groomers alike
as grooming has always been laborious work, and we must look
to our tools and equipment to reduce wear and tear on our precious
bodies.
While we may call them "snap-on combs" they may be referred
to as blade guards, blade grips and blade attachments. There
is not a standardized system used by manufacturers branding
the various sizes of snap-on combs. Oster snap-on combs are
numbered by the length of coat they leave (in inches). Non-Oster
combs are often numbered in 6 common comb sizes, 1; 1 1/2; 2;
3; 4; and 5. Some manufacturers produce more than these 6 sizes
usually increasing the length of coat left. Avoid using combs
with sharp ends to avoid injuries.
Snap-on comb attachments are available from grooming suppliers.
Ensure that the snap-on combs you desire will fit on the clippers
you use. Not all combs work on all clippers.
Using
Snap-on Combs
Snap-on combs are attached to the blade end of a clipper over
the blade. They are best used over a #30, #40 or #50 blades.
It's possible to use them on #10 or #15, but performance is
not as high.
Like all grooming techniques, it takes some practice to master
snap-on combs. For the most part, they are used on coats after
bathing, fluff-drying and final combing so that no matts are
present. Snap-on combs do not go through matts.
Always go in the direction of coat growth. Your objective is
to create as even a result as possible. Once done, use scissors
to smooth any uneven spots.
Some purebred dogs being groomed into non-traditional styles
can make great use of snap-on combs. For example, a full-coated
Sheepdog can have its coat reduced to an inch, or two, (depending
upon comb used) very quickly with snap-on comb. In fact, many
other purebred full-coated dogs being given an even length coat
reduction cut all over are candidates for snap-on comb grooming,
followed by scissors to perfect any uneven spots.
Keep in mind that with the popularity of clipper vacuum systems
the traditional application of snap-on comb grooming at the
same required some modifications. Because the vacuum effect
is lifting the hair coat into the comb and blade, you are likely
to get a shorter cut than using the same size snap-on comb with
a clipper not attached to a vacuum system.
Clean snap-on combs regularly with soap and water only. Remove
any clipper oil or aerosol spray on combs before use.
Improve
Your Efficiency With Snap-On Combs
Snap-on combs, also called
blade guards, can save you a great deal of time and hand fatigue.
Smaller finisher trimmer type clippers may come with their own
combs that fit only that clipper. ProGroom sells Andis and Romani
combs that are all compatible with an A-5 type blade. All given
lengths are against the lie of the coat and are specified by
the manufacturer, the same as blades. Snap-on combs can be used
either with or against the lie of the coat. Keep in mind that
the cut will often be longer when cutting with the direction
of growth.
There are some differences in the available brands. Oster combs
are stamped with the length of coat they leave, and their lengths
are a little different. All others have a number or letter designation
stamped on them. Most brands (except Oster) have the original
six comb sizes: 1, 1½, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Laube adds eight longer
length combs. Some brands have very pointed ends, which can
be dangerous. If these are found, simply rub the ends on a piece
of cardboard or emery board until they are blunted.
Snap-on combs are best used over a #40 blade, a #50 blade, or
a #30 blade. Although they will go over any even-toothed blade,
the combs have a tendency to drag and catch hair when used over
the longer blades (#10 or #15).
Experiment with these tools. When used as recommended, they
have many advantages. However, they do not cut well through
heavily matted coats. Ideally, they are to be used on a clean,
combed-out coat. If the dog is not very matted, try using them
pre-bath to reduce the amount of coat that must be washed.
When doing full scissor trims on Lhasa type dogs, or puppy cuts,
try a Snap-on. There may be some unevenness, but that will diminish
as your technique improves (it is vital to clip following the
angle of hair in the direction of coat growth to avoid leaving
marks and short spots, just as with clippers). Use the comb
to get to the approximate length and then scissor over it, or
use thinning shears. When starting with an overgrown coat, this
can be a great time saver. Try using a longer comb and going
against the grain for a smoother, more plush finish at the same
length. Start with a comb a couple of sizes longer for the legs
on these dogs; or for a short version, use a #4, #5, or #7 on
the body and a comb on the legs.
A Sheepdog done with one of the extra large size combs with
the grain will turn out a great puppy cut. Heads can be given
shape as well. For Poodles, the same ideas work, but remember
that lengths will be shorter on Poodles with their off-standing
coats than the lengths on Shih-Tzus.
A few additional things to remember: if you have one of those
occasional dogs that the clipper burns at the lightest touch
of the blade, try using only combs. The #5 comb will provide
you with a length close to that of a #10 blade. Keep in mind,
when using a Shear Magic or another vacuum clipper system, the
lengths should be adjusted accordingly, as the pull of the vacuum
will make them shorter! Do not spray Snap-on combs with coolant
or any aerosol, as this may degrade the plastic. To clean, run
under warm soapy water and dry off gently.
Tips
• Attachment
Comb must be over #40 blade. • "or"
(ex. #10 or #15) - Select the blade according to how long you
want to leave the coat. • "&"
(ex. #7 & #7FC) - Use the "skip tooth" (ie. #7) blade before
bathing and the "finish cut" (ie. #7FC) blade after bathing
to complete the cut. • Blade
cutting lengths listed (refer to Blade Chart) are against natural
lie of the coat. Cutting with lie of the coat leaves hair one
size longer (ex. #7 cut with lie of the coat = length of #5).
• Andis AG blades will fit
on the Andis model AG, AG-2, AGR and MBG Clippers and Oster
A5 Clipper. • DO NOT use skip
tooth blades on cats. Keep skin taut when clipping dogs and
cats.