 | Clipper Blade Information
Product code: 0
CLIPPER BLADES - the various types:
There are many types of blades available for use on animals of which some are designed to fit more than one make of clipper. On each of our clipper pages you will see the various makes of blades each clipper will accept. If you refer to the various blades pages you will not only see the blade in question but can also view it operational uses.
Blades as used on human hair clippers are generally not considered suitable for clipping animal hair. There may be the odd or rare occasion when they appear to work but they certainly are not intended for animal clipping.
All blade referred to here are intended solely for use on animals.
Blades fall into a number of categories, which may be described as: -
Traditional livestock clipper blades
Steel detachable blades
Steel Ceramic coated detachable blades
Ceramic blades
Steel screw fixed blades
Adjustable detachable narrow blades
Cutters and combs
Traditional livestock clipper blades
Comprise of two blades often referred to as "plates" - an upper plate (the cutter) and a lower plate. (the comb) The upper plate or cutter is the one, which moves and effectively does the cutting. Clipper motors drive the cutter at various speeds referred to as "cutting strokes per minute" (spm)
Cutter blades on some types of machines (Aesculap/Heiniger/Liscop/Stewart Oster clippers) may be positioned upon twin pointed cones on what is often referred to as the "cutter-driving carrier." (fig. 1)
Other cutter blades (Hauptner/Liscop/Wolseley) (fig. 2) may be slid over a drive block which when the motor is switched on has a rotating movement and hence "drives" the blades. The lower plate or comb blade is fixed to the clipper head either by twin screws or a single control bolt with tension spring and adjusting nut. Some combs may have twin holes towards the back of the blade (opposite side to the teeth) and these fit over "blade lugs" which keep them secure and aligned.
Some cutter blades have a plastic housing into which the drive block fits instead of the normal steel housing. (Lister/Premier) This affords less noise in the clipper head when the machine in action. It is most important to oil regularly in this area as if the block is allowed to run dry serious damage may result in the blade housing rendering the cutter blade useless.
With the traditional livestock type of blade system "tensioning" is a required skill in order to get the maximum clipping performance out of a set of blades. Most manufacturers issue "guidelines" on the number of turns necessary to tighten the blades and initiate the tensioning, whilst these often are adequate you may need from time to time to make small adjustments to the tensioning to maintain peak performance as the coat texture of the animal changes.
Over tensioning to force a machine to clip with blades which are becoming blunt or are already blunt is most unwise, and a bad practise which may well result in clipper damage. Tensioning is not really difficult, although some folk make heavy weather of it; practice is the key to success with plenty of regular work with large numbers of animals. Horse owners would appear to suffer the worst simply because they do not do enough clipping to become familiar with their machines.
Narrow type blades:
Narrow blades are traditionally used on small animal clippers and trimmers. There are two different types - detachable (fig. 3) or screw fixed (fig. 4) - and these can be either made of steel or of a ceramic nature. It is important to know which of these can be used on a variety of machines. On average the narrow type blade has a cutting face of about 45mm (1.75-inches) but those used on trimmer can and are often smaller.
Unlike the large livestock traditional blade you can attach plastic combs to many of the detachable and screw fixed blades with the object of leaving a greater length of coat. However it is important to realise when using attachment combs the coat must be thoroughly free of any knots or tangles.
In recent years several manufacturers have introduced a "wide" version of both the detachable blade (fig. 5) and the screw fixed blades (fig. 6) for specialist clippers. These can be up to 65mm (2.5-inches) in width. Such blades are invariably used for the full body clipping of horses - especially the nervous variety, exhibition cattle, small studs of alpacas and large breeds of dogs
Use of such blades, especially on horses when full body clipping is being undertaken requires a far more relaxed approach to clipping. Shorter strokes are far more likely to produce quality clipping. Any attempt to "push" the clipper will result in the emergence of "tramline" a fault of the operator not the blade! Allow the blade to do the work, use your hand to "guide" the machine.
Detachable blades are widely used in dog and cat grooming parlours, and are important blades for any involvement in serious clipping on breed such as Terriers, Spaniels, and many other dog breeds, as well as many longhaired cats.
The great advantage of the "detachable" blade is that it requires no tensioning, having been pre-tensioned at the factory before use. (The Aesculap Favourita blades are an exception - they have the facility to be tensioned when necessary.) (fig. 7) A comprehensive knowledge of the various blade sizes and the difference between the "skip" tooth and "full" blade is important especially when working on dogs.
Screw fixed narrow blades are often associated with trimmers of earlier design periods, as many of the more modern trimmers are adopting the "detachable" blade technology. The screw fixed blade comprises of a cutter (smaller) and comb (larger) blade and is usually secure to the clipper head with two screws.
It is most important to appreciate the need to align of the blades if they are to perform correctly. Attention to the manufacturer's instructions is strongly recommended. Clippers that have an "adjustable blade lever facility (this allows the cutting depth to be altered without changing the blade or attaching a plastic attachment comb) require this lever to be in the correct position at the time of fitting the blade - you should refer to the manufacturer's instruction manual.
Steel Ceramic coated detachable blades:
A recently new addition to the detachable blade range, these are essentially a steel blade, which has in its manufacturing process been "coated " with a ceramic powder. (fig. 8)
The benefits gained are several. The blades retain a cutting edge for a longer period - thus having a longer lasting life and therefore reducing sharpening costs. Comb tooth entry into the hair is easier thus allowing for more effective cutting.
One slight "downside" feature is that with successive re-sharpenings the ceramic "coating" will be come worn and in the course of time the blade will revert to a steel blade without the ceramic influence. However the blade in its steel format is still a highly effect blade and will last as such for many years with normal use.
Ceramic narrow blades:
Ceramic narrow blades are a recently new addition to the various blade ranges normally used on dog and cat grooming clippers and they are a type of blade combination, which is likely to increase in popularity. A ceramic blade consists of a steel comb or lower blade and a ceramic cutter or upper plate.
Ceramic blades are considered to remain cooler, and sharper than pure steel blades however initially there is a "breaking in period" during which the blade may well appear both noisier and hotter. This "breaking in period" will last for up to 8-10 hours of use after which the blade will start to operate as expected. At all times normal oiling must be applied to the blade. (fig. 9)
Steel screw fixed narrow smaller blades:
A range of blades often associated with small pet trimmers of earlier design periods, as some of the more modern very small trimmers are adopting the "detachable" blade technology. The screw fixed blade comprises of a cutter (smaller) and comb (larger) blade and is usually secure to the clipper head with two screws. (fig. 10)
It is most important to appreciate the need to align of the blades if they are to perform correctly. Attention to the manufacturer's instructions is strongly recommended - you should refer to the manufacturer's instruction manual.
Adjustable "detachable" narrow blades:
Are generally blades which have a 5 or 6 point adjustment facility incorporated within the blade housing and are a specialist blade limited to a few high quality trimmers. Such blades usually allow the operator the adjustability of between 0.3mm and 3mm and are extremely useful when detailed work is involved especially in the preparation of show animals and veterinary requirements. (fig. 11)
Currently these blades are available in both "ceramic powdered" and steel formats. Due to part of the blade housing being of plastic some sharpening outlet may refuse to sharpen them stating that they are not re-sharpenable. According to the manufacturer this is not correct and the blade can be re-sharpened.
Cutters and combs:
The blades used for the shearing of sheep, these are different to traditional blades used for hair coated animals such as horses and cattle, as they generally have fewer teeth, and will normally only fit a machine fitted with a "sheep head" The current exception to the rule is the Lister Laser, or Premier 3000c clippers both of which take the versatile Lister "Wizard" blades which can be used on both sheep and cattle/horses. It should however be noted the "Wizard" blades are intended more for dagging rather than shearing sheep, although they will produce a reasonable result on a small number of sheep. The two leading manufactures - Heiniger and Lister produce a large selection of cutters and combs for a wide range of shearing conditions and wool styles, as well as specialist blades for Alpacas. Lammas, Goats, and Camels. (fig. 12) Narrow cutters and combs are also available for certain shearing machines which accept this type of narrow blade (fig. 12a)
Knowledge of the correct way to set up the blades on a shearing head is vital if the machine is to perform correctly. Either consult our website or read the manufacturers manual. Generally it is a wise policy to equip oneself with a ratio of 3-1 cutter and combs when shearing sheep as one may be involved in frequent cutter changing depending on conditions at the time of shearing. Regular oiling of blades is essential.
Oiling of all types of blades regularly is essential!
As a functioning clipper head comprises of two pieces of metal moving backwards and forwards several thousands of times per minute if they are not frequently lubricated they will very soon become hot - indeed extremely hot! Such heat will quickly cause the "dulling" of the blades with the result they go blunt rapidly and will not cut again until they are re-sharpened. (A process which can involve several days as blades usually have to be sent to a sharpening establishment.)
Regular oiling with good quality clipper oil is a routine requirement. It is important to discipline oneself to adhere to this principle, as it is easy to become engrossed with the clipping and totally forget to oil the blades. Such errors will soon become costly in both time and frustration! Lubrication with products such a diesel fuel, which may be advocated by some inexperienced operators is unacceptable, and very likely to lead to substantial internal motor damage. Use of WD 40 is another undesirable habit!
Use good quality oil - clipper hair oil is a preferred choice, and apply it liberally but regularly - every few minutes. Blade saturation is both wasteful and likely to be harmful to internal machine parts. Machines should be angled slightly upwards at about 10 degrees when apply oil and not in a vertical position. (Running the motor in this position may cause some of the lubrication to be sucked back into the motor with ensuing damage resulting!)
Blades sharpening:
Blades sharpening needs to be done on the correct type of machines and by professional operators who have undergone training preferably by manufacturer's of various clipper makes. Blades should be sharpened as a "pair". Recognising the differences in blade sharpening techniques is important to the blades performance. Correctly sharpened and suitably cared for blades will last for many years. Rust, which is occurred by neglect, should be avoid as it can seriously affect blade performance. A good discipline is to clean and oil blades immediately after use and suitably wrap and store in a dry situation.
All operators, undertaking the clipping of animals, should have a comprehensive knowledge of the various types of blades available and their specific uses. On our clipper blade web pages you will find detailed information on each blade. We are constantly adding additional information to our blade pages as we collect data from various end user sources.
All persons who clip animals should always have access to a second freshly sharpened or new blade, as any blade used - irrespective of the make of clipper, especially when used on an un washed animal may go blunt at a moments notice. A half or partially clipped animal is not desirable!
Before switching your clipper on make certain both blades are correctly fitted, the right way up - especially cutter blades, and that all screws have been suitably tightened. Blade tensioning should have been carried out to a point were only the final adjustment is required. It is considered unwise to run clipping machines of the larger type without blades.
Attachment combs:
Attachment combs are normally made of a plastic component, although some do have metal blades. Those intended for "fixed blade" machines are usually attached by sliding the comb on the blade.
The "snap" on type comb with the expanding clasp which clips over the rear of the blade, are generally intended for the "detachable type blades as used by most professional dog clippers.
Attachment combs do not fit on traditional type clipper blades, they are intended to be fitted on/over the "detachable" type "narrow" blades as used by most dog groomers. They are not intended to fit the "detachable" wide type blades as used for large dog breeds or for full body horse clipping
Combs can only be attached to "detachable" narrow blades from blade size#50 to size #8.5. Blades from size#7 downwards will not accommodate the comb attachment, due to the increasing size of the comb blade
The purpose of the attachment comb is to leave a greater length of un-cut hair than the blade alone would normally leave. The alternative to this method is to buy one of the special depth blade (Blades from size#7 down to size#3 all of which leave specific lengths of un-cut hair.
It is important to remember however that if you use an attachment comb you must be very particular with the grooming of the coat. There MUST NOT be any tangles or knots - otherwise the comb may come off the blade, it may well refuse to pass through the hair, and the clipping process may be painful to the animal!
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