Incorrect blade set

Almost all professional blades (Oster, Andis, Laube, Conair, Thrive Wahl) are interchangeable. They will state on the package or in the catalogue that they are “A5” or “Snap-on” type blades. However, you have to be VERY careful of this:- If the blade-set is adjusted to work well on the Andis, the blade-set may not work well on another clipper without adjusting it to fit properly on another clipper. This happens so many times, and the blame usually falls on the clipper, when the problem really is due to improper adjustment of the blades. You should have on hand enough blade-sets to use individually on each clipper. You should mark the blades you are using on the Andis with one colour of nail polish and the blade you are using on the Laube with another colour. Adjust the blades to fit and work well with each clipper, then don't mis-match them. 

FAQs

How Do I Adjust My Blades To Fit The Clippers?

If you turn the blade-set over, you will see little "ears" on the socket. The socket is attached to the comb part of the blade-set by the two screws that go through the comb. The comb should never move when the clipper is turned on. If the little “ears” are fitted properly, the comb will not "wiggle" or move from side to side. If the comb moves, even slightly, it will chatter, leave rows, pull hair, and bog down the blades. The "ears" should fit smugly over the hinge assembly on the Laube (same hinge all models since 1999) (A5) (AG)  (AGC) (AGR) Thrive Wahl  or Conair clippers.

The hinge assembly part will differ slightly between companies. This difference will result in the blade-set not fitting well. Because of this, some Groomers swear that one brand of clipper is superior to another, when the problem is actually the blade adjustment. This is why the blade-set should be adjusted to fit each clipper. Some service centres may also fit a hinge which is not for that specific machine, fitting a Moser Hinge on a Laube for instance causes all sorts of problems, this was common practice with many service centres, especially in the UK, giving that particular clipper an undeserved bad press. It is therefore important to have the Manufacturers specified components fitted at all times.

To adjust the blade - turn the clipper on (always do this first!), mount the blade and observe if the comb part has ANY movement. Even EVER SO SLIGHT. It should be ABSOLUTELY still. If there is movement, remove the blade and turn it over. Use VERY GOOD pliers and gently squeeze the "ears" together. Repeat until all movement is gone. If you have closed the ears too much, they won’t mount. This can be remedied by forcing the ears over the hinge. While the clipper is running, place the back of the comb to the heel of your left hand and using your right hand, press hard enough with the clippers to force the blade into it's proper place.

WARNING!!! The ears are breakable. Too much squeezing will cause an ear to fall off. That is why I said use a VERY GOOD pair of pliers.

How Do I Clean My Blades ?

We recommend “Blade Majik” to clean and lubricate. This is a petroleum product that is marketed by many names, such as Naptha and Varsol. Its primary use is as a cleaning solution. It is sold commercially for this purpose in 55-gallon drums to nearly every industry and manufacturing plant that uses machinery. It is also the principal cleaning solution used by dry cleaners. Unlike gasoline, diesel, or kerosene, which vaporises instantly at room temperature, Blade Majik has a very high flash point (the lowest temperature at which a substance produces enough vapour to form a flammable mixture with air) and will not vaporise at room temperature. This property makes it safe to use around electrical motors. An open flame must first be held against the fluid for a length of time in order for it to reach it's boiling temperature and vaporise, then burn. It is the gaseous vapours that burn and not the actual fluid. 

At the end of every day, you should run the blades in SOME type of cleaning solution. When you are dipping the running blades, it is important to remember not to dip them in the liquid past the vents on the side of the clipper. On the Oster clipper, the vents can be found on the sides and on the Andis or Laube, they are located on the top (although on Laube, especially the most up to date ones they have taken several measures to minimise this). ONLY DIP THE BLADE, never turn the clipper teeth upwards and allow the fluid to penetrate the clipper and thoroughly dry the blade afterwards. It is important that you dip while the blades are running in order for the back and forth motion of the blades to wash and clean out the very small hairs that may become trapped between the teeth of the cutter and comb.

After this, remove the blades from the clipper, slide the small blade to one side and put one SMALL drop of household oil on both contact surfaces of the large blade (the parts where the two blades touch). Then slide the small blade in the other direction and put one SMALL drop of oil on the contact surfaces of the other side of the large blade. Wipe down and store on any absorbent material to collect any excess oil. If you have problems with oil getting onto your animal’s coat, then you are using too much lubricant. It takes only a VERY small drop of oil to lubricate this tiny area. But, IT IS NECESSARY. NEVER run your blades dry.

Oil is necessary for lubrication and the prevention of rust. Lubrication is necessary to prevent heat build-up because of the friction that the blades create from rapidly moving back and forth. You would not run your car without oil. Without lubrication, the blades will get so hot they will actually burn the animal.

We recommend dipping blades while they are running into a large jar that contains Blade Majik for long enough to clean them. You can actually hear the clipper motor speed up when the blades become clean and lubricated. We then blow them off with the blaster, and wipe them down before testing.

Clean lubricated blades will ALWAYS run COOLER than dirty blades.

When you are dipping the running blades, it is important to remember not to dip them in the liquid past the vents on the side of the clipper. On the Oster clipper, the vents can be found on the sides and on the Andis, they are located on the top. ONLY DIP THE BLADE, never turn the clipper teeth upwards and allow the fluid to penetrate the clipper and thoroughly dry the blade afterwards. It is important that you dip while the blades are running in order for the back and forth motion of the blades to wash and clean out the very small hairs that may become trapped between the teeth of the cutter and comb.

How often should I need to sharpen my blades?

How often blades need sharpening depends on several things, including a) how hard the steel is, b) your grooming methods and c) the type of dog you are grooming.

a) Harder steel blunts more slowly than softer steel and therefore requires sharpening less frequently. However, the harder steel will break more easily if dropped.

b) If you bath dogs before clipping, blades will last longer before requiring to be sharpened. Dirty hair will blunt blades, including scissors, faster than clean hair.

c) The next thing to consider is your clientele.  Are your clients mostly small housedogs, or large outside breeds.  Are they heavy coated?  If so, they may be wallowing in sand or dust dirtying their coats, this will blunt your blades faster.

Is it  the same sharpening machine for dog blades on sheep, horse and barber blades?

Sheep shearing blades are flat ground not hollow ground. Human blades are the same as dog blades with the exception of a few different sizes and they are numbered differently.  They should also be hollow ground.

The blades used on horses that fit the A5 or A2 type Oster or Snap-On blades used on Andis and Laube clippers are the same as dog blades.  The horse blades that fit on the big Lister / Wolsley clippers are flat ground. 

"Hollow Grinding" is a term used in the cutting instruments manufacturing industry.  Hollow grinding is a method if achieving a very narrow, thin edge on a cutting blade, and still reserve the strength of a thick blade.  After the initial grinding at the manufacturing stage, it is important that subsequent sharpening’s do not grind off this hollow ground edge. An automatic hollow grinding machine is used, which holds both the comb and cutter on the turntable at the same time, matching them together. The two arms use magnets to hold the comb and cutter, and the two arms are adjusted to allow the blades to come in contact with the turntable very lightly and at the proper angle to achieve the hollow ground cutting surface on the blades. To achieve the hollow ground cutting surface, the arms have to be adjusted for each size of blades, 40s, 30s, 10s, 7s, etc. Before the process of honing starts, the turntable is sprinkled with a very fine honing compound that delicately polishes the cutting surfaces of the blades by removing less than .0015" of steel from the blade. The advantage to this is that it is not necessary to hold either of these pieces on this fast moving (400 rpm) table with fingers, which is required on the flat grinding tables.

On the flat tables, instead of magnets, the blade is held on the turntable with the grinder's hand and fingers. This same method is used on all sizes of blades.   Finger pressure is needed to hold the blade on the fast moving table. If the grinder should place too much pressure on just one corner of the comb or cutter, then the blades will start wearing in that direction, just like an out of line tyre on your car. The cutter and comb have to be ground separately and hope they mate after the grinding. Flat tables use a very coarse grinding powder that rapidly cuts metal from the blades, reducing the life of the blade.  

Ask your sharpener if they use the automatic machines that grind both the cutter and comb together. If they do, then I would think that if the sharpening service invested that much money in a "single use machine" (a machine that has only one use, sharpening blades), then in all probability the machine will hollow grind your blades.

Also, if the grinder comes to your shop, you can take a look at his equipment and watch him sharpen some of your blades. If he is using a flat grinding machine, he will be holding the blades on the turntable with his fingers.

Flat tables are "multiple use" machines and are used in machine shops for flat grinding any type of material that may require a flat surface, whereas a clipper blade machine is used for only one purpose….to hollow grind clipper blades. Many shops are not willing to invest in a machine that will do only one job. Also, you can buy three flat grinders for the price of one clipper blade machine.

A blade sharpener that uses the proper hollow grinding machine will save you a lot of money. We have found that just by removing .0015" of metal will sharpen most blades if a grain of sand or something hasn’t scored them like. By removing only .0015" of metal with each sharpening, you extend the life of your blades and get many more sharpening before you have to discard them. The result is you don’t have to buy new blades so often. So, I would think this is what you should look for in a blade service.

Factory specifications for hollow grinding

Charts and gauges are used to adjust the machines to the correct sharpening angle for every different blade size. This angle is the angle at which the blade makes contact with the polishing wheel and is specified by the factory for each size blade. The angles are set using steel blocks that are supplied by the manufacturer with the machine. In other words, there is a steel block of the correct thickness for each blade size. E.g. The machine is set up for size number 1A blades with a steel block number 093. This sets the arms that hold the blade on the polishing wheel at the correct angle for the 1A blade. Then the machine automatically sharpens the blade with a hollow ground edge.  This procedure should be followed for every size blade that you send for sharpening. This machine is a single purpose machine and this purpose is sharpening clipper blades only. It is a little more elaborate, but in the long run, you can get many more sharpening’s from a blade set.

No matter what the animal is that is being sheared/clipped, all UNIVERSAL Snap-On blades used on the Andis/Oster/Laube Groomers clippers are hollow ground. The blades are numbered for the length of hair that is being left on the animal after it has been clipped.  So, a number 10 blade, no matter if it is an Oster, Andis, or Wahl blade will fit on any PROFESSIONAL clipper and will leave hair 1/16" long after it is clipped. It matters not what type animal is being clipped/sheared.   The numbers range from a number "3" that leaves a 1/2" cut to a number "50" that is used by vet’s to shave the skin and leaves 1/150" cut.  So a "dog" blade can clip a cat, horse, rabbit, pig, sheep or bull.  The "guards/combs" that are put on the blades will add to the length of cut.

I hope this clears up any confusion you may have regarding the blades and whether they should be hollow ground or not.

What causes my blade to pop off my clipper when I try to use it in heavy hair?

Most probably it is the latch.  The latch, which is the back piece of the hinge assembly, is the piece that holds the blade in position after the hinge is closed. 

On a Laube/Oster/Andis AGC, before removing a blade, you must first depress the latch on the hinge assembly, which is located under the blade. If a blade is snapped open without depressing the hinge, the hook that grabs the blade will break off the latch.  If this happens on all your blades, then you will need to order a new latch (or send to service centre for fitting). If it is happening only on one blade, then replace the blade socket. Tune up kits are now available to completely revamp your blade. 

On  Andis, check the hinge assembly for movement by pressing on the top and bottom with your fingers.  If there is any movement at all, replace the entire assembly. Be sure to not lose the tiny spring under the hinge assembly.  This is very important in holding a blade in position. On all brands try lifting the hinge tongue with your thumb nail, if there is any easy movement, the hinge requires replacement.

On Laube clippers it is recommended to thread lock the hinge screws with a light fixative, we have found “FINGER NAIL HARDNER” or “plumbers mate” to be particularly good for this, as it locks the threads just enough to stop screws slackening, while they can still be readily removed if required.

Why does my clipper “nick” the skin?

When new, your poodle face blade#40 or #30 works fine for carefully scooping out matted pads, but after sharpening, they nick the skin. Two or three different things can cause this problem. The most likely thing is that the blade set is not properly re-assembled. The cutter is either too close, or extended beyond the leading edge of the comb. This will cause the back and forth motion of the cutter to cut the skin. If the blades are worn, then this will happen, even using the correct sharpening equipment. The sharpener should tell you when the blades are worn out.

Another reason may be that your sharpener may not be using the proper equipment. Some grinders are still using the old flat table that requires them to hold the blade on the circular table by hand while it is turning. If he puts too much pressure (some pressure is required to hold the blade on the table) on the leading edge of the blade, then this edge will grind down to a sharp edge, which will cut your finger.

Metal blades are cast from a mixture of iron and carbon, usually containing between 0.2 and 1.5 percent carbon, often with other constituents such as manganese, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, copper, tungsten, cobalt, or silicon, depending on the desired alloy properties. The more carbon used in the manufacturing process, the harder the steel. The harder the steel, the less sharpening the blades need, but the more brittle the teeth will be when dropped.

 Ideally, blade manufacturers will opt for a metal that falls somewhere in the middle for their blades. The metal should be soft enough that it does not readily break when dropped or does not lose a tooth on a dirty coat, yet be hard enough to withstand the use of constant cutting. However, these dull quicker than blade made from the hardest steel.  The Oster Elite Cryotech blades and the LAUBE CX are very hard and will stay sharp longer, but they are also more brittle. I would recommend shampooing the dog BEFORE grooming as sand in the coat could damage the blade, although I know this is not always possible.

Blade problem. Or is it?

All manufacturers say their blades will fit all clippers, but it is also true that they all have different hinge sizes & they make their blades to fit this size! However, basically the blade can be adjusted to fit any clipper. Some Groomers understand this & can do the job reasonably well themselves. However, I would recommend when you buy a new clipper, particularly of another brand, that you send your blades to a competent blade specialist to have them set to the new clipper. Always use a company, who sets your blades to your clipper, if they don't ask this, don't use them.

I often hear that blades were cutting on the old clipper but won’t on a new one! Many Groomers assume that the new clipper is at fault but this is not always so. This happens most often on a change from Andis to another brand and the reason is complicated. Andis use a drive system that is durable but inefficient. Most manufacturers use a solid drive, resulting in a sliver of drive lever being removed every time the blade is changed on a moving clipper. Andis tried to remedy this by putting a space in the centre of the drive. This does reduce wear a little by folding into the space when you change blades but unfortunately this also happens when you hit a difficult or thick coat. The result of this is that when the lever does wear, it's only working in the centre of the blade. If you then put this blade on a clipper with a new drive lever, it starts using the whole blade again and hits a “bump” every half stroke as the blade is now worn in the centre but not on the sides, causing snagging just like a completely blunt blade. When you return the blade to the old clipper it will still cut!!! Sharpening will cure this.

When you get your new clippers, make sure you read the instruction and don’t take it for granted that they operate in the same way as your last set. Even if it is the same make and model, manufacturers occasionally make modifications (usually improvements!) to their machines. Hinge lock systems (which require oiling) and "seating in" the blades are typical example of areas where changes could have been made so familiarising yourself with the operating instructions is extremely important. Many blades are returned because the operator cannot get them “seated” on the clipper! Some manufacturers make the socket ears from softer metal, making them easier to seat but the socket ears soon bend and cause many problems with rattling and chattering blades. Good blades, when new, will be hard to latch but by putting them on your clipper several times (after oiling the hinge & the blade), the socket ears will bend to the size of your clipper hinge and give a tight fit. Good quality blades will stay that way but poor quality the socket ears

will splay. Don’t be fooled into buying the most expensive blades to get quality. In the current market, I find the cheapest are much better than some expensive ones!

Do not change blades between different clippers, there are dozens of hinge sizes out there, even on same brands and you will get problems if you do not designate blades to individual clippers.

Ceramic blades are fast becoming the norm for many Groomers. Whether you love them or loathe them, it cannot be denied that they certainly stay sharper much longer. One sharpener tells me he reckons they last up to 20 times longer than a conventional metal blade.

Many Groomers complain that blades come back from sharpening no better or worse than before they were sent. There are many possible reasons for this. Firstly, it could be the sharpener has not ground the blades properly. It is most important with animal blades that they are hollow ground as a matched pair. Secondly, your blades may have been over tensioned. This can damage your clipper, especially if it is of the type with a drive cam instead of gearing. This is the most common reason for blades or clippers overheating. If you cannot easily slide the small cutter blade back and forth with your finger, then the blade is too tight and should be re-tensioned.

Another possibility is that the clipper not the blade may be at fault.  Too few Groomers realise that the drive lever on most clippers should be replaced regularly. As a rough guide, if the machine is clipping eight dogs per day, the lever will probably require to be replaced every eight weeks and the hinge every 16 weeks, depending on the make. For instance, the drive lever on a Laube clipper wears faster than most (mainly because it moves faster). Laube have now developed a new lever which lasts much longer than previously, these new ones are blue in colour & have superseded all other colour drive levers. On Andis clippers the hinge loses tension far faster than most others do. On some makes it is obvious when parts require replacing. On Laube clippers for instance, the blades become noticeably noisy when the drive lever requires replacement but on Andis and Oster models the performance of the blade deteriorates just like a blunt blade. This is because the lever is no longer moving the blade far enough back and forth.

The most important way to get long life and service from your blades is to lubricate them little and often. It is a common misconception that cooling lubricant & blade-wash are lubricants. THEY ARE NOT (although cooling lubricant does have some oil, it is not sufficient). These products have done more for blade sales than any advertising over the last ten years! If a piece of metal like a blade is hot, spraying the surface may cool the blade on the outside, but the metal is still hot on the inside and soon reheats the surface. This could eventually affect the temper of the metal. It should also be noted that spraying these products or oil products like WD40 onto hot metal could cause fumes to be released and can lead to respiratory problems or even cancer in both humans and canines.  

Blade wash will sanitise & clean your blade but you must never leave blades soaking in this and you must oil the blades thoroughly all over after cleaning. Always store blades in a box with a lid. In a moist atmosphere (like a grooming salon) rust can develop in as little as 15 minutes. Leaving un-oiled blades uncovered overnight can turn a sharp blade to a blunt one without even cutting a dog!

Blade Tune Up Kits