Tips to Care for Your Blades
by Brandy Johnson
© Brandy Johnson All Rights Reserved
Published here with the permission of the author.

Dear Customers and Friends,

Since you asked about the proper upkeep of your blades, thought I might just sit down and tell you what I have learned is the proper care and feeding of your blades.

First off, the parts need to be tight, so never loosen the screws. The smaller blade, which is the cutting blade, when moved manually, will give a bit of resistance. A loose fit will allow the blades to separate, causing the hair to slide through and not cut.

Rust is a groomer’s number one enemy. More blades are sharpened because of rust than wear. I recommend placing them on a clean piece of terry cloth you have sprayed with WD40 and a second cloth placed over them. I have mine in a drawer but I have a friend who keeps hers on a counter top and hers have never been rusty. Plastic bags are not a good idea as they tend to sweat

A tooth brush is good to remove dry hair, but often times there is dirt and grime also. A slicker brush will not hurt your blades and will remove a lot of stuck on "stuff". Tooth brush or slicker brush…MAKE SURE THE CLIPPER IS OFF WHEN USING IT. When you clip a very dirty dog I recommend you clean the blade often in blade wash and re-oil. The proper way is to dip the blade into the blade wash while it is running. Turn off the clipper pat the blade dry, then turn the clippers back on and oil the blade. Some people make a point of washing all their blades at the end of each week. Good idea.

Hair, dampness and contact with the air cause rust. We have discussed cleaning and oiling so that leaves contact with the air. I recommend placing them on a clean piece of terry cloth you have sprayed with WD40 and a second cloth placed over them. I have mine in a drawer but I have a friend that keeps hers on a counter top and hers have never been rusty. Plastic bags are not a good idea as they tend to sweat.

Oil is very important. Blades may be washed with water if they are dried and oiled. You can clip down a wet dog. In fact, it is better for your blades to clip down a wet dog than a very dirty dog, especially one full of fleas. Fleas mean blood and blood is one of the fastest ways to rust. When cutting a wet dog, if the blade begins to pull, oil it. Then be sure to oil again when finished. Alcohol is another way to rust a blade real fast. I recommend a disinfectant made especially for blades instead of alcohol. Blade manufacturers recommend a light oil such as 3 in 1 oil or sewing machine oil. I’m lazy so I often use WD40, however, WD40 does build up on the blades and if they are not very sharp they won’t cut as well.

Occasionally someone asked why some of your blades rattle. If you compare a newer blade with a blade that rattles, you will notice that the two metal pieces in the center of the blade are standing straight up on the new blade but pushed to the side on the one that rattles. Often times they can be bent straight again but occasionally it is necessary to change the blade socket. In which case, I have many spare parts. If you mark the ones that rattle I will repair or replace the blade guides. Since I do not have the same clippers as you I may not tighten enough or too much to fit your clipper. Don’t ask me why all clippers are not exactly the same, it has bugged me for years.

Hope this will help you out with your blades.

Copyright 2007 Find A Groomer Inc. All rights reserved