# Andis blades



## Von

When I bought my Andis clippers, they came with the no 10 blade. I also bought the Ultraedge 3/4 HT blade, which I have never used, as the groomer course I went on recommended using combs for longer length. The blade supposedly leaves a coat length of 3/4 "

I wondered if any of you expert groomers out there have experience of using this blade, and any advice, like the best way to use it, what bits of the body to use it for, or maybe just 'go for it' or 'leave it in the box'.

Thanks


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## mairi1

This made me laugh..."or leave it in the box??"!!!!!  

3/4 of an inch sounds pretty short or are you quite keen to go for this length?

I've no experience at all but glad you've brought up this thread as I am *toying* with the idea of getting the clippers and wondered about which blades to buy and wondered if any came with the clippers. 

So what length does the size 10 give? Is the higher the number of blade ..the longer the length?? 

Do most people use the same blade for all over the body? 

xxx


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## dmgalley

I am very interested too esp now that I have two to keep groomed.


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## kendal

That blade will be useless unless the coat is compleatly tangle free and blow dried. But I agree you probable better just using a comb garden as you can work down from the longest one down till you find a length you like.


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## Von

mairi1 said:


> This made me laugh..."or leave it in the box??"!!!!!
> 
> 3/4 of an inch sounds pretty short or are you quite keen to go for this length?
> 
> I've no experience at all but glad you've brought up this thread as I am *toying* with the idea of getting the clippers and wondered about which blades to buy and wondered if any came with the clippers.
> 
> So what length does the size 10 give? Is the higher the number of blade ..the longer the length??
> 
> Do most people use the same blade for all over the body?
> 
> xxx


Yes, I thought the 3/4 blade sounded a bit short, but I thought it might be useful under the arm (leg?) pits perhaps, or for a more extreme overall cut if it gets very hot in the summer, particularly if we are in France. 

The no 10 blade which is usually included with the clippers cuts very short and I only use it to remove hair between the pads and toes, however, you need this particular size blade, or a 15 to clip the combs onto.

The combs extend the space between the dog's body and the clipper blade, so with a set of combs of various sizes you can cut to different lengths. The comb set usually recommended is made by Wahl, it has 8 different sizes in the set, and the cost is very reasonable. (About £15) Each comb is a different colour, which is useful, and the comb teeth are metal, the comb spring-clips onto the clipper blade. Andis do comb sets, they are dearer, and the comb teeth are plastic, which is inclined to break in a thick coat.

I usually do Jenna with the blue no 3 comb (3/8") over her main body, clipping with the lie of the fur, this cuts fairly short, I do it because she is a large framed dog, and looks really overweight if her coat is too long. I use the yellow no 5 (5/8") on her legs and hips to leave the fur longer, she has skinny legs, and this avoids what someone on the forum referred to as pipe cleaner legs. The blades and combs cut longer than their stated length when you use the clippers with the lie of the fur; they cut to their stated length when you cut against it.

Meadow is more straightforward, I use the yellow no 5 comb for all of her. It's easy enough to experiment, you can always start with the largest comb, and then if the fur is too long, change the comb to the next one down until you find the one you like.

This link is for the Andis blade chart: https://www.andis.com/download/allblades_chart.pdf

I've probably made it sound much more complicated than it is - Colin would probably explain it all better!

If you are investing in clippers I would go for the Andis AGC 2speed rather than the single speed, the faster speed is better for thicker coats - I bought the single speed when I started, but am just upgrading to the 2 speed pro. They quicken the whole clipping process and don't get as warm/hot.

However, if anyone is looking for Andis single speed clippers I will be selling mine shortly when the new ones arrive!


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## Von

kendal said:


> That blade will be useless unless the coat is compleatly tangle free and blow dried. But I agree you probable better just using a comb garden as you can work down from the longest one down till you find a length you like.


Kendal, thanks for this, it is exactly the sort of advice I needed - guess it's 'leave it in the box' then, Mairi !!


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## mairi1

Thanks so much Von...great post 

It now makes much more sense to me and I'm sure you're right in that with a bit if trial and error you find the right length for your dog. 

I now just need to bite the bullet... 

xxx


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## Von

'Biting the bullet' is the hardest part 

I bought the clippers when we first had Jenna, I even turned them on to get her used to the sound! However, I just could not bring myself to actually use them on her- I didn't know what clipping would feel like, or whether I might inadvertently hurt Jenna. When we had Meadow I decided financially it was in our best interests that I should bite the bullet.

I booked on a day's grooming course, which really gave me confidence. I found that the clippers just glided through the fur - it was easier than combing, and hurting the dog was near on impossible. I also got good advice like using the comb attachments instead of expensive extra blades, and where and how to use scissors, and which ones to get. I learnt how important it was to work with a clean, conditioned coat free from matts and tangles, and that the pre brushing out process can take longer than the clip.

After the course, where someone had been guiding me through the process, I worried about doing it completely on my own, and panicked a bit about getting a perfect result. Anyway, I bit the bullet again, and now I'm quite relaxed about it, and don't worry, after all - it's hair, it grows. The resulting clips may not be of show standard, but they are' good enough', the dogs are comfortable, look ok, and I can maintain coats which are easy to groom. 

These are the positives for me about trimming our dogs myself :

I can clip them whenever and as often as they need it, no appointments necessary, not limited by finance.

I can clip them to suit the weather conditions - shorter if it is hot, or very wet and muddy. Definitely shorter for Jenna in the swimming season! 

I enjoy it, the whole process is very relaxing for me and the dogs. It is great bonding time, I don't do them both on the same day. This means I can give them breaks during the session for as long and as often as they need. No pressure that there are other dogs waiting to be clipped. At a groomers this is not the case.

I can do 'mini trims' eg, just their legs, just their bodies, or behind the ears, under armpits, or just scissoring tidy ups around face, ears, muzzle and tail.

Although the initial outlay for clippers and grooming equipment was quite a lot, I have already recouped much of what I spent - 6 big trims ( 3 per dog) will have saved me about £240, and that isn't counting the 'mini tidy up trims' I've done. 

Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can.


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## Fiver

You make it seem so easy...I think even I could possibly do it

Are you saying clippers can only be used on a freshly bathed dog?

Val


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## Von

The coat needs to be very clean, and well brushed, otherwise dust, dirt and loose hair will collect in the clipper blade, making it slower to cut, and blunting it. As for 'freshly bathed' I think that is the ideal, but I usually bath and brush whichever dog I'm going to clip the evening before. Then a good brush out next day before I start clipping seems to work for me. Sometimes a bath instigates the clip- if the dogs are really filthy after a particularly muddy walk, and need a full bath anyway, I go the whole bath hog on one of them, and then clip the following day.

Brushing and clipping is easier if when bathing you shampoo the dog twice, and then use conditioner twice. I've just changed to Tropiclean Papaya plus combined shampoo and conditioner to shorten the time this takes - 2 lots of application and rinsing off rather than 4. I haven't actually used it yet so can't tell you how it compares.

The whole clipping/scissoring process is easy. I found the more relaxed I was, and the less worried about achieving show standard results, the easier it became, and funnily enough the end result was better too! There are lots of YouTube videos about how to get a particular look on cockapoos and I got a useful training DVD called 'Attach on Comb Tricks and Tips', I think from Christies or Groomers Online.

I like the DVD because it demonstrates basic clippering and scissoring techniques on a long coated small dog, not a cockapoo, but with enough similarity in trimming requirements to be useful. If I forget how to do 'teddy bear' feet, or trimming around the eyes I can remind myself with the DVD. Melissa Verplank, who is demonstrating, wrote 'Notes From the Grooming Table' which is a standard book for professionals and a set book for professional dog grooming courses, so I felt confident that what I was watching was good practice. For anyone unable or not wishing to go on an introductory day course the DVD would be very useful. Melissa has a nice, relaxed manner, which makes for easy watching and learning.

I love trimming my dogs, and get such a sense of achievement from it, even though we may not be quite to Crufts standards


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## kendal

You can use clippers on a dirty dog but only if you are taking them realy short. i clip my girls backs with a 7 blade Before bathing then scissor the legs. i like my girls to have realy smooth backs and fluffy leggs head and tale.


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## Fiver

Von and Kendal thanks to both of you, very informative and confidence building.
Now all I have to do is get the clippers and the dvd, check back to both your posts and away we go.

Val


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## mairi1

Fiver said:


> Von and Kendal thanks to both of you, very informative and confidence building.
> Now all I have to do is get the clippers and the dvd, check back to both your posts and away we go.
> 
> Val


Snap!!!   

Think I might book myself on a one day course (although I've been saying that for a while now)!!! 

xxx


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## Von

There's a lot of incidental stuff you learn on the day courses as well as trimming techniques. Here are some of the tips I remembered and use:

When you are trimming a leg, hold the other one up from the table, that way the dog has to stand on the leg you are trimming, and keeps it still.

Hold the beard under the chin with your thumb and forefinger, to keep the dog's head still and facing you when you are scissoring the face.

If you hook your index finger up into the dog's collar, and then gently hold the muzzle from under the bottom jaw with your other fingers and thumb you can lightly rock the dog's head, which apparently many dogs find soothing, Meadow certainly does. She doesn't mind me doing her face at all. You can also use this way of holding to keep the face steady whilst you trim - handy if the beard isn't long enough to grip!

When scissoring the muzzle, lift the dog's upper lip/muzzle up clear of the lower jaw, and cut along the lower jawline first, then let the lip drop down, and cut the muzzle/moustache hair so that it slightly overhangs the cut you did on the lower jaw. Near the nose, curve the cut up if you don't want a long moustache.

There were loads of others which I didn't remember, but was reminded of them on the DVD. 

Go for it Val and Mairi, you won't regret it, and little Molly and Milo will look just the way YOU want them to.


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## DB1

At Crufts I bought a wahl clipper which was on offer with a free trimmer, they are both rechargeable and the clipper can be used on mains as well, also got the comb set with 8 combs. Not been brave enough to use yet! starting my grooming course just after Easter so waiting until then so I don't do anything drastically wrong! 
Von it sounds as if you are the one who should be taking up grooming as a career rather than me!!


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## Von

DB1 said:


> At Crufts I bought a wahl clipper which was on offer with a free trimmer, they are both rechargeable and the clipper can be used on mains as well, also got the comb set with 8 combs. Not been brave enough to use yet! starting my grooming course just after Easter so waiting until then so I don't do anything drastically wrong!
> Von it sounds as if you are the one who should be taking up grooming as a career rather than me!!


I don't think I could do it as a career! I think clients might be a bit fussier about the outcome than I am! I tend to learn from my mistakes and I've made a few when clipping Jenna and Meadow. I managed to shave a bit off Meadow's head hair when I forgot to put the comb back on the clipper blade on my training day - this was fortunate, as the groomer showed me how to blend it in to make it less noticeable, so I know what to do now if I do it again! The second time I groomed Jenna I overdid it with the thinning scissors on her muzzle, and she looked very uncockerpoo like for a while, poor soul. Her hair grew back, and I knew what NOT to do the next time, she looks fine now. It also took me a LONG time the first couple of trimming sessions, but I'm getting faster. However if my income depended on it, I'd be more than a little concerned  

I'm quite sure you will be the better bet for the grooming career option Enjoy your training course, I loved mine, and learnt such a lot. I'm guessing your course is for much longer than a day, so you will be brilliant at the end of it


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## DB1

Not sure about brilliant! will be so scared the first time I do a paying customers dog! but yes, I am doing a full week then fridays for 10 weeks after, so 15 days in total, hope this will give me enough info and confidence, think it maybe worth investing in some DVD's to refer to as well.


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## mariag

I've got Andis clippers & use the Wahl comb guides with it http://www.christiesdirect.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=802


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## Stela12

Von said:


> Yes, I thought the 3/4 blade sounded a bit short, but I thought it might be useful under the arm (leg?) pits perhaps, or for a more extreme overall cut if it gets very hot in the summer, particularly if we are in France.
> 
> The no 10 blade which is usually included with the clippers cuts very short and I only use it to remove hair between the pads and toes, however, you need this particular size blade, or a 15 to clip the combs onto.
> 
> The combs extend the space between the dog's body and the clipper blade, so with a set of combs of various sizes you can cut to different lengths. The comb set usually recommended is made by Wahl, it has 8 different sizes in the set, and the cost is very reasonable. (About £15) Each comb is a different colour, which is useful, and the comb teeth are metal, the comb spring-clips onto the clipper blade. Andis do comb sets, they are dearer, and the comb teeth are plastic, which is inclined to break in a thick coat.
> 
> I usually do Jenna with the blue no 3 comb (3/8") over her main body, clipping with the lie of the fur, this cuts fairly short, I do it because she is a large framed dog, and looks really overweight if her coat is too long. I use the yellow no 5 (5/8") on her legs and hips to leave the fur longer, she has skinny legs, and this avoids what someone on the forum referred to as pipe cleaner legs. The blades and combs cut longer than their stated length when you use the clippers with the lie of the fur; they cut to their stated length when you cut against it.
> 
> Meadow is more straightforward, I use the yellow no 5 comb for all of her. It's easy enough to experiment, you can always start with the largest comb, and then if the fur is too long, change the comb to the next one down until you find the one you like.
> 
> This link is for the Andis blade chart: https://www.andis.com/download/allblades_chart.pdf
> 
> I've probably made it sound much more complicated than it is - Colin would probably explain it all better!
> 
> If you are investing in clippers I would go for the Andis AGC 2speed rather than the single speed, the faster speed is better for thicker coats - I bought the single speed when I started, but am just upgrading to the 2 speed pro. They quicken the whole clipping process and don't get as warm/hot.
> 
> However, if anyone is looking for Andis single speed clippers I will be selling mine shortly when the new ones arrive!


Hi Von and anybody else that could help  

I was just wondering - when you use the comb #5 , what is the end result; e.g. what length coat will it produce? I am asking because Stela's coat is about 1 1/2 " long and I started to trim her with 1'' comb (Andis blue comb E) but there was almost no hair getting cut. 
Thank you!


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## Von

I'm not sure how the sizes and colours of Andis and Wahl compare. The yellow no 5 Wahl comb leaves Meadow's coat about an inch long, cutting with the lie of the coat, it would be shorter if I was cutting against it.

When you are trimming you need to brush the fur up before you use the clippers - brush against the lie of the fur so that it stands up, you may have to do this frequently. Jenna's coat is quite silky, if I don't brush it up, like you, I find there is little to no hair cut. Meadow's coat is a bit easier, but if I don't brush it up, the clippers can't cut at a regular length, and although they remove hair, it can be a bit uneven. That's ok, because you can always even it out by brushing up well on the final clip run.


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## Stela12

Von said:


> I'm not sure how the sizes and colours of Andis and Wahl compare. The yellow no 5 Wahl comb leaves Meadow's coat about an inch long, cutting with the lie of the coat, it would be shorter if I was cutting against it.
> 
> When you are trimming you need to brush the fur up before you use the clippers - brush against the lie of the fur so that it stands up, you may have to do this frequently. Jenna's coat is quite silky, if I don't brush it up, like you, I find there is little to no hair cut. Meadow's coat is a bit easier, but if I don't brush it up, the clippers can't cut at a regular length, and although they remove hair, it can be a bit uneven. That's ok, because you can always even it out by brushing up well on the final clip run.


Thank you so much Von; that is really useful information for me -brushing the hair up before using the clippers. I bet that's the secret! I'll let you know how it worked!


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## Von

I'll look forward to hearing how you got on


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