The Differences Between Various Dog Clipper Blades

There are some dog owners who occasionally like to try to groom their dogs themselves. Of course, there are a lot of special types of equipment necessary, as well as some knowhow involved in making sure you’re giving your pup a proper cut. The biggest area of confusion tends to arise in terms of which clippers should be used during the grooming process.

There are many different sizes of dog clippers, and those different sizes are often meant for use on different breeds and different types of hair. This means the type of clipper you choose must both work for the dog and be comfortable for you to hold and maneuver.

Here’s some information from a grooming blade sharpener in San Diego, CA about the most common types and sizes of dog clipper blades. But remember, if you are at all uncomfortable with clipping your dog’s hair yourself, you’re probably best off taking the dog in to a professional groomer so you do not accidentally make a mistake or hurt your dog.

Clipper sizes

A quick note before we list out some of the most common clipper sizes: these sizes do not refer to the size of the whole unit, but rather the size of the blade that’s located at the end of the clipper. The size of the clipper you use will be based on the desired length of the dog’s hair at the conclusion of the clipping process:

• #3: This blade will result in a longer cut, with about a half inch of coat after trimming. It’s ideal for dogs that have thin coats, or hair instead of fur.
• #4: This blade leaves about 3/8” to a little less than half an inch of the dog’s coat. It will work with most breeds, but can take some extra time for dogs with thicker coats or longer hair. It’s commonly used for long styling.
• #5: Another step down, this blade will leave about a quarter of an inch of coat after you trim. This is a go-to blade for many breeds and grooming styles.
• #5/8: This is one of two sizes of the toe blade. This one leaves a little more hair between your dog’s toes. People who have a little less grooming experience tend to be comfortable handling the larger blade.
• #7: This blade leaves about 1/8” of fur.
• #7/8: This is the other toe blade, and the smaller of the two, which will take off more hair between the toes and is the one preferred by more experienced groomers.
• #8.5: This blade leaves about 7/64” of hair.
• #9: This blade leaves about 5/64”, or 2 mm, of hair.
• #10: This blade leaves about 1/16” of hair, making it an ideal blade for styling short-haired dogs.
• #15: This blade leaves about 1.2 mm of hair.
• #30: This blade leaves about 0.5 mm of hair. It’s the shortest blade used for grooming purposes and often used for fully buzzing down dogs.
• #40 and #50: These blades are only used for surgical trimming.

For more information about various blade types, contact Larson Sharpening, Inc. to speak with a knowledgeable grooming blade sharpener in San Diego, CA.

Categorised in: Knife Sharpening