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Knowing Parts of the Blade

All too often i receive items that another sharpener “ruined” because it now runs too loud or it wont cut or it had too tight of tension so the groomer loosened it themselves. In all of these cases, everything is fixable. Understanding the issues may help you and your sharpener in the future. Communication is key!

1. Noisy blades: if ALL of your blades are loud, im going to want to see your clipper to check the hinge and drive/lever. If ONE or A FEW are loud, im going to want to check out your blade sockets. My best advice to clients is to have a sharpie and put a dot or mark on the socket of blades that may be louder than others. While there are many reasons your blade may be loud, usually it is the socket or maybe a damaged blade guide. (See reference pic above.) If i see all of your loud blades are 7, 5, and 4 length, it could be you have a km cordless that needs a simple mod to properly hold the blade without knocking the housing. It is important to let us know blades are loud for you because it is possible they work great when we test them on our clippers.

2. Tension. I am so happy to see more groomers noticing when tension is too tight. I am NOT however thrilled by them correcting it by loosening the screws a little. This will result in injuries because loosening the screws allows the cutter to move freely. Many times, blades i am given that are too tight are actually unoiled or they are caked with residue from cooling sprays. Oil them! Dont loosen screws! If you loosen tension yourself by flexing back the cutter and blade spring, dont over do it. If tension is too loose, u will see lines in your grooms and having to force blades. (It sucks.) Have your sharpener check why you may be having tension issues. Some blade springs can be really stubborn.

3. Cutter placement on the comb. I have had groomers call back because the cutter is not aligned perfectly on the comb rails. Sometimes they dont align perfectly. We measure cutter placement based on where it sits on the blade comb teeth. Some groomers i see have tried assembling and disassembling blades on their own which is awesome to learn.. but i have seen some unfortunate cases where they break off all the teeth as soon as a guard comb is added due to incorrect placement lol. See pics below with captions

Blade sharpening is cool. I enjoy seeing those sparks flying, but there are so many considerations.. and it is common to see new customers who blame their old sharpeners for blades not working.. (heck i am sure i have been that groomer lol).. but there are faults to consider on your clippers (almost always hinge or blade drive) AND even if it is blade related, the blade may perform differently on your sharpener’s clippers. Putting a mark on the blade to let the sharpener know something is up is so helpful!

Also if you get fresh sharpening back and something isnt working right, let your sharpener know right away.. it allows us to note it and apply a credit or come back to fix asap. This is a lot like a client letting you know right away if they do not like a groom instead of waiting until the next groom is due and expecting it for free.. we all have to safeguard our businesses from scammers. (I learned this in suuuch a bad way after a groomer bragged about scamming me for free stuff. Im sensitive sooo i ugly cried.. it was just bad. Lol)

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143Onaca Crawford – Stephens, Amber Bradley and 141 others

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Groomer Gone Sharpener: Blade Drive & Lever Maintenance Importance

** I Posted this On Pro Groomer Network on 7 July 2023, and the amount of outreach was way more than I had expected. I plan to start adding information here to help out more often, so stay tuned, my friends.**

I like to share tips and advice as a former groomer turned sharpener.

Some groomers may say, “every groomer should know this stuff already.” But they dont! And i didnt! So if you already know, you are awesome.. (but for those who dont know, yall are awesome too!)

A groomer messaged me yesterday and said, “hey while your shop was closed for family stuff, I got sharpening from another sharpener. None of my wide blades work now. Nothing works. They may be ruined! I will never use anyone else again.” I was closed a few weeks so obviously I was not upset, but I was so worried about what I may find upon arriving. I still have groomer mentality and the thought that she may have to repurchase a whole set of wide blades made ME ill for her.

When I arrived, I first inspected to be sure it wasn’t a simple fix or obviously horrible issue. they looked normal. Then she handed me her clipper. I told her, “I hope u still decide to only use me from now on, but this is not the other sharpener’s fault. This is a maintenance issue.” The blade lever had a huge chunk worn off of each side. If it can’t push the cutter, you will get bogged down, hung up, snaggy. Maintenance is not optional, even on the most expensive clippers.

**In the Picture above, this is another clipper I have partially disassembled so I can clean the hair out of the bearing right below the blade drive. Circled, you can see a very worn blade drive. As the blade drive or lever is worn, the edges round (In this case, severely!) and it can no longer push the blade. Blade drives (Andis) should be released monthly, and Levers (all other clippers) should be changed every 3-4 months. If you notice your lever or blade drive are wearing more quickly, replace your hinge as well.**

Letting your sharpener see your clippers lets us do a few things:

-We can be sure your lever is still good.

-We can be sure your hinge still works properly.

-We can ensure no blades rattle on your hinge since some hinges are thicker or more worn than others.

If your clippers are fine, I typically just say yup looks good. Free peace of mind! If something is wrong, I will let you know too. Then you decide if you want it serviced or not. So don’t assume there’s a charge as soon as the clippers touch my hands!

Hope this helps someone!

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Need Parts You Do Not See?

Here at Clark’s Precision Sharpening, we pride our quick repair times! As a former groomer and salon owner, I know how awful it is having equipment down and the impacts that has on productivity and revenue. We have a great network of parts dealers and warranty repair centers. If you want to attempt to repair your own equipment, let me know! I can price parts for you, ship them, or have them drop-shipped to your location. Common parts that customers are looking for are blade drives, levers, hinges, dryer brushes/motors, replacement cords, shear hardware, blade cutters, and replacement screws. We can get all of these things at great prices to support you as our clients!

I also typically have used blades and a few used clippers in stock.

If you are interested in placing an order for special parts, ordering used stock at a reduced price, getting an estimate for repair, or ordering new clippers, contact us directly!