How often do clipper blades need to be sharpened?

As a professional pet groomer, nothing is more frustrating than trying to get through a busy day with dull clipper blades. Working with dull blades can let you down in many ways, from lost time (and money) to less-than-impressive grooming results.

If you find your clipper blades dragging and snagging on hair, they might be dull and ready for sharpening. Underperforming clipper blades put you under even more pressure than normal to do a perfect groom (we’ve been there) – something you can seriously do without. 

The good news is that you can avoid situations like this altogether with clipper blade sharpening. Grooming is faster, easier, and smoother when working with sharp clipper blades. 

But knowing how often to have your blades sharpened can be challenging. In fact, how regularly you’ll need to have it done can depend on several different factors.  

To get an idea of how frequently you should have your clipper blades sharpened, ask yourself the following questions: 

1. How often are the clippers used?

How frequently your clipper blades need sharpening will depend on how often they’re used.                      

Do you use them a few times a year or several times a day? The more regularly you use your clipper blades, the quicker they’ll become dull.

2. Are the clipper blades being used at home or professionally? 

If you’re using your clipper blades for an occasional DIY grooming project, chances are they’ll only need to be sharpened occasionally. Once or twice a year should do the trick. 

But if you’re a professional salon using your blades several times a day, then sharpening will need to be arranged multiple times a year.

3. Are the blades being used on dirty or clean hair?

The cleanliness of the animal’s coat also plays a crucial role in determining how long your blade will last.

When grooming clean hair, clipper blades will slide easily through. But with dirty hair, the blade must work twice as hard to cut through the grime and dirt.

4. Are the blades used on damp hair or dry hair?

Clipping a clean, dry, and mat-free coat will not only give you the best results, but it will be kinder to your grooming equipment too.

Some groomers prefer to cut on wet hair, which can lead to blades developing rust if not property dried and oiled. To avoid your blades getting rusty, try cleaning/drying and oiling the blade after each use.

5. Are you regularly cleaning and oiling your blades?

It is important to ensure your clipper blades are free of any built up hair or debris in both the cutter and deck.

We recommend regularly cleaning your clipper blades with a blade brush, followed by a blade wash such as Virucidial H42. Finally, oil your blades and store them in a dry environment. 

Clipper blades need to be cleaned/maintained and oiled regularly for the best performance. Upkeeping your blades will also help to reduce friction that can cause heat which will not only wear down the blade but a hot blade can harm your furry client.

How often should you sharpen your blades? 

All the above factors will affect how often your blades need to be sharpened. This means clipper owners can be on very different sharpening schedules. 

However, as a rule of thumb, we recommend sharpening the blades as follows: 

• For a professional groomer, we recommend sharpening your clipper blades every few months or more frequently if you notice your blades are beginning to drag.   
• For a home groomer who is maintaining your own pets, we recommend sharpening your blade every 6-12 months or when you notice your blades are beginning to drag.

Sharpen your blades with Leading Edge Sharpening Services! 

If you’re looking for a professional and reliable clipper blade sharpening service – we can help. 

At Leading Edge Sharpening, founder Sherry Kremer has over 25 years of experience in the dog grooming business. During her successful career, Sherry realized the vital role well-maintained clipper blades play in providing a high-quality service to each client.

Leading Edge Sharpening has been offering its clipper blade sharpening service to the whole of Canada via our mail-in service.  

We offer four separate drop box locations where you can safely drop off your items. We’ll return your clipper blades to you in razor-sharp condition so you can get back to doing what you do best. 

If you’re interested in learning more, contact us today.