# Advice for novice on clippers?



## puffyluv (May 4, 2009)

Okay, guys, help me choose what clippers I need to get to groom my muttish llassa something of other, I don't know I found him by the side of the road.... Anyway, I always cut him with a puppy cut, little longer on the face with just scissors and then clippers on the rest of his body and legs, 1/4 inch. Problem is, I can't seem to buy a pair of clippers that can cut his thick coat, and I understand nothing about blade numbers, I can understand what a guard is and how long I want it, lol, that is about it. 

He is a very good dog being groomed, but he hates loud clippers. We have an Oster Pro-Cord Cordless clipper that is pretty silent, however I need to go over his coat something like three or four times, even if there aren't any matts or even tangles in the way.....What's the deal with that? Is there a different blade I can get, or is this thing just a piece of junk? Shouldn't have been for what I paid for it...

Money is an issue, it's why he's subjected to having a novice groom him, but not so much that I won't buy another pair of clippers if that is what I need to do. I have seen everything from $15 to $350, and I have no idea what it is I need, new clippers, new blades, or some magic voodoo wand, all I want is to be able to clip this shaggy boy a little faster!!!!!

Can someone just tell me what to buy, purty please? You guys are proffesionals, so you'll know just what I need I am sure.......


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## Raggs (Jan 10, 2007)

I would buy Andis AGC clippers 2 speed. If you like a 1/4 then that's a #5 blade. When you buy blades it tells you the length.


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## puffyluv (May 4, 2009)

Thanks, man, I appreciate it! Going to look to see where and how much for one of those, everyone else feel free to post your recommendations, too! 

Oh, PS I am not really stuck on 1/4 inch, that's just as short as I can get it without balding him and have maximum time between having to do it. Poor little Monkey, he will never be a show dog! So if anyone has a recomendation on length that's welcome, too, but bear in mind I don't brush him that often, so any hair over an inch or so gets tangled because something in his breeding has his hair being really really curly, not like the long soft waves or straight hair you see on a llassa........I leave his tail and ears long, of course, and let him have that little dignity!


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## Raggs (Jan 10, 2007)

1/8 = 7
1/4 = 5
3/8 = 4
1/2 = 3
then there's 
5/8 inch
3/4 inch

above that your into snap on combs. and each brand has different numbers for the lengths.

I think a 1/2 inch would look good. Leaves just enough hair, not long enough to mat but not to short either.


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## puffyluv (May 4, 2009)

Poor Monkey, I am such a barbarian, cutting him so short he has no pretty white fur to show off - you're right! I guess the main thing has been I have been fighting with poor clippers or clippers that require a much more experienced hand then mine, so it has been a real chore to give poor Monkey his haircut (he looks like a monkey or an ewok or something) and he does not get a day at the spa as often as he should. So when I do cut him, I always cut it as short as I can just so it will be that much longer before I have to do it again. I imagine with better clippers and not having to go over him four times to cut it all the way down I won't mind so much and will do it far more often, though, so I will probably wind up using the 1/2 inch.....I take it I have to buy all these guards seperately? Looks like Pet Edge has the best price.... I read the other thread where someone was asking about their spaniel, and I was ignorant enough to not realize that was probably good advice for me, as well - thought Monkey must have a really tough coat or something - glad to know it's just the clippers are crap!!!


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## Raggs (Jan 10, 2007)

Yep Petedge is a great place to buy from.. It's were groomers get most of their supplies.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

If you want him short, I would go with a 7F blade. Make sure the blades you buy are F (Full) blades, not S (Skip tooth), as those are dangerous in a novice's hands, and don't give as nice a finish. Get a blade, NOT an attachment, as attachments will not go thru coat that is not clean and completely tangle free like a blade will. With a decent clipper, you should have no trouble getting either a 5F or 7F thru his coat, as long as the matts aren't to the skin.


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## puffyluv (May 4, 2009)

I don't understand the difference between the skip and full blades, but I don't think I need to - the full is what I need so I don't chop up poor Monkey, lol, I get that much so it's cool. I live in the world of snap on combs so far, however, so I have one question - we are talking about a blade that is this length, I guess, huh, not a "guard" or "snap on comb"? I apologize for my complete ignorance! 

I have access to price on Royal Pet Supplies Wholesale, anyone know if this is worth me checking out, or is Pet Edge just as cheap? I wonder because you say most groomers buy from Pet Edge, and grooming is a business so it must be as cheap as ordering wholesale, eh?

 Thanks for everything, guys!


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Petedge is a good place to buy, but you can find them cheaper.. I just looked on Pet Edge and the Andis AGC 2-speed clippers are $134, but if you check out Ebay you can find them for much less. That's where I bought mine, brand spanky new for $99.. I see right now there is an auction for the same clippers(new in box!) for an $86 bid.. the bidding ends in an hour and a half if your interested: http://cgi.ebay.com/ANDIS-AGC-SUPER...5|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

Well anyway, just don't forget to shop around


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I tried to look at the Royal Pet Supplies site, to compare prices, but they dont' really have much of a site with grooming stuff, so I can't say for sure, but I would assume they aren't going to be any better than Petedge. They are the cheapest on most stuff, but Ryans Pet Supply, PetAgree, and Groomer's Choice have pretty good prices on lots of stuff too. And like Binkalette said above, Ebay is great too. 

The difference in the full tooth blades and the skip tooth blades is that the skips are "missing" teeth, and dont give as smooth a finish. THey are really meant for certain coats, and cutting down a thick undercoated dog before the bath or something. They are mostly old school anymore, and can be very dangerous, because large pieces of skin (or hocks, legs, etc.) can fit between the teeth, causing much harm to the dog.

Forgot...yes, we are talking about an actual blade that cuts to those lengths, rather than an attachment or snap on comb. The reason a blade is better for the shorter trims like you are wanting is that you get a better, more even finish,with minimal to little scissoring, and the blade will go thru the coat with tangles or even matts WAY better than an attachment will.


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## puffyluv (May 4, 2009)

Yeah, you can't see any prices for Royal unless you are already registered with them, they won't sell to the public, only a commercially located business is supposed to be able to buy from them. If you are zoned commercially in your home you can probably get around that, but you do need to show them a business license and all that jazz, you know tax id number and all......

Anyway, they do offer a good discount when you buy enough from them, you'd be appalled if you guys knew how much I have spent with them - I used to own a saltwater fish store, I spent oodles, or rather my customers did. Lots of times, however, you'd find the same price online somewhere else or even in PetCo or something, for goodness sake, and it would only be five bucks more than what you paid for it wholesale, although you didn't have to pay sales tax of course. This is probably one of the cases where it is the same or cheaper than I can get it from them, but I suppose I'll have to check.....

I see, got it, we are talking about the blade itself cuts that length, well neato mosquito, that's cool I hate the hair getting all caught up in that thing anyway, plugs it up and makes it louder, he really really hates noisy stuff around his body, has to turn and stare at it like it wants to challenge him, lol...

Thanks so much for all the help guys, thank goodness I know to look out for skip tooth now, I certainly would have not thought twice about using anything recommended to me, and would have felt HORRIBLE if I had cut him, poor thing, one time I nicked his bunghole somehow, not even sure how it happened just all of a sudden he was bleeding a little, poor guy. I felt so bad for him, poor little fella - but I know professional groomers have accidents, too, I have gotten him back from one nicked before, perhaps they were using one of these skip tooth blades, huh, and not been as good as they thought? Or do bloody ears happen all the time? Just wondering it only happened to him once...that was way worse than the nicked bunghole thing, that was just a tiny spot of blood, didn't even drip, the one on his ear was all scabbed and gross when I got him back.....Anways, thanks a bunch, guys, can't wait to get him all fixed up, the right way!


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