Gritty blades are the result of the sharpener not taking the time to clean the blade thoroughly after it’s sharpened. Grit sticks to a blade after it’s taken off the sharpening wheel, because it’s “magnetized” from the metal-to-metal contact on the spinning wheel.
On some shears, there is supposed to be a noticeable space between the blades. This is called the “set.” On beveled edge shears, it enables the shear to “slice” the hair. Without this space, the hair may fold. As you open and close a beveled edge shear, you can look down through this space and see the blades touch in only one place along the blade. This gives the beveled edge shear that powerful slicing ability that most groomers want.
Some groomers have been experiencing cord problems with clippers that have voltage converters on the end of the cord. These converters adapt 120 volts AC to DC current that runs your clipper. DC motors have more torque and seem to hold speed better in tough coat. Because of the extra weight of some of these cords, they break and short out right behind the clipper.
It doesn’t take that much oil to oil a blade, most groomers over oil them. When you over oil, the oil will drain through the teeth and onto the coat. So they turn to other forms of lubrication like Spray Coolants, Rem Oil, or WD-40. Blade oil is the best form of lubrication.
When you get new shears, or shears back from the sharpener, they are adjusted to cut. The adjustment for tension (or balance as some call it), is a screw or thumb wheel on the pivot of the shears. Beveled edge shears are adjusted to where the blades grab, about three-fourths of an inch from the tip. This enables the blades to slice from the pivot all the way to the tips.
Everyone is slow this time of year, and it’s a good time to go through your grooming equipment and shop equipment. This is the calm before the storm—the snowbirds are coming back and usually their pets are a mess, so our equipment has to be ready.
Blade plaque is that stuff that sticks to the inside of the teeth on your clipper blades. Most don’t pay attention to it, but in reality it’s something you need to remove and keep off your blades as part of your blade cleaning process.
Calibration can be an issue when doing mobile sharpening. I did mobile sharpening in five states down here in the South before I went strictly mail-in for 15 years. Even though your equipment is solid in your van or trailer, going over bumps, hitting pot holes, and going over railroad tracks does vibrate the calibration off.