A clipper that pulls, runs hot or leaves lines is almost never broken. Nine times out of ten the blade is dry, dirty or out of alignment, and ten minutes fixes it. Here is the routine we recommend to every barber who buys a clipper from us, and the products that make it painless.
Daily: oil before, brush after
Put two or three drops of clipper oil across the teeth of the moving blade, turn the clipper on for five seconds so the oil spreads, and wipe the excess. Do this at the start of the day and again after every three or four clients on a busy day. Oil reduces friction, which is what keeps the blade cool and sharp.
After each client, brush hair out from between the blades with a stiff cleaning brush. Hair packed behind the blade is the most common cause of a clipper that runs hot. Wahl and Andis both make a purpose-built oil; the oil and cleaning collection has them alongside blade brushes.
Weekly: blade wash and disinfect
Once a week, or whenever the blade has product build-up on it, run the clipper in a shallow blade wash for a few seconds. It dissolves pomade and hair oil that a brush cannot reach. Dry the blade fully, then spray a disinfectant that is also a coolant, such as Clippercide from the Barbicide collection, and oil again. Provincial rules require a disinfected blade between clients, and a spray-on product is the fastest way to comply.
How to align a clipper blade
If the clipper cuts unevenly or nicks skin, the top blade has shifted. Alignment takes two minutes.
- Loosen the two blade screws a quarter turn. Do not remove them.
- Turn the clipper on. Set the taper lever to the closed position.
- Slide the top blade so its teeth sit about 1 mm behind the bottom blade teeth, never in front of them, and level from left to right.
- Check that the leftmost tooth of the top blade sits over the first full tooth of the bottom blade, not the guide tooth.
- Tighten the screws evenly and oil.
If the blade will not hold alignment, the screws or the blade spring are worn. Both are cheap parts from the spare parts collection.
When to replace the blade
A well-oiled blade lasts six to twelve months at a busy station. Replace it when it pulls hair even after cleaning and oiling, when it needs a second pass on every guard, or when you can see rounded teeth. Match the replacement to your model number. The blades collection is organised by brand, and a DLC or graphite coating buys extra life if you cut coarse hair.
Cordless clippers: battery care
Lithium batteries prefer partial charges to being run flat. Charge at the end of the day, do not leave the clipper on the stand for a week, and replace the battery when runtime drops under an hour. Batteries and charging stands are listed with the spare parts.
Everything on this page ships from Montréal across Canada. Add oil, a brush and a spare blade to your restock kit so they arrive with the consumables.