A5 Snap on Blades - what blade to use for what job

A5 Snap on Blades

These blades are brilliant because they do not need to be tensioned and they come in a large variety of styles, from a large variety of manufacturers.  They also fit a large number of clippers including the Heiniger Saphir (all varieties), the Heiniger OPal, The Wahl KMC Cordless, the Liveryman Harmony Plus and various Andis and Wahl clippers.

With so much choice it can becoming overwhelming when selecting the right blade for your needs.

Manufacturer:  Many people make this type of blade and there is a wide range of prices.  There is some quality difference too.  Even within brands, for example Wahl, there are the standard Competition blades and then the more expensive Ultimate Blades.  The difference usually comes down to what the blade is made from - steel, coated steel and sometimes steel and ceramics.  Steel is stronger than ceramic, but gets hotter and is slightly less sharp.  However, some steel blades can be re-sharpened (not all, due to the re-tensioning required).  The coated blades sometimes stay cooler or sharper.  The ceramic blades stay cooler and sharper and are usually considered superior - but they cannot be re-sharpened and break more easily if dropped (but not during clipping).  Honestly, you can over think the decision.  They all work.  If heat is a concern, go for ceramic.  If you clip a lot, go for the fancier sorts.  If you clip occasionally, go for a good price!

The narrow blades come in a large variety of lengths.  They often come with a Number 10 blade that clips to approx 1.6 - 1.8mm (hair length after cut).  You can fit 'guards' over these blades that allow you to clip to all sorts of different lengths - this is very handy if you want different lengths for different parts of your dog or horse (eg face vs legs).  You may also want to have a longer cut during the winter and shorter cut during the summer.

For very coarse or curly hair (think of a horses' feathers or a poodle's hair) you will wants a 'skip tooth' blade, sometimes also called a 'snag' blade.  This has less teeth and goes through the hair more easily.  If you have too many teeth for the style of hair, it will pull, strain your clipper and make the blades get hot.  

You can also get a 'wide' blade.  This is literally a blade that is slightly wider, meaning you have to do less strokes.  This type of blade is good for the body of a horse, or for an experienced dog groomer.  However, it is not a good idea for intricate trimming arounds ears and legs.

If you have any questions about what blade to use on your clipper or trimmer for your horse or dog, please email sales@farmcareuk.com.  We are a family run business and we are happy to help!