Clipper Blade # Recommendations for 2 year old Sheepadoodle

[hilarious]

-----------UPDATE--------------------

I ended up running a fairly expensive experiment, but IT PAID OFF...I bought the following, then cleaned them with the suggested blade cleaner, then oiled them liberally

• AndisEdge Ceramic 30
• AndisEdge 30
• AndisEdge 10

I tried them in that order and the clogged images above in the OP is what I got. THEN I tried the #10 and OMG it went through his coat like a cartoon sheep being shaved. It was like it was coming off in one single pass. I can't explain the difference and when he was a puppy the 10 didn't work at all.

Probably worth noting the 30s worked fine after I did a full pass with the 10

https://preview.redd.it/ph2hpxa2inh...bp&s=e70b6a43d39dce345ed3ecc8228cc0d3565ac6f3

Thanks again to all of you for the advice and ideas. We're back on track!

-------------------------------------------

Hello all,

I'm 2 years in with my best friend and suddenly I'm having trouble getting blades through his coat. In the past I have used Andis ultraEdge blades under metal andis comb/guards #40 (pads), #30 (all but head), scissors on head. I've bought brand new replacement blades and for some reason the hair is just clogging up the blade and comb like a damn of soft cotton. In summer I typically do body 3/4", legs 7/8", sani 1/2" or a bit shorter, belly 1/4".

Can anyone see what I might be doing wrong or what may be different about his coat now and how I should change the blades or my approach?

Here is an older post from 2 years ago with some pictures of him:

https://www.reddit.com/r/doggrooming/comments/ft18pr/blades_guards_and_clippers_oh_my

Equipment

• Clippers
• 30 blade
• 40 blade
• Comb set

If there is more detail I can provide please let me know. My primary question is what range of blade numbers should I be in for him? 7, 10, 30, 40? Should I try these skip blades?

This is him now

https://preview.redd.it/bwv0l6v1kmh...bp&s=cb57fabd2ff97af5797271769e32fa8b128c8d9f

 

[realist1981]

@hilarious Is he clean, tangle and mat free and fully dry when you clip him? Clipping a dirty coat, esp the horrifically thick poodle mix coats will destroy your blades.

 

[hilarious]

@realist1981 I bathe, trim, pluck ears, and grind his nails every three weeks and brush him out at least once per week and no mattes. He's pretty pampered in that respect. This routine has not shown to dry his skin. I understand the dirty coat comment but I'm also ok with buying a new "coat blade" every 4 groomings or so if needed since that is still MUCH less expensive than bringing him to a groomer. Hopefully that clears up your question. Thanks for helping.

 

[snflwrgrl]

@hilarious He's likely got his adult coat now and these dogs do shed - it just gets caught up in their coat. Like someone else mentioned, I would make sure he's well brushed out after a bath. Dirty, unbrushed coat doesn't cut well, especially with attachment combs. A dog needs to be cleaned, brushed and combed before using an attachment.

I would recommend a new blade drive like others mentioned and putting a 10 under your attachment combs. 30 on paw pads, 10 or a 7 on sanitary and arm pits (being VERY careful with the armpit especially.)

In response to your question on 40, 10 and 7 blades, those are lengths. A 40 will leave next to nothing and it's not a blade you use all over the body. 10 is a step up and also VERY short. Some groomers don't recommend this all over, either. 7 is a step up above 10, and it's also short, but does leave a bit. 4 blades tend to be what people in my experience would start considering "short but not shaved," but that depends on the person's view of short.

 

[hilarious]

@snflwrgrl First let me thank you for this detailed insight...

I'm going to update my OP but this seemed the most appropriate comment to respond to.

I ended up running a fairly expensive experiment, but IT PAID OFF...

I bought the following, then cleaned them with the suggested blade cleaner, then oiled them liberally

• AndisEdge Ceramic 30
• AndisEdge 30
• AndisEdge 10

I tried them in that order and the clogged images above in the OP is what I got. THEN I tried the #10 and OMG it went through his coat like a cartoon sheep being shaved. It was like it was coming off in one single pass. I can't explain the difference and when he was a puppy the 10 didn't work at all.

Thanks again!

 

[snflwrgrl]

@hilarious You're welcome! On thick coats, I've found it makes an epic difference. Glad I could help.

 

[rickt65]

@snflwrgrl Please don't use a 7 on the armpits, the spacing of the teeth mean it's very easy to draw in skin. Use a 10 for armpits and sanitary area

 

[snflwrgrl]

@rickt65 You're correct, thinking from a novice perspective. A 10 is a safer option for someone who isn't a professional. It's not easy for us as pros to cut an armpit with, but we know the correct pressure to apply. Thank you for bringing that up.

 

[rickt65]

@snflwrgrl I've been grooming (professionally) for two years and still use a 10, the length difference I can't see why anyone would use a 7 when a 10 is so much safer

 

[snflwrgrl]

@rickt65 I've been grooming for 11 or 12 years and I can change them out however and whenever I need. Knock on wood, I've never nicked an armpit. The 7 tends to be less harsh with blending and I do a ton of skimming. If I'm doing scissored legs or a full hand scissor, the 7 is my go to. On just a simple buzz down, 10s are not as harsh. Just like anything else, do what you're comfortable with, but it certainly can be done safely.

 

[rickt65]

@snflwrgrl I wouldn't be recommending it to a novice like OP. The way I do armpits you can't even see them when the dog puts its leg down. I'm going to continue using a 10

 

[snflwrgrl]

@rickt65 Yup, that's literally what I said in my initial response to you. And again, like I said, do what makes you comfortable. You said you didn't know why a groomer would, so I explained. It wasn't me telling you to try it. I don't care what a groomer uses as long as it leads to a safe groom being completed which can be done with a 7, depending on the dog, the groomer and the situation.

 

[jesusgirl1]

@rickt65 Why are you so hostile lmao.

 

[rickt65]

@jesusgirl1 Because a 7 could so easily injure a dog, especially if done by a novice. During covid a dog had to have its leg amputated when the owners hit a major vessel trying to remove a mat in the armpit. A 10 is so much safer, I don't want to see a dog injured for the sake of a few millimeters

 

[hilarious]

@rickt65 no worries I've been doing this for 2 years every 3 weeks so we've worked out most the dangerous bits. Thank you though most people don't know about this.

 

[rickt65]

@hilarious Never use skip blades. They're for more experienced groomers as they can easily cut the skin. Keep with blades with an F after if they're anything longer than a 10 (10 and shorter don't come in two versions)

 

[hilarious]

@rickt65 This is sort of what I was looking for, but let me provide more detail

1. I would not use a skip without a guard/comb
2. I would NEVER use a skip on the pads (see num 1 )
3. What on earth is the meaning of 7 vs 10 vs 40. It appears to be length which I don't care about because I always use a guard.

I would think that with a curly-ish thick hair breed I'd care more about width of the blade but this is the part I truly do not understand. Thanks for your experience on this.

 

[rickt65]

@hilarious Width of the blade doesn't make any difference. If you only use a guard you don't need to be asking about skip tooths, skip tooths are only sold in lengths 7 and above, and you can't use a guard over anything that long. I just wanted to give you the warning in case you did use blades, don't use skip tooths anywhere on your dog

 

[hilarious]

@rickt65 EXCELLENT! Thank you very much for the detail

 

[spirituallyblessed]

@hilarious Hi,

I am a self groomer for my labradoodles. One of them has a thick poodle like coat and the other fleece coat

I used to use a 30 blade with steel comb attachments for them. But takes me forever.

Shifted to a F blade setting. I use a 4F ( didn't get a 3F) on body and 7F in belly and under neck/under ears. Job is done very easily in much lesser time. Still use a comb attachment for legs with 30 blade but that is doable.