For many the humble clippers seem like a very straight forward machine, a couple of blades that electronically move back and fourth to cut hair or fur.
The basic concept is correct, however there is far more than meets the eye when it comes to construction and operation to make this happen.
For a start there are different types of electronic motors that are used and a few variants of some.
These can range from a sealed rotational motor to a armature style that can be fully disassembled for parts replacement.
There are also different types of cam followers and gearing they use as well as switch types, adjustable and corded or cordless clippers.
Clipper blades are have a large variety of types, cutting lengths, cutting types, from fixed systems to detachable blades the most common mounting are known as A5.
All blades that come from the factory have what is known as a hollow grind in them.
This is done on a specialised machine with a convexed plate to give them the shape needed to make them cut at the very tips and as they wear down they wear flat eventually loosing the edge and creating more heat and friction between the blades.
The sharpening process itself does not take long at all generally about 20 seconds, however the process of disassembly, checking, cleaning 3 times in total throughout the process, reassembly, alignment, demagnetising and testing takes time.
Pet groomers will almost always perform a dirty cut first before washing and drying an animal to save time and cost to the customer. This in turn means they will generally be sharpening and replacing blades more often as sand and grit will ruin an edge much quicker.
Hair dressers generally will not go through them as quickly as Barbers due to men predominately having things like concrete dust etc in their hair.
All clippers however do need to have a service once in a while to remove hair and clipper oil out of the internals as well as replace grease and sometimes oil to keep them running smooth and cool.
Being able to identify problematic parts and make sure they are replaced in a timely fashion as not to have more expensive and time consuming parts break because of it is a bit of an art as well.
So remember to always check and see if your clipper blades are going to a reputable company doing the job themselves who fully understand the nuances of clippers and how they work.
