Common A5 blade sizes and cut lengths
- #40 — about 0.25 mm. Surgical and veterinary prep, very close work
- #30 — about 0.5 mm. Very short finish, and used under snap-on combs
- #15 — about 1.2 mm. Close work on ears and faces
- #10 — about 1.6 mm. The everyday blade: sanitary areas, pads, bellies and under combs
- #9 — about 2 mm. A slightly longer close blade
- #8½ — about 2.8 mm. Short body work and pads
- #7F — about 3.2 mm. Short all-over body clips
- #5F — about 6.3 mm. Medium-length body trims
- #4F — about 9.5 mm. Longer, fluffier body trims
- #3F or #3¾F — about 13 mm. The longest common A5 blades, for a full, soft finish
Skip-tooth vs finish (F) blades
Blades marked F are finish blades: the teeth are evenly spaced and close together, so they leave a smooth, even coat. Most everyday body work is done with finish blades.
Skip-tooth blades (for example a #7 or #4 without the F) have alternating long and short teeth. They move through thick or matted coats more easily but leave a rougher finish, so they're often used for stripping a coat before finishing with an F blade.
Wide and large-animal blades
Wide blades are a wider version of an A5 blade. They cover more coat on each pass, which suits big flat areas on larger dogs.
Large-animal blades are the comb and cutter sets used on horses, cattle and sheep clippers. They work differently from A5 blades but need the same sharp, matched edges to cut cleanly.
Which blades wear fastest
Close blades such as the #10, #15 and #30 do the most work in most salons, and dirty or sandy coats blunt any blade quickly. Bathing and drying the coat before clipping, cleaning and oiling blades often, and rotating between two sets of your busiest sizes all help them last longer between sharpens.
If a freshly sharpened blade still drags, check your clipper's blade drive — a worn drive is a common reason blades don't cut well after sharpening.
Sharpening prices
A5 animal clipper blades are $15, wide blades $20 and large-animal blades $20. Drop-off is by appointment in Campbelltown NSW, and groomers and vets anywhere in Australia can post their blades in. Send me a photo first, then post them by Registered Post with a prepaid return satchel and the Mail-In Form inside.