That clipper blade I spent 2 hours trying to fix could have been replaced in 10 minutes

I ran into a problem last Tuesday with one of my Andis Master clippers. The blade started pulling on hair instead of cutting clean. I figured I just needed to take it apart and give it a good cleaning and oiling. Two hours later I had the blade off, cleaned every tooth with a brush, put it back together, and it still pulled. I even tried adjusting the tension screw three different ways. Finally I gave up and called a barber friend in Chicago who has been cutting for 25 years. He told me the blade was dull and I should have just bought a new one for $15. I wasted all that time trying to fix something that was worn out. Has anyone else spent way too long trying to save a blade that was past its prime?

3 comments

3 Comments

victor7792d ago

I read a barber blog that said dull blades just tear hair instead of cutting it.

quinncarr2d ago

Funny how we convince ourselves we're being practical by fixing stuff, but really we're just avoiding admitting something is done. @victor779 is spot on about what dull blades do to hair, but the real issue here is knowing when a blade is actually dull versus just gunky. I had a similar situation with my Wahl clippers last month. Spent an hour cleaning, oiling, adjusting, and the damn thing still pulled. Finally held the blade up to a bright light and saw the edge was chipped in two places I missed with my naked eye. A new blade was $12 and solved it instantly. Sometimes our brains skip the most obvious check because we want the fix to be something we can do for free. Next time I'm going straight to inspecting the cutting edge before I even reach for the cleaning brush.

the_anthony2d ago

Right. Same exact thing happened with my old Andis clippers. Spent a whole Sunday messing with them. Cleaned everything, oiled the blades, even tried adjusting the tension screw. Still pulled like crazy. Felt like a total idiot when I finally looked close with a magnifying glass and saw a tiny nick on the edge. New blade was like $15 at the beauty supply store. Plugged it in and it cut like butter first try. Now I check the blade edge under a bright light before I even touch the oil. Saves a ton of wasted time. Sometimes the cheapest fix is the right one.