How to Sharpen Dog Clippers

It is very important that you take proper care to sharpen your dog’s hair clippers once in a while. When clippers are not sharpened, they get dull and actually cut the hair unevenly.

When you sharpen your dog’s clipper blades, it will prolong the clippers’ lives and give your dog a perfect cut during grooming time.

Are you unsure of how to sharpen dog clippers? If you said yes, then you are in luck, I will take you step by step on how to sharpen dog clippers.

How to Sharpen Dog Clippers

Items Needed to Sharpen Dog Clippers

Below you will find of list of things you will need to help you successfully sharpen your dog grooming clippers.

  • Your dog clippers
  • Phillips’s screwdriver if you have a screw on the clipper blade
  • Cleaning solution
  • Small clipper brush to remove dirt and hairs
  • Spray bottle with water inside
  • Soft cloth
  • Whetstone that has a grit of 3000 to 4000
  • Clipper oil

How to Sharpen Dog Clippers

Follow these steps to successfully sharpen your dog clippers at home for the perfect doggy haircut.

Step 1: Clean the Blade First

The first thing you will want to do is remove the blade from the clippers to clean it. The clipper needs to be cleaned so you can effectively sharpen it.

Remove Blade

The blade will be attached with either a snap on method or screwed on. Take a look at your blade to see which one you have. If it is a pop off method, it will be really straightforward to detach. If it is held on with screws, you will likely need a screwdriver to loosen them.

Brush It Out and Clean with Solution

Brush out the clipper blades with the provided brush inside of your clipper kit. If you do not have your brush for some reason, you can use an old toothbrush to clean off any hairs.

Take the cleaning solution that comes with your clipper set and use a cotton ball or cloth to clean the blades. If the dirt is really stuck on or the blades seem a bit rusty, to can soak them in a water and cleaning solution to get them nice and clean.

Steps To Sharpen Clipper Blades

Step 2: Sharpening the Blade

To sharpen a blade, you need some sort of sharpening stone, honing stone, or whetstone. You will want to get this ahead of time. Sometimes clippers have a sharpening stone included, and others don’t. Thankfully you can find these stones in hardware stores.

Wetting the Stone

Before you can begin sharpening your dog clippers, you will need to get the stone wet. Spray some water onto the stone and see how the stone absorbs it. If the stone completely soaks up the water, then it needs to be soaked thoroughly before using.

The stone will need to be soaked for five to ten minutes. You will know when it’s ready when you see a slight amount of water still on the surface of the stone.

Hold Blade at Correct Angle

The next step is to sharpen the clipper blades. It is very important that you learn what angle your blades are facing and sharpen it according to that angle.

You don’t want to change the shape of the angle if possible because then this will affect your blade when you try to use it. Hold the clipper blade between your thumb and ring finger.

Bring the blade across the stone in a straight movement about ten times. Turn it over onto the other side and repeat the process. Remove any excess debris with a soft, damp cloth.

Step 3: Put the Clippers back Together

Now that you have sharpened your dog grooming clippers, you can put it back together to be used again. Remember if you have a screw on clipper that you put back on the screw tightly.

Add a few drops of oil to the clipper blade and let the turned-on clipper help lubricate the oil all over the blades. Now you are ready to use the dog clippers on your dog.

Bonus Tip: If your dog clippers have been used multiple times without sharpening, they may need to be looked at by a professional. Rusty or extremely dull clipper blades can be much harder to sharpen.

Sharpen Dog Clippers

How Often Should Dog Clipper Blades be Sharpened?

This really all depends on the type of coat and hair your dog has. Some dog coats will need to be groomed more often than others. Look for common signs that the blades need to be sharpened, such as

  • Uneven cuts
  • Pulls your dog’s hair out while trying to cut
  • Rusty blade

If you notice any of those signs, it is important to get your clipper blades sharpened; that way, it will work effectively. You can use our instructions above on how to sharpen your dog clipper blades.

How to Sharpen Dog Clipper Blades with Sandpaper

You can also sharpen your clipper blades with sandpaper. Many people use the whetstone method, but there is an alternative method, and I will share it with you.

  • Lay the dog clipper blades onto a flat surface.
  • Begin rubbing the clippers with sandpaper back and forth to sharpen it. Do this for thirty seconds to a minute.
  • Now lay the sandpaper flat and hold the blade between your finger and run the blade against the sandpaper.
  • You can now reassemble the clipper blades onto the clipper.
  • Oil the clippers and begin to use.

Conclusion

Rusty and dull clippers do not do the job when it comes to grooming your dog effectively. It is very important to clean and sharpen your dog clippers to get perfectly groomed cuts.

I hope this article was helpful in teaching you how to sharpen dog clippers correctly. If you have any questions, leave them down below. Also, let us know your experience with sharping dog clippers.

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