Why is my blade chewing or grabbing, not cutting?
There are a few reasons why a blade might chew or grab instead of cleanly and easily cut through a dog’s coat. The obvious one is that your blade has become dull or blunt with use, however there are other causes to consider. Here are the most likely causes and what you can do to fix them…
1: Your blade is dull / blunt
Obvious one first. Your blade needs sharpening. Even a brand new, sharp dog blade can become dull or blunt much faster than you might think. Here are the 9 reasons why blades becomes dull sooner than expected and how to fix them >
[product=service-clipper-blade-sharpening]
Blade sharpening service for all brands of professional A5 detachable blades including Andis, Wahl, Heiniger, Oster, Laube, SmartCoat and more. We are also able to sharpen Wahl and Andis adjustable blades, Wahl and Heiniger trimmer blades, and Heiniger Xplorer horse/livestock blades.
[/product]
2: Your blade is clogged
If your blade or comb attachment gets clogged with fur as you clip, it won’t be able to cut properly, even if the blade is sharp and the clipper motor has enough power to handle the dog’s coat type.
Before you clip it’s important to remove stuck, dead coat. If this isn’t removed it can clog your equipment and stop it from working properly, making it grab or chew or not cut at all. Trying to clip through that dead coat will also dull or blunt your blade sooner than usual. This step is important for non-shed coat types also, where dead coat does not drop out, and gets stuck in the coat instead.
To check if your dog has stuck undercoat, run a grooming comb through your dogs coat. If your comb cannot smoothly pass through the coat, there will either be knots or stuck undercoat in the coat. You will either need to remove this prior to clipping, or use a shorter blade to go underneath it.
[product=andis-steel-grooming-comb-10-250mm-poodle-comb]
This is the larger of the two best selling steel grooming combs by Andis with long 4cm teeth and a longer 25cm / 10" comb length to get down through longer coats. Ideal for wool coats like Poodle, Bichon, 'Oodles and any longer, thicker, denser coats like Collies.
[/product]
You can brush out dead, stuck coat out using a slicker brush. You can use a deshed shampoo and conditioner (like ProGroom Furex 3 step system), to help loosen stuck coat in the bath so it washes out. A proper dog dryer will also blow out stuck, dead coat after bathing. And a tool like a deshedding rake can be used before or after the bath, before you clip. A deshedder can also be used at any time to thin thick non-shed coats, to remove undercoat, and for shedding coat types to reduce shedding by up to 90%.
[product=bamboo-groom-slicker-brush-medium]
The Bamboo Groom Slicker Brush with Stainless Steel Pins - Medium is hand crafted from one of the world's most sustainable materials...bamboo! It's both light weight and durable. Featuring an ergonomic handle with rubber thumb support for a secure hold. Designed for all coat types. Angled pins reach into the undercoat to gently remove loose hair.
[/product]
[product=andis-original-deshedding-rake]
Removes undercoat, loose & trapped dead fur, for both shedding & non-shedding coats. Reduces shedding by up to 90%. Provides relief from hot, dense undercoats for non-shedding coats in summer. Thins knot-prone areas. Removes stuck, dead coat before clipping. Helps return double coats to correct texture. Maintains top coat.
[/product]
3: You’re clipping before the bath
You CAN clip before a bath, or clip without bathing, but doing so will cause a number of avoidable issues so is not recommended if you can avoid it. If you freshly wash and fully dry the coat right before you clip, the resulting clip will look better and will be easier to do. Your blade will stay sharper much longer.
Clipping a coat that has not been freshly washed is one of the fastest ways to blunt a blade. Clipping a squeaky-clean coat also means the blade’s less likely to clog, chew or grab. Your clipper motor will also not have to work as hard so you’ll reduce wear and tear on all your tools by always bathing before you clip.
If clipping a dirty coat is unavoidable, we recommend keeping a spare blade on hand in case one goes blunt mid-clip.
[product=andis-ultraedge-size-10-blade-1-5mm]
The Andis UltraEdge Standard Size 10 blade leaves the coat 1.5 mm. This A5 blade fits all brands of A5 model clippers.
[/product]
4: Your clipper isn’t rated for the coat type
Even a brand new, sharp blade can’t make up for a clipper that’s not rated for the dog’s coat type. Clippers do vary but generally come in 4 levels. Light Use, Medium Duty, Heavy Duty, and Super Duty.
If you have a light use clipper for example, but you’re trying to clip through a thick, double, non-shed or knotted coat, the clipper needs to be upgraded to match the coat type. A new or newly sharpened blade can’t make up for what the clipper is lacking.
If you’re looking for clippers rated for all coat types, even badly matted and difficult coats, look for ones rated Super Duty. Here are the 4 levels of clippers and models available at each level >
5: Your blade drive needs to be replaced
If you've been using the same clipper with the same blades for a while, you might notice problems when you try to swap old blades for new ones. A clipper’s blade drive will become weaker or looser with age, which is normal expected wear and tear.
Your old blades may continue to cut well because their tension also loosened over time. However brand new blades with the original, tighter, factory tension, might appear not to cut as well or seem dull - however it's likely you may just need to replace your blade drive.
For more information on how to know when your blade drive needs replacing, view our guide here.
This is not every possible reason a blade might chew or grab instead of cut, but covers the most common causes and what to do to resolve it.