# Need advice on clipper blade and brush type



## mandym (Jan 15, 2014)

Ok, so after hours of looking through page after page of threads in hopes to find the answer to my specific questions, I still ended up without an answer. There are so many great threads on this topic but I haven't been able to find a situation that is similar to my specific needs. My malt is 3 years old now and I have only taken him to a professional groomer once in his life..and it was the first hair cut he ever had. From that time on I have been doing all the grooming myself. Over the years, I have built up my confidence and skills and feel pretty comfortable with the type of haircut I give him. 

These are the "tools" I use: Andis 2 Speed electric clippers with a 10 blade and a 1/4" guard for his body, I hand scisor and blend with thinning shears his face, head, legs, and feet. I use the 10 blade to trim his belly and paw pads. I have attached a picture of what he looks like after a haircut so you can get the idea of about the length I leave his body. 

So my first question is about the clipper blade. I can't seem to get that "perfect" finished cut on his body. When I clip him, I always take the slicker brush and brush his hair backwards to make it fluff up, and then run the clippers with the grain of the hair. Since I use a guard and since his hair is super fine and fluffy, my assumption of why I can't get a perfect cut is that the guard is pushing the hair down or the hair is just not reaching the blade. So my thought is loose the guard and get a blade that will cut the same length by itself. So after research I think the product I should buy is a 4FC Ceramic blade. Can someone with experience please advise me if this is the right blade I should buy, or if buying the blade is the right decision to fix the problem. Is there something that I am not doing right? 

My second question is about a brush. To give a little history, my cousin is a groomer but understandably, she does't do all maltese so she has general education but I really need some advice about maltese specific needs. So when I got my malt I of course went to her for advice on grooming supplies. She told me I needed a slicker brush..so that's what I've been using for ALL brushing (until I was informed that this was not the best idea). I love that the slicker brush makes his hair SOOOO fluffy but I am terrified that I will scrap his skin since the brush is so rough and I don't want to damage his hair. I have read a lot about the pin brushes but will they give me the same "fluff" effect? What I've been doing lately is using the slicker but only brushing very lightly on the very ends of his hair making sure not to touch his skin. I tried blow drying him using a metal comb but it didn't fluff his hair..I also tried using my hairbrush but no fluff. What brush should I use while blow drying that will be safe but will also make his hair fluffy like I want? I keep him in a short puppy cut and his hair does not have ANY part (his hair stands straight up, not parted down his back) so I really need something that will do the job. Any suggestions?


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## sdubose (Feb 21, 2012)

You need to check out this site. Hedy is a member here and has great advice. Hope you don't mind Hedy. Maltese Obsession: Pet Maltese Grooming at Home I don't think a slicker brush is going to do the job. You need a comb to keep down mats and a pin brush. Hedy's site gives good recommendations. Cooper is a cutie btw.


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## MalteseObsessed (Mar 7, 2010)

Shelly ~ you are too nice. Mandy there are a ton here on SM that home groom so you'll get some varying answers that will hopefully apply. Maltese coats all are different so can't always use one general rule to fix or improve a groom.

Your baby is really cute and you do a great job with shaping Cooper's face. From the picture you shared his body looks pretty even too.

The 'EVEN' cut on the legs and body using a clipper has MUCH to do with the bathing and drying. I have been experimenting with many many shampoos, conditioners and conditioning sprays and find that not all products are created equally ~~ even within one particular brand.

...anyhow back to the 'EVEN' cut == a good shampoo that will clarify and harden/stiffen the hair on certain coats will help with even cut. This would depend on Cooper's coat..

Biggest factor to getting that even trim would be the drying. A force dryer will help make the hair stand up on end. One like the Kool Pup that many of us use allows you to go right up to the skin and dry out the skin to help the shafts of hair stand/dry evenly. 

The skin of the dog needs to be thoroughly dry or else the hair won't actually dry ~~ I put the dryer nozzle right up against the skin during initial and final drying to get that hair nice and straight and BONE dry (BUT MY DRYER IS NOT HOT at all) ~~~~ this is all prob info your groomer friend has helped you with so I apologize if it's stuff you've already learned...


Losing the guard can sometimes make it harder to get that even cut cuz if you just angle wrong for a microsecond, you can get an unwanted divot in the coat ==== this is harder to delete if you are seeking something in the 1/4" range === longer lengths allow for masking a divot much easier

A Stainless Steel guard helps a ton ~~ using longer strokes down the body help too == try to do full length strokes with the clipper as opposed to short little strokes cuz that produces lines ~~ with consistent speed too helps (not too slow nor too fast)

I don't back brush in the sense of brushing reverse === 'back brushing' term is a goofy term to me == the pro-grooming classes all teach proper prepping as the key factor to an even cut == includes using a long grooming comb (one with both FINE + COARSE teeth) to raise the hair straight up === process is to clipper == then comb hairs to stand up == clipper again

On legs I use the same Groomers Comb to fluff before using clipper or shears === but some groomers still teach using the slicker on the legs between cuts === so there is a difference of opinion based on the recent classes i took...but then again I have yet to sit in on a class where they allow for the long length on some of our dogs EARS and LEGS === the first thing most groomers would do is cut off my dogs ears and trim back their Palazzo Pant legs...:blink:

but with the acceptance of Asian and Creative grooming we see more and more tapered legs on dogs === the groomers comb after all the knots are removed is BEST for prepping the legs during drying process...and comb is used to fluff legs constantly during trimming

I added a quick pic of a groomers comb from toplinepet.com === i sometimes use the clipper (#30 blade) over comb to get those random tufts that don't get trimmed due to my GIANT HANDS squashing the hair down...

Again ~~ your picture looks like the body is pretty even ~~ sorry for long answer :thumbsup:


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## mandym (Jan 15, 2014)

Thank you both for the wonderful advice and compliments!

Shelly, luckily Cooper doesn't have mats nor has he ever. I didn't even know the slicker brush was for mats until recently lol

Hedy, wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything to me! My groomer friend definitely did not tell me anything you just did..so thank you so much for making things easy to understand! I totally agree that preparation is vital so I will give you a play by play on what I do.
For bathing (once a week regardless if it's time for a haircut) I use spa lavish tearless face wash, espree bright white shampoo, tropiclean oatmeal conditioner, and hydrogen peroxide on his feet due to some issues going on as you can see from his red feet. I also will rotate and use CC white on white shampoo, CC spectrum 10 conditioner, and espree silky show conditioner. I feel like I make a good effort bathing him to set him up for a good groom but I could be totally off track. I've also read on here that you shouldn't use whitening shampoo every time so I've considered using it every other bath.

As far as blow drying goes I do not have a dog dryer. That is next on my list. I do use a very expensive blow dryer that has ionic heat blah blah whatever that makes it so "great". It works well but the lowest heat setting is still too hot to hold close to his skin. For the comb, I have looked at tons and don't know if I should get a course/fine comb, or an all fine comb, or a super fine comb. Cooper has such fine soft hair that I want to make sure the teeth can grab his hair especially with it being short. What is your suggestion? And with combing the hair up wards while drying will it still "fluff" his hair?

When I clip him I usually make long strokes and I don't really have a problem with line marks but I do use a plastic guard so switching to a stainless steel guard may make a big difference. I definitely don't want to make a big mistake with the blade without a guard like you said by not holding the clippers at the right angle. I'm not that good haha the main problem I have is missing hair so I have to go over his body it seems like a million times. Hopefully combing the hair up rather than brushing his hair the opposite direction will help. 

With his legs I use curved scissors. I have tried the clippers but wasn't able to get very good results. I'm not great with the scissors either but I'm sure there is a technique for legs that i haven't learned to do. I really like the feathered leg look and I think I'm going to let his leg hair grow out and try to get that look. Do you have any tips?

I have looked into the Korean style cut and I think I like that style with a little modification. I wouldn't cut the body that short or the face that short. I would like to learn how to make the nice rounded face though. The last cut I gave Cooper I went shorter on his face and I really liked it. I definitely have room to improve but finding videos or a clear explanation on exactly how to get that look has been hard to find. And as you can see I don't cut his ears. I would probably stab someone If they cut them lol I love his long ears! 

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help and please tell me if I'm doing something wrong. Any help is greatly appreciated


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

Getting him dry and fluffed first is the key to getting a clean looking cut. I also have the Andis 2 speed. I personally like the 5FC. It is what I used on mine. 

Definitely get a good pin brush. I like CC brushes the best so far.


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## MalteseObsessed (Mar 7, 2010)

Mandy ~~ your regime is all pretty spot on!! :aktion033: The only suggestion I have is to get Stainless Steel combs! You will see a DEFINITIVE difference when you TOSS those plastic combs. Stainless Steel will make you feel like 'YOU HAVE ARRIVED' cuz it works like a charm. I even use SS combs to trim my son now == AWESOME these SS combs!

Curved scissors is what i use on legs == for the tapered affect you can flip the curved and use them curved outward to get more of a tapered affect === but once you get your SS combs you can use the clipper and float down the legs from the shoulders to 'CHEAT' and get the job done faster === 

trick is to comb out the legs nice and fluffy === then when you are riding the clipper down from the neck area == from the shoulder you'll just FLOAT either ~~ straight down OR ~~ float towards you ~~ to get whatever level of tapering you want with the leg

Saves a ton on shear work if you can let the SS do the work.

Any good FINE/Coarse Groomers comb should help a ton == I am not sure if there is one that is ALL FINE == some reasonably priced ones that i like are through Jenny at toplinepet.com i LOVE the X-tra long pin Aluminum Fine/Coarse one she sells ~~ and the comb would be used more PARALLEL to the body to lift the hair === it works good on all dogs (even with thin coarse hair). I used it recently on a Silky Terrier i was grooming and she had virtually zero hair and it was super fine == but the fine end of the grooming comb worked good as i did the Clipper over Comb with her. :thumbsup:

One thing to try since you aren't using a force dryer is to dry Cooper ...let an hour or 2 pass after you are all done drying ...this will allow for the skin to dry some more and also give Cooper a little break ...then to start up again ~~ mist and warm dry/comb Cooper again before using the clipper. ~~ worth a try


and I am with YOU ~~ I'd have to CLOCK anyone that tries to cut any of my dogs ears, tails or legs


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## MalteseObsessed (Mar 7, 2010)

oops one more....gently pulling the skin taught behind the clipper helps get a smooth finish too...


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## mandym (Jan 15, 2014)

Hedy, in regards to the combs CC has an all fine butter comb and Ashley Craig makes something called a greyhound comb that comes in super fine. The only reason I found these is from reading what people have said on this website about what combs they like. I would assume they are really good combs since they have a pretty big price tag but is it something I have to have? Since I only groom my 1 dog and don't use it as hard or as often as a professional groomer is it really necessary? Will the "standard" coarse/fine comb do fine for what I need? I think that's a lot of what I struggle with. I want to make sure my baby gets the best but is the best for him necessarily the most expensive top of the line stuff? 

Also, is there a specific brand of ss combs you recommend? When I groom him I have him stand on my bathroom counter since I don't have a grooming table. He does extremely well cooperating but he gets tired and wants to lay down after a while so since I only have 2 hands it's hard to pull his skin tight, clip, and hold him up lol I guess I should invest in some kind of pole with a collar to make him stand.

So when I comb the legs out should I be grabbing the hair downwards and combing up or straight out to fluff before trimming?

Also, what do you think about the shampoo and conditioners I'm using? Do you know of a better product I should be using?


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## MalteseObsessed (Mar 7, 2010)

Yes yes, I remember wondering if I NEEDED the ALL FINE comb as well and actually put it in my shopping basket ~~ You CAN"T GO WRONG with any CC comb or brush ~~ I have the fine/coarse CC grooming comb and it is my Go To ~~ use it everyday all day.

When you treat yourself to a CC comb == you'll NOT regret it for sure. 

You need to get the SS combs that fit on your And is === I am not up to speed on whats available for the ANDIS clipper so maybe someone here on the forum can help you.

Combing legs == from root straight OUT == though in classes some Pro's have used an ===Root-OUT-UP ====

Shampoo's == I am a huge fan of Pure Paws. You can buy various brands TRAVEL kits to get a good feel of different brands == the Entire Pure Paws line has travel kits and CC also have travel kits (lots here like Spec 10).

Hope some of that makes sense and/or helps some. You are doing awesome Mandy! Happy Grooming your Cutie Cooper!


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## lydiatug (Feb 21, 2012)

A lot of great advice! Just think about it this way Mandy, for those of us who do our own grooming-even if we spend a little more on grooming tools, we save a LOT of money in the long run


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## mandym (Jan 15, 2014)

Ok Hedy, I know I said videos of exactly how to trim the way I want was hard to find..well that was until today when I discovered your youtube channel. Why the heck didn't you say something?! Your videos are AMAZING! All I've done today is watch your videos lol 

I really like your clippers! I have done some research on them and I noticed there is the wahl bravura and the wahl bravura lithium. Do you know if there is a significant difference between the two? I saw reviews about the lithium running hot but I don't really like to base a decision only on one bad review. Since you have one and are obviously extremely talented and simply amazing I would trust your recommendation. Which one do you think I should get? Do you have any advice about these clippers?


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## MalteseObsessed (Mar 7, 2010)

Mandy ~~ you are too kind. I thought you already knew about videos. I tried with the videos as it is quite the challenge trying to groom with a camera in the way :w00t:

Wahl Bravura is the original and the Wahl Bravura Lith is the newer model. The Orig Brav should be pretty much phased out so if you get that model, make sure you get it at a reputable place like Cherrybrook, Pededge, Ryans, Groomersmall etc == there's lots of refurbished models floating around if you don't go to a Wahl dealer.

2 big differences is that The Brav Lith has
1) better battery == supposedly has no memory issue
2) the speed of motor/blade does not slow down as the battery drains

Both Bravs sport the 5-in-1 Blade which has #9, #10, #15, #30 and #40 and you can usually get the SS Comb SET for free if you can look for that deal OR during SuperZOO both Ryans and Petedge honored FREE SSS COMB SET when you buy a Bravura. there is a Groom Expo Sept 18-21 so if you can hold out till then you can call and ask for the GROOM EXPO deal and they'll probably have the FREE SS COMB SET deal then too.

The 5-in1 blade on BOTH does get WARM, but never been HOT. Blade heat really isn't an issue with the 5-in-1 blade for either unit.


I love both Bravs === either one will serve you well!


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## lydiatug (Feb 21, 2012)

Mandy, I switched from the Andis AGP to the Bravura and love it! Cordless is nice and the metal attachment combs actually work better than my finishing blades on the Andis


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