3/4HT blade

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I am looking for a longer blade so I do not have to use combs over the blade. I longest one I have found is the 3/4HT for Andis. Anyone suggest something longer?

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I just checked PetEdge.com and they have a 'processing fee' of $6.99 for domestic orders under $60.

[Darcy & Millie]

Ooh, I'm also considering going this route instead of scissor-cutting.  So, as I understand you can either use the clippers with just the blade (3/4"), or you can use it with a smaller blade and with a large comb?  I see the combs go all the way up to 1.25".

I hope I'm understanding correctly as well.  I would like to have something bought soon as Millie's hair is not getting any shorter.  :)  (not ready yet to cut it, but I want to be prepared!)

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Yes, you've got it right. I hear ya on the doodles' coats not getting any shorter... I was all rev'ed up, looking forward to that 1st at-home clipper cut, and I received everything I ordered to do the job, EXCEPT the Wahl attachment combs (which are on back order until Sept.)! Thursday the doods go in for their last professional groom (I'm disappointed and relieved, at the same time!).

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

I recently went from using the clip on plastic combs to purchasing the ceramic 3/4 in blade. What a great investment! I have 2 wooly doodles so the clip ion combs were always getting stuck, popping off and were full of hair. The actual blade cuts well, quickly and it does not get too hot at all. 

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

That's very good to know! I would love to try the ceramic blades some day. You say they don't get too hot... how big are your 'wooly doodles', and do you use a blade cooling spray while clipping, or just power through?

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

I have 2 standard sized goldendoodles. Bruno is 3 and Rosie is 9 months. Bruno is about 60 lbs and Rosie about 45. I do "power" trough with the help of one of my sons and we just get it done! I check the blade after every couple of swipes. The first time I did Rosie we took breaks so the blade cooled down then as well. I do not have the spray that cools them. If they are bathed and combed free of all mats then the process with the blade goes much more quickly. Good luck!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Thanks! Looks like a ceramic blade is on the horizon for me. Now, to figure out a length... I keep the doods at about 1/2 - 3/4" long. The 3/4HT would probably be too long, if it follows the same rule as the attachment combs (twice as long, going with the way the hair grows). Maybe there's an exception to the rule with the blades? More research is needed...obviously!

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Stacy - how long does the 3/4 blade get their coat?

[Stacy, Bruno, Molly and Gracie]

Hmmm, I have never measured it :)  It is just the right length for us. It is short enough that brushing is not needed daily but long enough that they are doodly! I always cut the way the hair grows so it is probably a bit linger than 3/4 but I had never heard the "rule" about the attachments being twice as long. I know for sure it is not 1.5 inches when I am done. 

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Hey ladies! Because the Wahl stainless steel combs were on backorder with PetEdge, and because my 2 doods desperately needed a grooming, I took them in today for their final professional grooming. I told my groomer (whom I love, due to the way she grooms my dogs) that this would probably be the last time we'd see her. I went on to tell her I was going to start grooming my 2 myself, and she was so understanding and helpful in getting me started. She gave me hints on lots of stuff. She told me the type of shampoo she uses (Kelco Bluing) and specific types of grooming equipment. She said she uses Laube attachment plasstic combs (she says they've lasted 15 years so far) and that they work great. She said the stainless steel combs' sharpness can hurt the dogs skin. She also said she uses a 50 blade (surgical type) with the combs, anything longer, she said, can cause hair to collect under the combs and bog down the clipper. She even wrote down the Laube comb numbers she's been using on Lucy and Oscar (for body, head and legs). She said the main key to getting a good clipper cut was to get the hair completely dry before starting. The clipper she uses is an Andis 2-speed (and for the life of me I can't  remember the type, but she did say the Andis UltraEdge clipper was a really good one (but not her regular one).  Her workhorse Andis clipper wasn't the one I got, the Andis AGC 2-speed, or any of the AG series. She said it was a newer model. It was probably the most expensive one they make for professionals. Anyway, the main thing was the blade size and the Laube plastic attachment combs. As I left she said I could call her anytime I had a question with grooming. How GREAT is she?? I left a sizeable tip for all her help!

Hope this info helps someone, besides me!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

BTW, I'm cancelling my PetEdge backordered Wahl SS comb set order, and ordering the Laube comb set!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

One more thing... I told her I used conditioner on the dogs' coats and she advised me not to on Oscar's wavy/curly coat because it can weigh it down and affect the clipper cut outcome. Lucy's wooly coat stands up, regardless of conditioner, so it was okay to use on her.