Shaving with a 7/8ths Blade.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

I don't usually shave my doodles. I have quite a few wool coats and I like to scissor them. This year I decided to experiment with a 7/8th blade so I could provide more information for my group members. This more traditional grooming style is time consuming as the coat must be perfect...ie no matting at all.... for the blade to go thru.

If any of the pictures appear distorted, just click on them for a different view. Next I will be doing my fleece girls.

 

Here is Jasper with a coat that has been rough cut with scissors, then brushed and combed thoroughly, then washed and fluffed with a brush while blowing with a high heat standing dryer. He is already for shaving. Sorry there is a divot on his right front leg, but he had cut and stitches there.

 Here he is after the shave.

I like the natural air dry look best so he is a little fluffy for my taste. I did NOT brush or comb his head. I checked for mattes, washed it and let it dry. I had to fluff his face but as soon as he is wet again, his cute dreads will come back.  I also experimented with his ears. I actually shaved the bottoms of his ears too. I use a number 10 inside and the 7/8ths on the outside.

Here is the shaving cut off line where I started the scissoring. This low line works because of the short do. If this was a longer coat, the scissoring would have to start higher on the leg.

Part II

Here is my little soul mate, Jasper's sister Swee'Pea. She definitely got bored with the picture part.

First picture is of her with a rough scissor cut with no brushing yet.

 

Now her with a complete brush and comb out, a bath and a fluff dry with the high heat dryer. She was definitely embarassed at this point.

Now for the final haircut. She was quite put out and would not stand for the pictures. Not spoiled at all.

Not looking at youShe thinks she will look better after getting wet again too.

And then, I am sure you are not surprised by an attack of the zoomies. 

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Those are amazing instructions Barb.  I love little Swee'Pea and her happy zoomies.  My grandchildren call me SweePea!!   I guess my biggest mystery is still the scissor cutting.  I am still not sure how you keep the length the same with each snip.  I so far have been a clipper/attachment person all along.  I just use a longer attachment on Gracie's legs to get the longer look.  Also, the ears and how the "poofer" blends into them is still baffling.  I am afraid to cut the outside of her ears.  Gracie has long ears with most of the hair being straight but crimped looking underneath the first layer.  Should her ears be layered as they go down or all the same length?  I try to take the shears and sort of drag them down the ear to sort of add some layering and fluff.  Gracie is not a wooly but is a very soft, fine wavy fleece.  Even her poofer doesn't like to stand up.  If it gets too long it parts down the middle...ha ha...

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

The point is you don't want to keep the same length with each snip. You go for a shape that does not contour to the leg. I point the scissors straight down...if the dogs are standing properly... and cut at that angle. Forget where the leg is. I will try and do another pic with the actual leg outline drawn in.

 

Ears should be layered. That is why I thought I would try the 7/8ths on Jasper's ears. I think it will grow out in a perfect shape and it is nice and light for summer. That is if we get summer. It is 15 degrees here and going down. That's about 58F. I'm not complaining  as I can put a coat on whereas you people who are boiling cannot adjust your environment that easily.

 

To blend, you comb the hair and cut it where it lies. In school they called this "as the dog wears it's coat". I have a girl who has a silly little curl on her nose that needs to be cut short or sticks out like a horn only on one side. That is very unique to just her, so after the coat is in a natural shape, as she would wear it, I shape her face.

 

I have some soft wavy fleece coats too that I am just in the process of shaving. One of the girls has a coat that you would swear is human hair. She is expecting puppies next month. I can hardly wait. She did not go thru a coat change.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Here is the pic with the leg drawn in, rather shakily I might add. Note that the coat is short on the thigh and is also short at the hock. This gives not only a tube leg look, but also the places that mat the most are clipped short.

For the front leg, the coat is clipped short at the elbow and pretty much down the back of the whole leg, leving the front fluffier. This is opposite to most breeds where the length is behind the front leg.

 This is part of my strategy to handle the grooming of a lot of wool dudes.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Yes! Excellent. Thank you so much! You are so helpful, Barb. I am really grateful for all of this specific help. By the way what is the number on your 7/8 inch blade?

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

It does say 7/8ths on it, but I have just searched everywhere for a pic of one on the net. I can only find the 5/8ths and 3/4 ones and the 7/8th snap on combs. I saw it advertised a few times, but when I went on the sites, it was not listed. I am beginning to think it is discontinued. My blade is 21 mm.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Ok. I have a 10, a 4 and a 3 3/4 skip tooth so I don't know how those compare to something that is 7/8".

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

http://www.andis.com/USA/bladesAndMore/blades.asp?Edge=UltraEdge

If you read the info on the andis site, it shows the blade number and then the hair length it leaves in both inches and mm.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

According to the Andis link, the # 3 3/4 leaves 1/2 inch and the 3/4 leaves 3/4 of an inch length.  That is a bit confusing.

Because they no longer make the 7/8 ths blade, I suggest you go to the 3/4 - 19mm. This leaves some coat, so is far from bald, yet does not have the issues that detachable combs have.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Barb, this blade has been discontinued.  It used to be that 7/8th blade was 22mm and 13/16 blade was 21mm.  The 3/4" blade is 19mm and that is the longest blade you  will get before needing to use the comb attachments. 

C comb = 21mm

D comb = 22mm

A couple of kids in 4H used the 7/8th blade and now we can no longer get them.

[Barb @ Gemstone Labradoodles]

Well that is both good and bad. Bad because it is a fabulous blade and good because for a while there I thought I was going nuts.

[Tina, Clover, Plus 5 More]

Geib shows a 1" (25mm) blade, but I have not been able to find one.  I emailed Geib Sales and have not heard back from them.  I'm not fond of clipper combs and these blades gave me another option.  I can let you know about the Geib 1" if you would like.

[Dori & Rua]

Nancie, Rua's little poofer doesn't like to stand up either.  It parts down the middle, too.