How to Adjust Wahl Clipper Blades

Wahl has been a top-rated clipper manufacturer for well over 50 years. The company makes a wide variety of clipping products, including pet-quality and human-quality hair scissors and hair clippers. Proper maintenance of your Wahl clippers is essential for optimum usage and extended clipper life, and adjusting your clippers often is an important part of your maintenance routine. Adjusting your clippers is quick and relatively simple, and will make any haircut a much more enjoyable experience.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver Clipper oil Small brush Soft rag

Instructions

1. Clean your clipper blades thoroughly before adjusting your blades. Wipe any excess hair form the blades with your rag and brush out any stuck hairs with a stiff-bristled brush. Take care not to get your blades wet, as any water can cause rusting.

2. Examine your blades to determine how far off center they are. The teeth of the front blade and back blade should overlap approximately 1/32nd of an inch to provide a smooth, even cut and prevent the blades from knicking the skin.

3. Loosen the screws on the underside of the blade to that your blades can slide apart. Most sets of clippers have two large screws below the blades on the front of the clipper, so use your screwdriver to unscrew these just enough to allow your blades to shift slightly.

4. Slide the blade so that the teeth overlap the correct distance. The outer most left tooth of the top blade needs to cover or just slightly overlap the outer most left tooth of the bottom blade for proper alignment. Only small movements are necessary for proper adjustment, so take care when realigning your blades.

5. Tighten the screws once you have completed your blade adjustment. Take care not to overtighten them, and this can cause jamming of your blades if there is not a little room for movement.

6. Apply a few drops of oil to your clipper blades and turn them on. This oil will coat the blades and provide proper lubrication to prevent sticking and damage to the teeth of your blades. Oil also allows the clippers to glide through the hair more easily, making for a smooth, simple haircut.

Tips & Warnings

• Your clippers should be checked often for signs of wear and tear. Dirt, hair and grime will dull your blades quickly, resulting in pulling and ripping of the hair rather than a smooth cut.

• Never use any oil on your Wahl blades that is not specifically formulated for clipper lubrication. Hair oils, cooking oils and motor oils are not formulated for clipper use and can do more harm than good.

Resources

• Clipper Adjustment