Half sets of clipper blades - worth keeping?

[Fifty Bales of Hay]

Just going through my clipper blades with a view to testing them and sorting out which ones need sharpening etc.

And I have some odd ones, not in paired sets. Some are top blades and some are bottom blades.

I remember being told all blades come in "matched pairs" and you cannot just add any old top blade to a bottom blade, even if the same make and type of blade? Is this true? What would happen if I did, and tried to clip with them?

Are the people who sharpen blades able to tell if they've got a "matched set" as I bet it happens all the time people getting them mixed up if you're dealing with more than a few sets of blades whilst clipping a few horses.

What should I now do with these "odd" halves of sets?

If I sent them back to the manufacturers - would they be able to match them up with a suitable top or bottom blade, and sell me half a set? Or should I just throw them?

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

If I drop a blade and break the teeth, I'll match the remaining one up with a suitable spare from previous accidents, if I have one. It never caused any harm.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I swop tops and bottoms all the time. I have 10 sets of blades to work with and rarely finish the season with more than half of the pairs with the same blades they started withm It has never done either the clippers, blades, horse or clip and harm.

 

[Inchy]

Any unmatched baled - keep them sharp and use them for tidying up pulled tails, manes etc.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Yes they are. I had a couple of bottom blades with broken end teeth & managed to buy single replacement blades rather than a whole set. I think it was from Clippersharp or someone similar. Usual price of full set was around £35 & the replacement was £20 so I saved a bit.

 

[TheEngineer]

You dont have to keep blades matched as pairs, but it is advisable to keep them together as a pair after sharpening. Once they get blunt, you could mix them up and get them sharpened as a pair. Most people seem to damage combs (the bigger one) as this takes the impact if you knock your clippers. But if you only lose one tooth from the end, they can still be sharpened and used, obviously the cut will be one tooth narrower.

regards

Ian (The Engineer)

 

[Fifty Bales of Hay]

Thank you all so much - that's great news, I'll hold onto them.

Toby - did you have your top blades sharpened before you started using them with the replacement bottom blades? Or did you just use them and then get them sharpened as a pair next time?

TheEngineer, thanks, that expains it a bit better, I knew I'd heard something about matched pairs, that makes more sense though.

I'll keep the damaged broken toothed ones for pulling/trimming, what a fab idea!

Now I'm going to search for either broken blades sets for sale on Ebay, that have the corresponding unbroken blade to match in with what I have. Currently I think I need 1 x Lister top blade, and 2 or 3 Liveryman or Wolseley bottom blades, if anyone sees any for sale can they let me know, thanks.