Thinking of sharpening your clipper blades with salt? I have put together this amazing guide for you to know how to go through with it. Check it out.
What enables a clipper blade teeth to cut hair like a tiny pair of scissors is the pitched cutting surfaces with a pair of sharpened comb-like blades.
And of course, a clipper blade will not work perfectly when it is blunt or dull. This is why it is important to always sharpen these blades after long term use.
The only thing that saves you the cost of buying new blades all the time and also ensures the longevity of your clipper is when you take care of its blades by sharpening and oiling them when due.
Part of the ways you can keep your clipper blades in good condition includes cleaning the clipper blades always. It is not nice to lubricate a dirty, gritty blade because it will still go blunt.
In addition, keeping the blades lubricated at all times will reduce friction. Friction is among the things that lead to blunt blades.
When you have less friction, you have less heat. Friction also causes blades to go blunt quickly; good quality clipper oil is best.
So far, many people have come up with various homemade ways that clipper blades can be easily sharpened. Thankfully, these methods have been proven to save time and money big time!
There are many methods to sharpen clipper blades, but in this article, we shall focus on using salt to sharpen clipper blades.
Note: some of these methods for sharpening clipper blades should not be new to you. That has been said to be what I use since the time of our fathers. And people still use them today.
The cost of replacing a clipper blade or taking it to a professional for sharpening may not be friendly at all. That is why it is often encouraged to have ideas about one or two of these home methods. Not only that, but you are also about to be a professional of yourself.
Can I use salt to sharpen the clipper blade?
Yes, rock salt can be used for sharpening clipper blades. In fact, it is one of the cheapest and easiest ways. Back in the days, barbers use the salt to sharpen their clipper blades.
The major problem with using the salt to sharpen clipper blades is that you will need a large quantity of salt to make this happen. Because as soon as the blade is dipped into the salt, the salt reduces to fine particles. This is most times makes the sharpening process less effective.
Salt is one of the most common resources in our homes and it can be used for various purposes. Salt can also be used to sharpen clipper blades and you will still get a shiny sharpen blade at the end.
Apart from it can be used for sharpening clipper blades, rock salt has a culinary and medical value. It can be used for human consumption after it has been commercially-mined.
How to sharpen clipper blades with salt
Salt is one of the most common resources in our homes and it can be used for various purposes. Salt can also be used to sharpen clipper blades and you will still get a shiny sharpen blade at the end.
Even dated back to history, people used salt to clean blades. Groomers of those days used salt to tackle their dull blades. And today, it is still rampant.
But as simple as it may look, some people do not know how to use salt to sharpen their clipper blade. This is quite unfortunate because salt is very much at our disposal than any other items like aluminium, sandpaper, whetstone and the like.
Using salt to sharpen clipper blades is, in fact, a very simple process, unlike all other methods. If you want to know how to use it, here is how it is done:
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Simply push the blade into the salt
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Make sure that the salt covers the cutter teeth
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Allow it sharpen until the salt looks pulverized
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You then pick it and push it on another part of the salt
That’s it! It may sound like a very short simple process that will not work but this is a huge advantage. You do not need a 700 pages guide to sharpen your clipper blades perfectly. You can continue with the process until you are satisfied with the result.
One downside that I must highlight here is that it will take you a while to salt a container to sharpen just one blade. Reason being that as soon as you put the blade into the salt, the salt pulverized almost immediately, resulting in a slight sharpening before a large number of salts became useless.
Some people may frown at this and say it is so tedious and far less effective. But the truth is that it is worth the whole container as it is available almost everywhere.
Not only does Rock salt boast a great cooking ingredient, but it is also often ideal for sharpening our clipper blades.
Not that you know how to sharpen clipper blades using salt, it is time to gather some vital information that will ensure the longevity of your clipper blades. This is the reason while you chose to sharpen it after all.
How often should I sharpen clipper blades with salt?
People who use salt to sharpen their clipper blades will definitely get an excellent result following the step I shared above. But you may now ask how often this sharpening process is needed.
Well, you will only go to the hospital when you are sick. Yeah?
So whenever your clipper blades are dull, then you know it is time to get a bag of rock salt and fix that dull blade. But how to know when your clipper blade is dull is another important angle. I have explained this in a related article but in a sentence, your blade will not be able to cut perfectly whenever it is dull.
We have some people who sharpen their blades with salt 5 Times in a single day! Hold on, this is not exactly what I recommend.
Generally, How often you should sharpen your clipper blades depends on how often you use them. Because the more you use these blades on especially coarse hairs, the more they get dull and less effective.
It is needless to start telling you the benefit of keeping your blades sharpened at all times. It helps you cut hair faster and easier.
On the other hand, most of your clients will begin to rate down your service when you have dull blades. This is because it will take up your time, hurt your client, and not give you the freedom to enhance your skills. Even the most skilled professionals will not use dull blades without setbacks.
If you use your clipper on coarse hair almost all the time, then you will be among the people who sharpen them 5 times a day. This is because Coarse fur will dull your blades very quickly.
People who maintain clippers without much stress are those who sharpen them, say, once in a year. They do not use their clipper all the time.
So in summary, how often you should sharpen your clipper blades with salt depends on how often you use them.
Are there other ways to sharpen clipper blades at home?
There are always two ways to kill a rat. Same goes to sharpening clipper blades. If you are still in the pack of people who spend a lot of money replacing blades or taking them to a professional for sharpening then you are missing out.
There are, in fact, various ways you can sharpen your clipper blades at home. I have written quite a number of articles that have covered almost all the methods and this is just one of them. From the use of Stone to sandpaper, aluminium, salt, machines and beyond. The list and methods go on.
I’m pretty sure there are other methods you can use to sharpen clipper blades at home that I have not still come across. So if you know any that I have not mentioned, let me know in the comment section.
Maintenance tips for clipper blades
The blades are an important thing in a clipper. Once they are dull that is the end.
This is why the importance of clipper blades maintenance can not be overemphasized. I’ve been writing on how you can easily and effectively maintain clipper blades without spending too much money. But right here, I’ll outline them briefly.
To maintain a clipper blade that will ensure the longevity of your clipper as a whole, these are the pointers you should bear in mind.
- Oil the blades regularly
- Keep the blades clean
- Check the lead regularly
- Make sure the blades are aligned properly
- Check your clipper power screw
In conclusion, I hope this article has served as an eye-opener on how to sharpen clipper blades with salt. Of course, there are other home methods of sharpening blades which includes using a sharpening stone, Sharpening machine, sandpaper, aluminium and whetstone
So once you discover that your clipper blades are dull, you should just smile and grab a container of salt.
I’ll be glad to receive any further questions on sharpening clipper blades in the comment section below.