SPONSORED
I get asked all the time when teaching and at different hair shows what clippers, trimmers and shavers are my favorite. But one of the questions I always get that sticks with me is why professional barbers and stylists need all three: a clipper, trimmer, and shaver.
Let’s first start out with the clipper. You need a full-size levered clipper if you’re going to do different men’s and women’s cuts. Clippers can be used on all different hair textures and also for long haircuts and short haircuts. The big things to look for when choosing a clipper is the motor speed and the blade. Wahl Professional has a 21° bevel blade that is made for off-the-scalp haircutting. It leaves a softer overall appearance. The second blade is a 13° surgical steel flat blade. This blade is designed to go completely flat to the scalp to do very short, precise, fading and blending. Both blades work on all different hair textures, and both wet and dry hair. When picking a blade, it’s important to think about what your clientele wants and what you were trying to achieve in your haircuts.
When picking a clipper, considering the motor speed is crucial, as it directly impacts the clipper’s performance, durability and user experience My personal favorite is Wahl Pro’s new 5-Star Vapor clipper. The Vapor is cordless and is the fastest on the market. It has a brand new F32 fade-out blade which means it has 32 fine ball-pointed teeth on the blade. When this blade is closed it essentially becomes a balding clipper. The lever allows you to fade, saving time and strain on your trimmers making this the perfect clipper for bald fades. Last but not least, the Vapor has a high-speed brushless motor with Adaptive Speed Control, so it delivers consistent power of 8,000 RPMs through all hair types and textures.
Now let’s talk about trimmers. Using the correct trimmer to achieve the finish of your haircut is so important. Wahl Pro has a variety of trimmers that have different purposes. The original Peanut trimmer is what I started with 32 years ago. The thing you have to remember about trimmers are the different types of blades that go on them. The first blade is a fix blade and the second blade is an adjustable blade. The fix blade is going to stay in that position when it comes out of the box. You cannot adjust it or zero-gap it. Generally speaking, these blades are going to leave a softer finish for the edge. I like to use these trimmers that have fixed blades on little children, older customers and people with very sensitive skin. They will not leave any red marks on the skin. If you have a heavy hand they should be your go-to. The second trimmer blade is an adjustable blade that you can zero the gap. That means that the cutting blade and the stationary blade are completely even and that is going to give you the closest most precise edge.
A few of my favorites are Wahl Pro’s Hi-Viz™, the A*Lign Trimmer and our Detailer ® LI. All of these have an adjustable trimmer blade. You can take the blade off of the trimmer and use our pro-set to zero-gap them perfectly every single time. We have an amazing video on our Wahl professional YouTube channel showing exactly how to use the pro-set.
Lastly, I want to talk about shavers and why picking the right one is important. Shavers, particularly electric or foil shavers, are essential for delivering a very close shave, leaving the skin smooth and free from stubble. My go-to shaver is Wahl Pro’s Vanish Shaver. This shaver was created so any man could shave his face without any irritation, ingrown hairs or razor bumps. We like to call it a finishing tool because it does so much more than just shave a man’s face. You can use it to get the sides of a bald fade just as close as a straight razor. I use it all the time to enhance the outline of my edge. I also use my Vanish Shaver after outlining a man’s beard or goatee to give it a clean crisp look. The thing you have to remember about the Vanish Shaver is it’s only designed to cut very small stubble. If the shaver is not cutting the hair, that means you need to first go over the area with a trimmer and then proceed to use your Vanish Shaver. It gets so nice and smooth without any irritation at all.
Having the right tools at your fingertips makes all the difference. I’ve learned over the years that it’s critical to research the products you purchase and test them out to make sure they give you the results you’re looking for. Hopefully, my insights help you pick the right tools to achieve your clients’ ultimate cuts. Go follow Wahl on Instagram and check out all these tools and more at wahlpro.com.
