PSA: My clipper blade fell apart mid-fade on a paying client

I was trimming a guy's neckline at my shop in Austin last Thursday and the blade on my Wahl Senior just popped right off the clipper. Screws flew somewhere under the chair. Client is staring at me in the mirror with half a line on his neck. I had to grab my backup corded Oster from the drawer and finish the whole cut with that. Took me an extra 15 minutes because the feel is totally different. Customer was cool about it, but I looked like a clown. Anyone else had a tool break at the worst possible moment?

2 comments

2 Comments

fisher.mason1mo ago

Man I feel you. I had a similar thing happen with my Andis Master during a hot summer cut at a friend's wedding. The blade just seized up on me halfway through a zero fade. I had to borrow his dad's old Oster 76 from the garage which weighs like a brick and sounds like a lawnmower. What saved my sanity was taking a full 5 minutes to just buzz the whole head down to zero and start over with a fresh guard. Told the groom I was "giving him a cleaner look for the photos" which he actually liked way more. Now I keep my backup clipper right on the shelf with the same blade gap as my main one so I don't lose that feel mid cut.

wren_rodriguez1mo ago

Aww man that sucks! Backups are a lifesaver in situations like that. I always keep my old clippers charged and ready just in case since the feel difference can throw off your whole flow.

-1