# Angora wool management - clippers vs trimmer (shaving knife?)



## M Claire (Apr 26, 2018)

Hi all, I am just learning the ropes with a family of German Angora rabbits and with the hot weather finally coming on, I need to get to work on their coats so that they'll be healthy and comfortable.

I've tried clipping with scissors and shears, but it just isn't for me. The rabbits get bored and fidgety and I'm always worrying that someone is going to get nicked. And it takes AGES!!!  After removing a few mats in extremis with my husband's beard trimmer, I decided to go with an Oster A5 clipper, having seen how quickly it cuts, how close in you can get with no danger, and also observing that the rabbits actually seemed more relaxed and still while I was using an electric trimmer. 

The clipper I ordered came with a 9mm (3/8") clipper head, which is not nearly short enough in to cut angora wool effectively. I am hesitating between getting a really short head (1 mm) or an intermediate length (3 mm).

I called a groomer for advice and gave her my specific situation with the rabbits, and she suggested a thing called a shaving knife (that's the direct translation from the local language), apparently called a trimmer in English. It's basically a comb with razor-sharp cutting blades between the teeth. Apparently it's better than clippers for wool quality and you get a really close shave, but that could be a negative point insomuch as I can't turn up the heat in the rabbitry and would be worried about bareskinned rabbits catching cold and getting bloat in the spring and fall. 

Does anyone have experience with this? I'm more concerned about wool management and rabbit care (and not spending an entire day sheering rabbits...) at this point than pristine wool quality.


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## Alaskan (Apr 27, 2018)

no experience with that... except for those combs with the blades hidden in the teeth.  I have used those to cut put dog mats.

They work pretty well... at a guess though... I bet the shaver is faster...   Doesn't your's come with just plastic clip on covers of the various lengths?  Thise can't be very expensive ... but I have had mine for so long I no longer remember.  I would get different size covers and use the shaver.... Experiment and try out the different lengths.


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## M Claire (Apr 27, 2018)

No, as far as I know the Oster doesn't have any adjustable covers. The blade heads are all metal and in the arena of 30-40 euros per head, so I'd definitely prefer to avoid buying a useless size.


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## Alaskan (Apr 27, 2018)

I went and looked, mine is also an oster.

But I am talking about the plastic covers.  the smallest I have is a 1/4 inch.  I also have a 3/8 inch.


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## M Claire (Apr 27, 2018)

The Oster that I have looks like this:


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## Alaskan (Apr 27, 2018)

M Claire said:


> The Oster that I have looks like this:


I can't see the blade on that one... but clearly a newer model.  

Does it not come with the plastic covers?  They are so nice....  I have I think 6 or 8 of them in various sizes.. the biggest is maybe 2 inches.  I use only the one blade .

maybe there is an off brand plastic cover that you can get?  Hopefully 10 bucks for a pack with 4 different sizes.


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## M Claire (May 5, 2018)

Thank you for the suggestion. I am going to visit the groomer's and try some different lengths with her. I don't think my model takes plastic covers.


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## Alaskan (May 5, 2018)

M Claire said:


> Thank you for the suggestion. I am going to visit the groomer's and try some different lengths with her. I don't think my model takes plastic covers.


sounds like a hood choice.


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## Alaskan (May 5, 2018)

Not hood, good


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