# Blade #4F or #7F?



## Daddy123 (Jul 3, 2009)

I am attempting at trimming my toy poodle. I ordered a video and a #4F blade ,because I saw on various internet site, you can use a 7 or a 4 depending on the length you want.

I received the video and saw she used a 7 blade. Now I am wondering if I will get the velvety look with the #4F blade on his body. Does anybody know?

Johanne


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## passion4poodles (Apr 11, 2009)

I have never used a 4 blade, I live in a hotter region so I always use a 7, but I just shaved Ki-ki down yesterday with a 7 and this is how it looks, of course diff color dogs will look a little diff she is blue, but I think it gives the "velvet" look about her. Hope the pic helps.


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## Mandycasey'smom (Jan 3, 2009)

I use both Mandy skinny girl gets done usually witha 4 though I want to get a 5.
Casey gets done with a 7. I then leave the legs long so basically my made up version of the lamb clip. Both look velvety with just done though Casey lasts longer and Mandy ends up going curly


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## spoospirit (Mar 10, 2009)

_I remember when Dianne shaved down her chocolate girl. She used just the #10 blade on her whole body and she was the most beautiful velvet I ever saw both visually and to the touch. Of course, that is very short.
_


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## thestars (May 2, 2009)

I use a 4 & 4 F for a longer look on my Mom's white toy and do a lamb cut but tapered into the upper leg. On my kids I usually use a 5 & 5 F it's short but not to short. I have used a 10 and a 15 on body in very high heat & humidty but not much left hair. A 7/7F would be 1/8th each, nice for summer. 15 or 30 on face feet and tail depending on skin sensitivity and 50 on the feet. 50s have almost zero tendency to cut web. http://www.patriotpoodles.com/i/Lucy_05102009_1_1.jpg In this pic of Lucy she got a #15 to face, tail & tummy and 5f to body, 50 to feet. The rest is scissored with Heritage stilettos both straight and curved. Remember with the F blades to have the coat newly washed, dryed and combed out from root. If it is it goes like butter, if not you may pull the hair as your cutting it and it hurts.


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## Aidan (Mar 4, 2009)

a #7 is pretty short almost right before a #10 which is usually used on the face by people who groom at home. (a salon might use a #40 or #30 on the face but should only been done by a professional who has a lot of experience using those blades)

I prefer a 4 or 5 but I like a little fluff left over, many groomers don't even own a #3 but that's what I like doing on my lamb trims a 3 on the body and legs left natural or scissored only.


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

I've never considered anything as short as a #7 to look even remotely velvet like. I think it looks naked lol. If a client comes in and says they want something along the lines of the velvet look for their poodle I always use a 4 blade, that is my definition of velvet. If they say "short but not shaved" or "short but fluffy" it's a 2gaurd or a 4 blade depending on how I feel about the dog/owner. I think the 4 gives a nicer finish if velvet it the goal, while the 2g will look longer than it is. 

I don't even bother with clean feet on dog's getting a 7 or 10 blade all over. There's no point, and frankly it's a waste of my time. Might be a bit of the reason I don't have very many 7 all over poodles?


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## Daddy123 (Jul 3, 2009)

Thanks for the info. I feel confident the #4F blade will do.

I go by Lena's video http://www.groomingdvds.com/miniature poodle.html. I don't know if what she says is ok but still I learned a lot. She uses a #7F blade on the body and does a rough cut with it before the bath. After the bath she does it all over with the same blade. (She introduces the equipment at the start and I didn't see her mention a #7 blade).

I guessed her way of doing it didn't need a super hair dryer? I only have a small andis I bought a wal-mart. Is it ok to do it like her (with only the 4F) for the rough and finished cut or ... should I wash first and do it all at once with the #4F or ... buy a #4 and do the rough cut with it? 

She says a #40 blade should be used with the guards. Is this true or would my 10 blade do? My 8 universal plastic guards are in numbers and letters going from #0 5/8" to #F 1 1/4" so I don't know what a #2 guard is.

Daddy is a brown toy poodle. He's very patient and I love to toy on him lol. I've already done fairly good clean feet and face with the 10 blade in the past. I do ok with kitchen scissors to do his head too lol.

Last time I asked the groomer to do him but not too short. I asked the body not too short, the legs left long except for the clean feet and I wanted the clean face. He looked absolutely lovely and it's what I'd like to learn how to do.

The hard part I think will be to scissor the legs and blend it all together. I've ordered a Heritage starting kit http://www.northcoastmarines.com/scissors.htm with the 8.5" straight and curved. Wish me luck lol


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## highhorse (Sep 17, 2008)

I use a 7F for both Inca and Coco. Because Inca's coat is so dense, this gives the plush look I want. Coco looks plush 2 days later. I use a 40 blade on both their faces. They both look slightly naked when first done but next day their hair is starting to grow and the naked look goes. If I didn't cut them as short as the 40 and the 7F, I would have to clip each week. As it is, I only get 2-3 weeks from each clip. I blend the legs into the body and on Inca it looks like a modified puppy pants. On Coco, I have to trim her legs shorter as her coat is not so good and goes tatty very quickly. Both go curly if their hair is left at 4F.


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