I have clipper blades upon clipper blades….doubles and triples of everything…mostly because if one is dull at a show, I grab a replacement and then send the dull one off to be sharpened (poor planning on my part)…but in the last two years, I’ve been REALLY bad about keeping track of them and getting them sharpened.
Clipper Blades - Storage Matters
I have one of those cute little diamond plate boxes that was sold by the big show supply companies, but that only stores 9 clipper blades, and doesn't accomodate my larger clipper blades. Another struggle with that system is that you can't see the blade number without pulling the blade out of the container, and I've not found a good way to label the individual compartments to make that easier. So while that option is handy if you have just a few blades (let's say for touching up at a show), it's not really ideal for all of the blades a person usually has (especially if you're clipping mutliple species or you're clipping market wethers AND breeding does).
Replacing clipper blades I already had, or buying new because I'd forgotton the one I needed at home was costing me TONS of money. I had to find a better system. After hours searching for "clipper blade storage" and not finding what I was looking for, I branched out my search and found this Plano adjustable tackle box, and can I say, I'm so glad I did. For around $10 this is one of those barn hacks that will stick. As a bonus, this model is MADE IN THE USA (which we always want to support).
Tackle Box Turned in to Clipper Blade Storage
So, why do I like this box so well? Well, becuase it's slim design allows it to store in my show box easily and, I can SEE what I have before I ever open the box. It's adjustable. I can add and remove dividers to accomodate different size clipper blades for easy blade storage. I absolutely LOVE that I can see the blade number while it's in the box - allowing me to grab the correct blade the first time (no more sorting through all of the blades to finally find the 4FC or the Coarse Blending (because the one I'm looking for is literally always the last one I check). This saves me time, especially during those high stress pre-show clipping sessions when time is already short. The box closes securely with the Plano Pro-Latch system which features two separate latches, so I don't have to worry about the lid accientally opening and dropping my blades all over, and risk breaking teeth off of those expensive blades. I can also visually inspect my blades for cleanliness and potential rust issues at a quick glance. The adjustable compartments allow me to store ALL of my clipper blades in one spot regardless of their size. Additionally, this box is definitely water resistant so as long as the box is closed, you don't need to worry about overspray from the washrack getting your blades wet. This box will also fit your blade guards if you use just a few blades and then guards to get different lengths, and it's all in one place, instead of the guard box (which can be sort of "fragile and the lid doesn't like to stay on) and a blade box, you have everything together.
Adjustable Clipper Blade Storage
I added the foam to protect the teeth of the blades and to keep the blades from sliding around in the box.
Do you like this hack? Got a better clipper blade storage solution? Drop a comment below.