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The German Red Clipper by Leslie Samson There are other clippers that will work on Angora fiber but none as well as Aesculap's German Red Clipper. It is the industry standard in Europe and around the world. Ten years ago only a handful of angora breeders owned Aesculap clippers. Today almost half of our members have a set of German Red Clippers to call their own. Although my 20-year old clippers have the old Aesculap label with only a poodle on the logo, the new handsets feature both a poodle and a rabbit under the company name. I guess that says it all. What other company has enough experience with rabbit wool to declare itself in that way? Last fall I had the pleasure of meeting Erich Jedersberger and the rest of the US market Aesculap team. We discussed the "Angora Kit", a package of blades that work well on Angora rabbit coats. Erich gave me a selection of blades to pass around at Angora Shearing parties and seminars. I asked for feedback from IAGARB members and based on their reactions; we chose three blades that would make up the Angora Package. We selected the #746 -"workhorse blade", the #712 - a close blade, and the #772 - a small blade for details. Top left is the #GT712, Top right - #GT746, Bottom center is the #GT772 The # 746 blade is actually called the "Angora Blade." When properly adjusted, it is an efficient blade that marches through thick angora coats. The blade must be used with some caution as it can damage delicate tissue like the teats and between the legs. (*Coats must be free of mites. Waxy coats will clog any clipper.) The teeth spacing on the #712 blade is much closer than that of the #746. This blade is a bit slower to advance through the coat than the Angora blade but it has a couple of significant advantages that set it apart. It shears very closely to the skin, leaving only minimal stubble on the skin. The close setting on the teeth makes it safer to use in delicate areas so it is much less likely to damage teats. The #772 blade is really handy for tight areas and for working underneath matts. Everyone who used this specialized blade absolutely loved it! Again, with the close teeth, risk of damage to the skin of the rabbit is greatly minimized. Everyone who tried the combination of all three blades agreed. The trio of blades worked really well and saved wrists from the stresses of scissor clipping. We found that if the prime from the sides and the back was removed with the #746 (in a very few minutes), the belly and neck could be safely shorn with the #712. This left the detail work on the legs to the #772. While it is tempting to focus on the selection of blades, I would like to mention a fact that I learned at the grooming show where I met Erich and the Aesculap team. Most professional pet groomers replace their handsets annually. The motors just don't last. I was astounded! I've been using the same handset for 20 years. This is typical of Aesculap reliability. Imagine the cost of replacing equipment every year for 20 years. Good grief! Maybe my clippers cost a bit more initially but over the long run, they have been the best value in which I could have invested. At our Shearing Parties, I have witnessed remarkable improvement in the shearing ability of our members over just the past five years. More and more I see wool coming off with very few second cuts, the rabbits look smoother and the time required continues to decrease. I am confident that as we all become more adept using our Aesculap clippers, shearing expertise will keep improving. Speaking for myself, my wrists cannot perform scissor shearings as well as they once did. Aesculap clippers enable me to once again shear many rabbits in a day. When using clippers, one very important caution remains. It is absolutely imperative that the shorn rabbits be protected from chilling. Whether you use lights, coats, a warm room or a combination, care must be taken to protect the rabbits. In order to access the promotion mentioned on our homepage, go to the Aesculap site: www.germanredclipper.com. Order processing and shipping is very prompt. Very Special Announcement! We have aimed to select IAGARB Awards that are functional. This year we have a very special prize for Best Wool Production and Best Opposite. Aesculap has agreed to sponsor both of these prizes by donating a clipper with one blade for the First Prize and the Angora Set of blades (#746 & #712) for the Best Opposite. Thank you Aesculap!