Please read everything, all the way to the bottom of the page!
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The Mail-In Service
Groomers are shipping from "All 50 States & Canada"
One of the "Most Trusted" mail-in scissor and clipper blade sharpening services in the U.S.
Get your FREE CD-ROM containing all the files and video's on this website!
PLUS The New 3 Part Series On Blade Care for 2009 (not on website)
It goes in your computer for instant viewing, no more waiting or downloading.
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Call for information or questions
251-232-5353
fax 251-661-7808
You can Text Message me also.
email for info: jeff@northerntails.com
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* 48 Hour Turn Around *
On "Average Size" Sharpening Orders
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| If your sending equipment to us please read everything on this page |
Here is the address to ship when using the US Post Office, DHL, UPS or FedEx: The "Inventory Sheet" (below) will automatically print this address out for you on a separate sheet, then you just attach it to your box.
Northern Tails Sharpening
c/o The UPS Store
1956-J University Blvd. S.
Suite# 333
Mobile, AL 36609
251-232-5353
fax 251-661-7808
This is a new address in Mobile since April 2009. They tore down the mall where the old UPS Store is located to build a CVS Pharmacy. DO NOT SHIP to the"Old Shell Road" address it will increase shipping time.
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Priority shipping through the USPS takes 2 -3 days no matter where we both live, it will not get there any faster if you live closer. Boxes mailed to me within Alabama still took two days to reach me. I have boxes coming from all states in the lower 48 and they all take 2 - 3 days to get to me. The USPS is no longer moving mail from city to city on Saturday and Sunday. This could mean an extra day or two in the shipping process. UPS and FedEx follow the same scenario.
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How Your Equipment is Sharpened
Blades are disassembled, cleaned, and hollow ground. Springs, glides, and sockets are adjusted or replaced (if necessary) at no extra charge1. Blades are then cleaned again in blade wash containing a Disinfectant and RUST INHIBITOR, lubricated and reassembled to precise factory tension and proper cutter setback. Each blade is string tested like the factory does it before it is returned to you.
Each shear is initially inspected; edges are re-sharpened to produce smooth, sharp scissoring; tension adjusted; bump stoppers, screws & washers replaced as needed at no extra charge1; then the shear is cleaned & lubricated, with final inspection and testing done on actual hair. As an active groomer, I set up shears for my hand making the emphasis on the tips. Usually the tension is OK for everyone by doing it this way. Corrugation is done by request at no charge, but it can take some of the cutting ability away from the blade its put on. Corrigation can also make the shear start a "swishing" sound when opening and closing.
There are two movies on the "Instructional Video" page that shows how blades are reassembled and adjusted, and another describing how shears are set-up and adjusted after sharpening.
We test every blade on a clipper using Oster Test String or fur. We brush the blade afterwards but there may still be a speck of this material in the blade teeth. We try to be perfect, but that blade was cleaned and sharpened and it will cut.
1. This is within reason. If your sending equipment that all have parts missing or broken you will be charged.
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Print out the "Inventory Sheet" (below) and send it with your order.
For more security of your Credit Card Information, fax the inventory sheet
fax - 251-661-7808
No one can get your information but us if you fax it.
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Please make sure I have an "After Hours" phone number that you will answer ( evenings & weekends ), incase something is wrong and I need to contact you !
Please make sure you have something INSIDE the box with your identification. Don't rely on the return address on the box because this can get covered up or come off the box during shipment. I will hold an unknown box until someone inquires about it.
If you do alot of cats with #10's or 7F's please designate these blades for me. Its best to set the tension of these blades at the high end of the tension spec. If not, they may have trouble cutting and just snag or drag in some of these cats with dense fur. Make sure your clipper is 100% as well, worn parts on it will cause blades to fail in some types of cat fur.
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| Click on card for larger view |
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MAIL-IN PRICES
We are the most inexpensive sharpening service you can use!
A5 Steel Blades.....Mail-in...$4.00 always
A5 Ceramic Blades.....Mail-in...$5.00 always
4 Pt, Equine, or Farm Blades.....Mail-in...$4.00 always
I sharpen "Geib Buttercut" blades, Don't Throw Them Away!!
Trimmer Blades.....Mail-in...$6.00 always
"Laube SpeedFeed"
"Laube Shark Tooth"
"Wahl Chromado"
"Wahl Bravura"
"Wahl Arco"
"Oster Finisher (T or reg blade)
(blades for Mini Arco, Wahl Tid-Bit or Peanut, Andis Power trim, Oster Pro-Cord cannot be resharpened)
Regular Bevelled Grooming Shears....Mail-in...$4.00 always
True Convex Grooming Shears (straight)....Mail-in...$10.00
Curved Convex Grooming Shears....Mail-in...$4.00 always
(I can change the edge on cheaper convex shears to a bevelled edge which may last longer, just tell me)
Groomers Nail Clippers.....Free (see note)
Pinking Shears.....Free (1 pair)
Knives.....Price Varies
*** I don't sharpen any blade that you tried to sharpen on a "Handi-Hone" or anything else, it could damage my plate.
Have a safe and blessed day!
PLEASE READ THIS
Make sure you secure the top of your blade box with either tape or rubber bands to hold the lid down. During shipment, the lid works its way up and blades come out of the slots and slide around the inside of the box against other blades. Blade teeth could get broken during shipment.
We are not responsible for damage to your equipment during shipment to and from this company. We pack everything very well and take photos of high dollar shears and clippers. The shipping company is responsible for damages no matter how the box was packed so please get the insurance to ensure compensation if any damage occurs.
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You NOW have a better choice !
All Mail-in customers get a CD-ROM with all the video's and articles on this website for free!!!
Includes the "NEW" 3 Part Series On Blade Care
We service most major brands of clippers
Andis - Oster - Laube - Wahl - Conaire
(One pair per box of sharpening, call for information)
Northern Tails Sharpening is an authorized Laube Service Center and distributor for both Alabama and Louisiana
Northern Tails Sharpening is an authorized Wahl Service Center and distributor for Alabama
Northern Tails Sharpening is an Andis distributor and service center in Alabama
We sharpen ALL types of grooming shears.
Regular Grooming - Expensive Convex - Semi Convex - Beauty/Barber
German Made - Japanese Made - American Made
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What Kind Of Edge Is On Your Shears?
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The Beveled Edge
Considered the "Work Horse" of the grooming industry. This edge is the standard edge of 90% of all grooming shears.
Why is this edge so good for grooming? Because it will cut almost every type of coat without going dull so quickly. The small 30 degree bevel on the edge gives this edge its support. It will cut out mats, dirty hair, wet hair, and general roughing in without dulling out or pushing the hair very quickly. It can be sharpened on standard sharpening equipment. We charge $4.00 to sharpen shears with this edge.
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The Convex Edge
Considered a finishing shear rather than one used to "rough in". The convex edge is identified as looking like a razor. When both blades are sharpened properly you can barely feel the shear go through the hair. This same edge is on most beauty shears.
The convex edge gets its strength from the metal of the shear its on. Good shears with a convex edge are usually in the $150+ price range, and may have a ball bearing as a pivot rather than just a tension screw. The better the metal the longer the edge will last. Of course, what you cut with the shear influences the life of the edge as well. We charge $10.00 to sharpen shears with the convex edge because they need to be honed to get that razor edge.
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Cheap shears are coming out with the convex edge as well. They don't have the good metal to support the convex edge, and they will dull out and push hair in a matter of a few weeks. These cheaper shears are priced from $40 and up. If the shear you have has the convex edge and they wont hold an edge, get that edge replaced with the beveled edge. Lets talk about changing the edge before we do it.
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The Clipper Blades We Sharpen
The pictures below show only part of the detachable clipper blades we sharpen. We sharpen all blades that fit your A-5 type clipper or 76 Oster.
This includes all brands of all steel blades, blades with ceramic cutters, barber blades that fit the vibrating clippers, and large animal blades.
Brands:: Andis, Oster, Laube, Conaire, Buttercut, Wahl, Master Groomer, Value Groom, GRC A-5, and many more brands we forgot to mention.
Style:: Full (F blade), Skip Tooth, Toe (poodle), Blocking, Barber, All Large Animal Styles
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| All brands and styles of Large Animal Blades. Regular, Skip tooth, 4 Point, 5 Point. |
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| All brands and styles of steel blades with STEEL cutters |
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| All brands and styles of steel blades with CERAMIC cutters |
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| All brands and styles of WIDE blades with STEEL or CERAMIC cutters |
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| All brands and styles of SPECIALTY blades with STEEL or CERAMIC cutters |
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| All brands and styles of BLOCKING blades |
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| Andis barber/home pet blades that fit vibrating clippers |
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| Oster barber/home pet blades that fit vibrating clippers |
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| Wahl barber/home pet blades that fit vibrating clippers |
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The Trimmer Blades We Sharpen
The pictures below show the only trimmer blades we sharpen at the present time because they can be sharpened consistantly to cut. We DO NOT sharpen Wahl Mini-Arco or Mini-Chromo, Wahl Tid-Bit or Peanut, Andis Power Trim, Oster Pro-Cord, or any other small trimmer blade.
We DO sharpen the Laube Speedfeed, Wahl 5-N-1(Arco, Chromato, Bravura), Oster Finisher (Reg & T blade), and Geib Excello. If they don't look like the ones in the photo, please don't send them.
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| Laube SpeedFeed |
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| Wahl 5-in-1 Black |
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| Geib Excello |
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| Oster Finisher |
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| Wahl 5-in-1 Silver |
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| Oster Finisher (T-blade) |
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Clipper Repair
Most maintenance work is for price of parts only when its with sharpening.
(Please call with any question, one pair of clippers per order)
Clipper maintenance is the work the USER is to perform such as: Blade drives, levers, hinges, tune-up kits, some carbons, some cords. (cost of parts only)
Clipper Repair is the work the user is not suppose to perform such as: motors, motor work, switches, cords, some carbons, hardwiring. ($15.00 + parts)
Call if you have a question about working on your clipper.
The Laube IVAC hardwire conversion is FREE if its sent along with your normal sharpening order ($30 + shipping without a sharpening order). A normal sharpening order is 15+ items. Save up some items before sending.
The Laube Cordpak removal and hardwire conversion is $20 + shipping with or without a normal sharpening order.
We don't service the Andis AGR cordless for motor, battery, or charging problems
We don't service the Andis PowerGroom for motor, battery, or charging problems
We do not service the Oster Power Pro cordless clipper, it goes to Oster
We do not service the Oster PowerMax/Protege clipper, it has to go to Oster
We do not service any vibrating style clipper (all brands barber or home pet)
Call before sending any Oster clippers to us. We limit what we service on them, what models we work on, and what models have parts available for them. Oster has a very inexpensive re-furbish program for major or internal motor work, we cant do this work as inexpensive as Oster. Click here for an informational brochure: Oster Refurbish Program
Northern Tails Sharpening is an authorized Laube Service Center for both Alabama and Louisiana
Northern Tails Sharpening is an authorized Wahl Service Center for Alabama
Northern Tails Sharpening is an Andis Service Center in Alabama
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We Accept These Credit Cards
No International Checks
No "Debit Only" Cards
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| Payment is appreciated along with your order |
Best Payment Method
| Send your credit card information so I can keep it on file.
Card Number, Expiration Date, Last 3 #'s on back
** You can write it on the "Inventry Sheet" or paper.
** You call us with the card numbers before or after your
box is shipped. You may call 24/7 to fit your schedule.
Contact us when you need to give us different #'s.
** You can fax the CC numbers on our secure line.
FAX 251-661-7808. Include shop name/location.
** You can TEXT the CC numbers to our phone number
Phone 251-232-5353. Include shop name/location.
Most send it right along with the equipment. This makes things easy for future shipments, just enclose a note saying "Do you want me to use the card thats on file" Please include the last three numbers on the backside of the card, I need them to run the numbers. Make sure your card info is up-to-date, it could delay shipping if we have to make calls to get this information.
"Charge Cards" or "Check Cards" Only
No "Debit Only" Cards
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2nd Payment Method
| Send a check along with your equipment.
Make it out to "Northern Tails Sharpening". Please leave the amount blank. No one can cash a check made out this way because it has to be deposited in the same business account, so it is secure this way. I've never lost a check.
We prefer the check not totaled because the final bill may change from the estimate on the inventory sheet, PLUS, when someone does total the check they forget to include the return shipping cost. I sharpen stuff for free most times, and Im always looking for ways to ship back for less money. This is why we prefer the amount left blank. I'm always trying to find ways to save you money, but if an unexpected charge arises I'll call you to get approval before going forward with the work. Your invoice will reflect the final total of your bill and the amount on the check and check number. I'm a very honest Christian man and I'm trusted by groomers everywhere!!
An example of the way your check should be filled out for security reasons if you want to send one along that way is below. Is this safe to send a blank check this way?? YES! If you make the check out to "Northern Tails Sharpening" it can only be deposited in our business account. It can't be cashed, and it can't be deposited in any other account. If that does happen, that bank will make you a rich person....
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If you have any questions about payment please call before shipping
We don't like to make courtesy calls to you to get your credit card numbers. Why?? Because it slows the whole system down and damages our 48 hour turnaround time. If everyone who asked to be called would answer the phone when we first call that would be fantastic. But, we are leaving messages and re-calling folks for days, and its just not our job to track down anyone to get their payment. If your going to use a credit card for payment, and you don't want to send, fax, or text numbers we'll call you.
If you really need us to call you, please make sure you will answer the work number or the "anytime" number you listed. If we can't get in touch with you for payment or problems with the shipment, it will delay the return of your equipment.
You can write your credit card numbers on the Inventory Sheet or a piece of paper and put them in the box. You can fax the credit card numbers along with your shop name and location to our secure fax line 251-661-7808. You can text the credit card numbers along with your shop name and location to our phone 251-232-5353. You can call us with the card numbers before or after you ship your box 24/7. We will put those numbers in our encrypted software so its there for future shipments if you like. We'll sharpen your order but the return shipment will be delayed until we get those credit card numbers from you.
We want to ba able to ship back as soon as possible (within 48 hours) without any delays.
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Never Go To The Post Office Again !!!
The US Postal Service offers a service called "Click and Ship", which lets you get postage right from your computer. Take your box to work and let the mailperson pick it up there.
Click on the box below and go to the "Click and Ship" page of this website for information.
The Post Office is the biggest deciding factor of when you will get your box back. The time when you could mail a box off on Monday or Tuesday, and get it back on Friday are gone! There is a short note about the new Post Office hours on the "Click and Ship" page.
UPS and FedEx are not any faster, in fact they are actually SLOWER unless you pay big bucks for "2nd Day" or Overnight"
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| Flat Rate Boxes
These are free from the Post Office. You would want to use the big one as it will hold more things. The cost for postage is "One Rate" to anywhere in the US regardless of how much it weighs. If you have alot of stuff, or your shipping a long way, this is the best deal. If you have a small amout of stuff just use a regular box. Get the box that measures 8 X 11 X 6, its free at the post office. A picture of one is at the left. There is also a "Large Flate Rate Box" that holds 50% more than this box, the flate rate for this box is a few dollars more.
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$4.00 each
The safest way to ship your blades.
The box is cheap insurance against broken teeth.
Wrapping blades instead isn't safe.
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The Blade Box
These two boxes will hold up to 25 blades when you put more than one in a slot. They will save your blades from having broken teeth during shipment, and organizes them while its in the grooming shop. If you want to ship scissors as well, get a bigger box that will hold the blade box with some extra room. Wrap your shears real good with bubble wrap and put them in the bigger box along with the blade box. Make sure you put a rubber band around the blade box to hold it shut because it will come open.
We charge $4.00 for either box and they are the best on the market and it will hold together for quite a long time. We can return your blades in the box, just tell us you need one. If you don't get a box get insurance.
If you feel you don't need a blade box and wrapping blades in bubblewrap or newspaper is better for you, I can do that for you. I charge 50 cents extra per blade to wrap them up very well so they wont break in shipment. Even if we wrap your blades in the stuff you wrapped them in when you sent them, you will pay for the extra time to wrap them. Most of my customers ship confident and worry free using the blade box above. Use it every time you ship, and its re-usable.
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| Small Flat Rate Box |
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| Padded Envelope - DO NOT USE |
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| DO NOT USE PADDED ENVELOPES
They will break open when going through the machinery at the Post Office. If they break, the Post Office will not forward them further.
An alternative to using a padded envelope is the "Small Flat Rate Box" from the Post Office. Its free and measures 9 x 6 x 2 and is free for the asking.
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This is how your box should look after you pack it up. The blades are secure in some sort of blade box, blade boxes are better than wrapping them because it keeps them from floating around in the shipping box. The clipper is wrapped in bubble wrap and tucked to the side with the cord wrapped up and placed next to the blade box. Shears are wrapped in bubble wrap and scured with rubber bands, they are placed on top of everything else. Next, fill in all the empty spaces with peanuts or newspaper so nothing moves around during the shipment. Shake your box after closing it up to make sure you dont hear anything moving around.
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The Twin Shear
The Twin Shear has a thinning shear and a regular grooming shear bolted together with nuts and bolts.
Several companies make Twin Shears, but they are not a common item in the grooming industry.
I would rather not sharpen this type of shear for two reasons. (1) Ive seen and sharpened two pair of these shears in the last 7 years. They have to be completely dismantled from each other by taking 4 to 6 very tiny nuts and bolts apart. If you loose either a nut or a bolt there are not parts available to a sharpener. (2) When I have sharpened them and returned them to the groomer, they have said they didnt like the way they cut, they cut different.
So, I suggest sending them to the manufacturer who should sharpen them better than anyone else, and if they loose any parts they can replace one.
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These are examples of my definition of disposable shears. Most come from the beauty supply store, and some are manufactured by reputable pet grooming shear companies.
There are different variations and lengths of these shears, but they are all made the same way with low grade metal blades and plastic handles.
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I know that many groomers find these shears attractive because they are inexpensive and light, but most sharpeners consider them junk. They are made of very low grade metal with cheap molded plastic handles, and the best thing about them is they were "Ice Tempered" to harden the metal. Sometimes after they are heated up on the scissor sharpening machine they loose the rigidity they once had because of the heat generated during sharpening. They bend very easy and don't hold an edge as well. Sometimes its almost impossible to re-align them because they bend in several areas of the blade when you try to bend one area straight again. It can be very hard to get them to cut right again after being dropped and twisted by customers. Please don't think sharpeners can fix these shears as easily as they do better grades shears, its hit and miss with these.
I consider these shears disposable. I will sharpen them at no charge with no warranty. If you send a couple three pair I'll sharpen them for free, if you send a bunch of pairs I will charge enough to compensate my time ($10.00 min). Why do I feel this way? Because I used to have these shears and they did a great job until they went dull. After I sharpened them and started to use them again in the shop they seemed very different. They didn't hold an edge and they bent very easy just dropping them on the table or squeezing them hard.
So, I hope you understand what I've said and agree, Ill sharpen all the disposable shears you send to me. But if I were you, Id spend the extra money and get an all metal pair of shears that won't have all the problems these seem to have. They make all metal shears that have metal handles that are sometimes rubber coated, which are very light like the disposables are, you just have to look around for them.
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