So am I, I have been hand stripping Terriers for 15yrs and this is the first of my own I have clipped. I have clipped others for clients but NOT at my request and only because they have been neutered males and the coat alters and softens so it cant be stripped. Tarns coat wont be given chance to grow out and become thick and shaggy, Ill keep it short all the time, less hassle for him and less for me too.

Im not keen on the Mars coat kings, but know of one or two that use them but never on their show dogs, I would imagine they are a handy tool when grooming pets though.

Thanks for your help, its appreciated.

Tarn looks fine Dawn I used to clip Amy latterly because I didn't think it was fair to make an old lady with a bad heart stand for so long.

As the clipped coat grew through I used a hard chalk block and scraped it gently with a fine stripping knife to remove some of the soft undercoat, this helped to maintain the two separate layers of coat to some extent.

Amy aged about 14 with her clipped coat coming through...

That coat looks excellent Mini. (so did the old girl) Im not really bothered if its grows back soft, but I will be interested to see how it grows though as Tarn is not neutered and all the Borders I have had to clip have been. It feels very harsh already, Im just pleased he looks smart and is feeling good again.

I have to say, I've used a coat king on Isla for nearly a year and she looks just the same if I was to hand strip her. Perhaps a bit different for a BT than a Springer though?

Probably yes Rips, I know a fair few Cocker people use them and are very pleased, its probably because a Borders coat is harsh and wirey and fluffy underneath. Weird Dogs see!!

Yeah, not many dogs can be harsh, wirey and fluffy!

Borderdawn ... just a quick thanks for your (old) brief tutorial on hand stripping (posted elsewhere). I just did my 2 year old neutered male (Jack) and I did it with a stripping comb for the first time (by hand previously). Unlike past times this went so easily. The coat must have been really ripe. He looks terrific. Thanks for the comment about how to do the head. I was unsure and pictures of other Borders were confusing.

Paul

Youre very welcome Paul, a pic of your Border would be great too!

Here is a picture of Jack with his new quick strip ... only about 40 minutes and no under-carriage clipping or fussing about details (that was our deal about his keeping calm and my not obsessing about show quality).

Golly I do hate learning how to upload pictures from site to site. If it doesn't appear it is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28125725@N00/4110561125



Jack is a big boy despite being very fit and trim. He towers over other BTs and weighs about 20 lb. His best friend is a Whippet bitch ... she is faster but Jack has more stamina and will eventually wear her down. All in all a great dog.

You did a grand job, he looks wonderful!!