What the technique is
Hold the hair out on a comb and run the clipper along the comb rather than along the head. The length is set by how far the comb is from the scalp, which is infinitely adjustable — where guards are not.
Why it exists
Two guard lengths meeting produce a visible line, and on a standard set those two lengths are an eighth of an inch apart. Clipper-over-comb fills the gap between them with every length in between, which is what a blend is.
An eighth of an inch sounds small until it is a step on the back of a head. The Wahl set at $45 is eight combs covering 1/8” to 1”, and every one of its steps is that same eighth: it gives you eight lengths and no transitions.
The comb matters
A cutting comb with a handle keeps your fingers out of the blade path and gives a straight edge to run along. The Hercules here is $30, 8.5 inches, with wavy teeth and a scale printed on the spine — the scale is how the second side of a head is matched to the first.
The lever that would do this for you
A taper lever on the clipper shifts the blade a fraction without touching the guard, and it is the one feature that makes this technique optional.
The Remington HC5811 has one, 0.8 to 2 mm (0.03 to 0.08 in) on the head. The Philips HC7650 and the Panasonic ER-DGP84 state their cutting systems in detail and neither states a lever; the Panasonic’s blade is called an “X-taper”, which is a blade geometry rather than a lever you can move. A wheel like the one on the Philips HC5630, 28 settings, also narrows the gap between two lengths. If the listing does not say it, assume it is not there — and plan on the comb.
Go slowly, and check often
Take less than you think, then step back. This technique removes hair gradually by design, and that is its advantage over a guard.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-12. The live price is at the top of the page.
What people ask about this
Why not just buy finer guards?
Because the steps are the convention, not a shortcoming of one set. Guard numbers are eighths of an inch — [#1 is 1/8", #8 is 1"](/advice/which-guard-leaves-what-length/) — so every step in a standard set is the same eighth of an inch, and half sizes are not sold for every machine. A comb works with any clipper and any blade.
How do I keep both sides the same?
With a comb that has a scale printed on the spine. The length is set by how far the comb is held from the head, and a printed scale turns a guess into a reading. The [Hercules Sägemann 7643M](/accessories/hercules-sagemann-7643m/) here is 8.5 inches with a centimeter scale along the back — metric, but it is a ruler rather than a specification, and matching side two to side one only needs the same number twice.
Would a taper lever be easier?
Yes, and it is worth knowing that none of the four [hair clippers](/hair-clippers/) on this site publishes one. A taper lever shifts the blade a fraction without changing the guard, which is the same job this technique does with one thumb instead of two hands. If your own machine has one, use it first — but do not buy for it on the strength of a listing that does not mention it.
Last reviewed October 12, 2026
