How to Set Up a New NOVAH Clipper
By Elias Becker · Written and reviewed by a working barber · Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
Key Takeaways
- Setting up a new clipper means five checks before the first cut: charge it, inspect it, oil the blade, check the blade gap, and sort the guards.
- Oil a new blade even if it looks clean. Factory lubricant is a protective coating for storage, not a running lubricant for cutting.
- The blade gap is the one setting that decides whether a clipper nicks. The top blade should sit roughly 0.8 to 1.6mm behind the bottom teeth.
- NOVAH publishes this article and sells the clipper set it covers. The honest limitation: a cordless metal clipper asks for a charging habit and a little more hand strength than a light plastic one.
What Does Setting Up a New Clipper Involve?
Setting up a new clipper means five checks before the first cut: charge it fully, inspect the blade and housing, oil the blade, confirm the blade gap, and lay out the guards in order. Together they take about 15 minutes of attention plus the charging time, and they prevent most of the problems people blame on a new machine in its first week.
None of this is complicated, and none of it needs tools beyond a small screwdriver and the oil that comes with most clippers. The order matters, though, because each step depends on the one before it. You cannot judge a blade gap on a blade still sticky with storage coating, and you cannot test a clipper properly on a flat battery.
Should You Charge a New Clipper Before Using It?
Yes. Charge a new cordless clipper and trimmer fully before the first use, following the charging instructions that come with the set. A lithium-ion battery ships partly charged for safe transport, and a first cut started on a partial charge is the most likely way to run out halfway round the head.
Use the supplied cable, or a wall adapter you know works with other devices, and charge on a hard, dry surface away from anything flammable. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's guidance on lithium-ion devices is the right standard here: do not charge on a bed or sofa, and stop using any device whose battery becomes hot, swells or smells. That applies to every cordless clipper, not just this one.
While it charges, do the inspection.
What Should You Inspect Out of the Box?
Look at three things with the clipper switched off.
The blade teeth. Every tooth should be straight and intact. A bent or chipped tooth from transit is rare, but it is far easier to raise on day one than after a haircut.
The blade seating. Press gently on the top blade with a fingertip. It should move smoothly across the bottom blade and not rock or lift. A blade that rocks will never cut an even line.
The guards. Press each one on and try to wiggle it. It should lock flat against the blade and hold. Check the clip on each guard for cracks before you trust it on a head.
Why Oil a Brand New Blade?
Because the coating a blade leaves the factory with is there to stop corrosion in storage, not to reduce friction during cutting. It is often thicker and stickier than clipper oil, and it collects hair rather than shedding it.
Wipe the teeth with a dry cloth, then apply 3 drops of clipper oil: one at each corner of the teeth and one across the middle. Switch the clipper on for 10 to 15 seconds so the oil spreads between the blades, then wipe off the excess so it does not transfer to hair or skin.
Do the same for the trimmer, which is easy to forget because it looks too small to need it. It needs it more. A trimmer blade runs close to the skin, and a dry one runs hot.
How Do You Check the Blade Gap?
Hold the clipper at eye level in good light and look at the teeth side on. The top cutting blade should sit roughly 0.8 to 1.6mm behind the edge of the bottom blade, and parallel to it across the full width. That is the conventional safe gap taught in barbering curricula.
If the top blade sits flush with or beyond the bottom teeth, it can touch skin directly, which is what causes nicks. If it sits unevenly, higher at one end than the other, one side of the blade will cut shorter than the other and leave a stripe.
To adjust, loosen the two blade screws a half turn each, set the top blade parallel and back to the safe gap, and tighten the screws evenly, alternating between them. Test with no guard attached, then check the gap again. Adjust only if the gap is clearly off. A blade that is already square does not need moving.
The NOVAH Pro Clipper + Trimmer set is available on Amazon.
View on AmazonWhat Is Specific to Setting Up the NOVAH Set?
NOVAH publishes this article and sells the set it covers, the NOVAH Pro Clipper + Trimmer, so here is what is specific to it and what we would want you to know.
The Pro Clipper has a brushless motor running at 6,000 RPM standard and 7,000 RPM in turbo. For setup, the useful point is that turbo is not a default. Test the clipper in standard mode first and keep turbo for dense hair and bulk removal, since running it constantly drains the battery faster without improving an ordinary pass.
The blade is adjustable and replaceable, which is why the gap check above is worth doing: the same adjustability that lets a barber set it close for a skin fade means it should be checked, not assumed. The housing is all metal, so once the blade is square it stays square, and the gap you set on day one is the gap you still have months later.
The guard set runs from A at 1.5mm to 4 at 13mm, including the lettered half sizes. Lay them out longest to shortest before the first cut so you always know which one is next.
What Are the Honest Tradeoffs?
Two limitations are worth knowing before the first cut rather than during it.
Cordless means a charging habit. A corded clipper is always ready. This one is only ready if you charged it. The simplest routine is to charge after every cut, not before the next one, so a flat battery never meets a half finished haircut.
Metal means weight. The all metal housing that holds the blade square is heavier in the hand than a plastic body. On a slow first haircut, which can run 45 minutes or more, you will notice it. If hand fatigue is a real concern for you, that is a legitimate reason to weigh a lighter machine, and no amount of blade stability changes it.
And setup does not supply technique. A correctly set up clipper removes the machine as a cause of mistakes. The guideline, the guard order and the blend are still yours.
The NOVAH Pro Clipper + Trimmer set is available on Amazon.
View on AmazonWhat Should the First Cut Look Like?
Keep the first cut deliberately conservative. Start one guard longer than the look you want, take the sides and back down evenly, and look at the result in daylight before stepping down. A new clipper is not the moment to try a first skin fade on yourself.
Afterwards, brush the hair out of the blade, oil it again with 3 drops, and put it on charge. That end of cut routine, clean, oil, charge, is the whole of ongoing setup. Done every time, it keeps the clipper cutting the way it did on the first day.
| Setup step | Why it matters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Charge clipper and trimmer fully | A partial charge is how a first cut stops halfway | Charging time |
| Inspect teeth, blade seating and guard clips | Transit damage is easiest to raise on day one | 3 min |
| Wipe storage coating, oil with 3 drops | Factory coating is not a cutting lubricant | 2 min |
| Check blade gap, 0.8 to 1.6mm and parallel | Prevents nicks and one sided stripes | 5 min |
| Lay guards out longest to shortest | You always know which guard is next | 1 min |
| Test run in standard mode, no guard | Confirms smooth running before a head is involved | 1 min |
Everything except charging fits in about 15 minutes. Any heat, swelling or smell from the battery is a stop and contact support fault, not a setup step.
0.8 to 1.6mm
The conventional safe distance between the top cutting blade and the edge of the bottom teeth. Closer than that, the blade can reach skin.
New clipper setup
- ✓Clipper and trimmer fully charged
- ✓Every tooth straight and intact
- ✓Top blade smooth, not rocking
- ✓Storage coating wiped, 3 drops of oil applied
- ✓Blade gap parallel and set back from the bottom teeth
- ✓Guards clip on firmly and are laid out in order
⚠️ Oil before the first cut, even on a new blade. The coating a blade ships with protects it in a box. It does nothing for friction on a head, and a dry new blade pulls just like a dry old one.
NOVAH Pro Clipper + Trimmer
A cordless clipper for the bulk of the cut and a trimmer for lineups, edging and detail work, sold together as one set.
View on AmazonFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need to oil a new NOVAH clipper?
Yes. Wipe off the storage coating, then apply 3 drops of clipper oil, one at each corner and one in the middle. Run it for 10 to 15 seconds and wipe off the excess.
Should I charge a new clipper before the first use?
Yes. Charge the clipper and trimmer fully first, using the supplied cable on a hard, dry surface. Starting on a partial charge risks running out mid cut.
How do I know if the blade gap is right?
Look at the teeth side on in good light. The top blade should sit roughly 0.8 to 1.6mm behind the bottom teeth and parallel across the full width.
Should I use turbo mode straight away?
No. Test and cut in standard mode first. Keep turbo for dense hair and bulk removal, since running it constantly drains the battery faster.
Sources
- Milady Standard Barbering, clipper maintenance, blade care and sanitation fundamentals, professional barbering curriculum reference
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, guidance on lithium-ion battery powered consumer devices, cpsc.gov
- National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology, barbering practical examination and implement sanitation standards, nictesting.org
- American Academy of Dermatology Association, hair and scalp care guidance, aad.org
- NOVAH product documentation, Pro Clipper specifications and guard sizes, novahpro.com
Related Reading
- NOVAH Clipper Troubleshooting: The Ten Most Common Questions
- NOVAH Clipper Guards: Every Size and What It Cuts
- NOVAH for Complete Beginners: Is It Too Much Machine?
- How to Cut Your Own Hair With Clippers
Elias Becker
Licensed barber, 10 years behind the chair
Elias is a licensed barber with ten years behind the chair. He writes NOVAH's technique guides from daily hands on work with clippers, trimmers and blade maintenance.
NOVAH Grooming publishes this guide and sells the products mentioned in it, both here and on Amazon. Links to Amazon go to our own listings and are tagged so we can see which guides help people. Prices and availability are current as of publication and may change.