A5 Blade Selection

5FW vs 4FW vs 3F: Which A5 Blade Length for Which Clip?

Ningbo FOLK Tools · Blade selection guide · 8 min read

Three A5 blades decide most of the clipping work in a yard: the 6.3 mm mid-length blade, the 9.5 mm everyday body blade and the 13 mm coat-left-on blade. The codes look similar, the bodies are interchangeable, and the only thing that changes is how much hair stays on the horse. This guide lines the three up so you can pick the right one in ten seconds, and explains why the wide version of each length exists.

How to read an A5 blade code

Every code on an A5 blade carries two pieces of information: a number and a letter.

The number sets the cutting height — how much coat is left on the horse. A higher number means a longer cut. 5 leaves more than 4, and 4 leaves more than 3.
F means full tooth: the comb has teeth along the whole cutting edge, which suits body work and general clipping.
W means wide. The blade body carries a wider cutting surface than the standard version of the same number.

So 5FW is the 6.3 mm full-tooth blade with a wide cutting surface, 4FW is the 9.5 mm wide blade, and 3F is the standard-width 13 mm blade. Same clipper head, three different jobs.

The cutting heights side by side

These are the heights in the standard A5 programme Ningbo FOLK Tools produces, from show-close to coat-left-on:

Blade	Cutting height	What it is used for
40#	0.25 mm	Surgical and show finish, tight skin work
30#	0.5 mm	Very close show clip
10#	1.5 mm	Standard close body clip, head and legs
7F	3.2 mm	Short body clip with a little coat left
5FW	6.3 mm	Mid-length body clip, blanket and hunter clips, blending
4F / 4FW	9.5 mm	Everyday full body clip with a short coat left
3F / 3FW	13 mm	Winter and full body clip with coat left on for warmth

6.3 mm — the 5FW mid-length body blade

The 5FW wide A5 detachable blade leaves roughly six millimetres of hair, which is the length that makes a clip look finished rather than shaved. It is the blade for horses in light work that still need some protection: blanket clips, hunter clips, trace clips and any clip where the legs or saddle patch keep their coat.

Where it wins: the middle of the body where a 9.5 mm cut looks slightly woolly and a 3.2 mm cut looks severe.
Blending: the mid length softens the step between clipped and unclipped areas, so the blend line is easier to hide.
Speed: the wide cutting surface covers neck, shoulder, barrel and quarters in fewer passes than the standard-width 5F.

Rule of thumb: if the owner says “I still want him to have a bit of coat”, the answer is usually 6.3 mm, not 9.5 mm.

9.5 mm — the 4FW everyday body blade

The 4FW wide A5 clipper blade is the workhorse. At 9.5 mm it leaves a short, even coat that still reads as hair, which makes it the default for full body clips on horses in regular work, for pre-season tidy-ups, and for owners who clip every three to four weeks.

Signature feature: a cutting surface around 36% wider than the standard body, which is why it finishes large flat areas in fewer strokes and keeps blade heat down.
Where it wins: the barrel, back and quarters on a clipped-every-month horse.
Where it struggles: around the elbow, stifle and flank creases, where a narrower blade is easier to control.

13 mm — the 3F and 3FW coat-left-on blade

The 3F 13 mm A5 blade and the 3FW wide version leave the most coat of the three. That single fact decides their place in the kit: winter clipping, horses living out, thin-skinned and pink-skinned animals, and any clip that has to keep the horse warm.

3F: standard width, more control on curved areas and smaller patches.
3FW: wide body, for covering large flat areas quickly when the whole body is being taken down.

Wide or standard width: what actually changes

The letter W does not change the cutting height. A 5FW and a 5F both leave 6.3 mm. What changes is how much of the horse the blade touches in one pass, and that has three practical consequences:

Factor	Standard width (F)	Wide (W)
Coverage per pass	Narrower, more overlaps	Wider, fewer overlaps
Time on a full body	Longer	Shorter
Heat build-up	Lower per pass	Lower overall, because fewer passes
Control on curves	Easier	Needs a flatter surface
Best use	Heads, legs, blends, tricky geometry	Barrel, back, quarters, high-volume yards

In practice, a professional kit is not one width or the other. It is a wide blade for the body plus a standard-width narrow blade for the head, ears, bridle path and the inside of the legs.

Matching the blade to the clip

Clip names are regional, but the logic is consistent: the more coat the horse keeps, the longer the blade.

Full clip: whole body, head and legs — usually 9.5 mm for a horse in work, 13 mm if it lives out.
Hunter clip: body clipped, legs and saddle patch left — 6.3 mm to 9.5 mm depending on how much coat the owner wants left.
Blanket clip: body and neck clipped, legs and half the belly left — 6.3 mm is the sweet spot.
Trace clip: belly, neck and quarters only — 6.3 mm or 9.5 mm, chosen for how the lines blend.
Sensitive or pink skin: go longer, not shorter — 13 mm leaves more margin between blade and skin.

Cutter options on all three blades

Every one of these blades can be supplied with a ceramic or stainless steel cutter. The comb sets the length; the cutter does the cutting.

Cutter	Options	Choose it when
Ceramic	18-tooth, 25-tooth	Long sessions, warm weather, sensitive skin, several horses a day
Stainless steel	22-tooth	Coarse, dense or dirty coats, farm use, lowest replacement cost

What a distributor should stock

Retailers do not need the whole ladder on day one, but a range of three lengths covers almost every customer conversation:

6.3 mm (5FW): the mid-length answer for owners who want coat left on.
9.5 mm (4FW and 4F): the volume line — the blade that sells month after month.
13 mm (3F and 3FW): the winter and sensitive-skin blade, plus the entry to the wide-blade conversation.

Add one narrow close blade for heads and legs, and you can equip a professional groom with four SKUs. All of them fit the same A5 clipper head used by Andis, Oster, Wahl and Heiniger, so nothing changes on the machine.

Frequently asked questions

Is 5FW longer or shorter than 4FW?

Longer. The 5FW leaves 6.3 mm of coat; the 4FW leaves 9.5 mm. A higher number on an A5 blade means more hair left on the horse.

Can I use a 5FW for a full body clip?

Yes, if the horse is in light work and the owner wants a bit of coat left. For a full clip on a horse in hard work, most grooms step down to 4FW or 4F.

What is the difference between 5F and 5FW?

Nothing in cutting height — both cut at 6.3 mm. The 5FW has a wider cutting surface, so it covers large flat areas in fewer passes; the 5F is easier to control on smaller and curved areas.

Will these blades fit my clipper?

If the clipper uses the A5 detachable system, yes. Andis AGC series, Oster A5 series, Wahl KM series and A5-compatible Heiniger models are supported. The Oster 76 series and livestock shears use a different system.

Can I order private-label packaging?

Yes. Logo on the blade, custom blister card and bulk carton are available. Minimum order is 100 pcs, with artwork approval before production.

Build your A5 blade range with one factory

Ningbo FOLK Tools manufactures the 5FW, 4FW, 3F, 3FW and the rest of the A5 ladder in our own plant, with ceramic or stainless steel cutters, your logo on the blade and your own packaging.

5FW 6.3mm wide blade → 4FW 9.5mm wide blade →