The Wahl Clipper Corporation is an American manufacturer of grooming products. It is headquartered in

Sterling, Illinois Sterling is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois, United States, along the Rock River. The population was 14,782 at the 2020 census, down from 15,370 in 2010. Formerly nicknamed "Hardware Capital of the World", the city has long been associate ...

History

Wahl Clipper Corporation was founded due to Leo J. Wahl's

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

for an electromagnetic

hair clipper A hair clipper, often individually called the apparent '' plurale tantum'' hair clippers (in a similar way to ''scissors''), is a specialised tool used to cut human hair. Hair clippers work on the same principle as scissors, but are distinct f ...

in 1919. On February 2, 1921, he purchased a majority of the stock of his uncle's manufacturing company which made the clipper, and incorporated the business as Wahl Clipper Corporation. In 1924, Leo Wahl patented a vibrating motor hair clipper. In 1965 Wahl introduced the first vacuum clipper, which allowed a person's hair to be cut without use of a

cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used th ...

. The following year, Wahl produced the first cordless hair clipper using

rechargeable battery A rechargeable battery, storage battery, or secondary cell (formally a type of energy accumulator), is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to a disposable or prima ...

technology. In 1971, it started an electronics division with the first cordless and rechargeable

solder Solder (; North American English, NA: ) is a fusible alloy, fusible metal alloy used to create a permanent bond between metal workpieces. Solder is melted in order to wet the parts of the joint, where it adheres to and connects the pieces aft ...

ing iron. In 1975, Wahl released a line of back and foot massagers utilizing the vibrating motor technology used in their hair trimmers. In 1984, Wahl invented the first cordless consumer beard and moustache trimmer, Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer. In 1987, Wahl launched Miami Device. In 1996, Wahl acquired Moser Elektrogerate GmbH. In 2001, it patented the first vacuuming consumer beard trimmer, the Trim N Vac. Wahl manufactures its clippers and trimmers in its own factories in Sterling, Illinois; parts come from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, while international plants are present in China, England,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. In 2006 Wahl licensed the ''

For Dummies ''For Dummies'' is an extensive series of instructional reference books that strive to present non-intimidating guides for readers new to the various topics covered. The series has been a worldwide success, with editions in numerous languages. ...

'' brand from

John Wiley & Sons John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Publishing, publishing company that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company was founded in 1807 and pr ...

publishing company and launched the Home Hair-cutting for Dummies product line.

Presidents

* Leo J. Wahl * Warren P. Wahl * Jack Wahl * Gregory Wahl

Brands

* Wahl * Moser * Lister * Groom Ease

Media gallery

References

External links

* {{Official website 1921 establishments in Illinois American brands Companies based in Whiteside County, Illinois Facial hair Hairdressing Manufacturing companies established in 1921 Personal care brands Shaving