Having recently reviewed my new hair trimmer, it's only fair to produce a write-up for the product it replaced - the Nicky Clarke 'NCMH-D'. I owned said trimmer for around ten years, and found it to be very reliable during that time. As it's a fairly old model, the NCMH-D is a little tricky to get hold of these days - however, I saw one sell recently on eBay for £12.99 in 'as new' condition.

Design & Appearance
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Although it has a chrome finish, the NCMH-D is disappointingly made from plastic rather than metal - that said, it is a budget model, and therefore a cheaper build is to be expected. On a positive note, the clippers do feel comfortable to hold and are nice and chunky in the hand. There are ten plastic attachments ranging from 26mm all the way down to 1mm, each snapping on to the front of the device with little effort. As is usual when you buy a product of this nature, the set includes some scissors, a comb, and a couple of small hair-ridding brushes. The clippers and the attachments all pack away into a nice leather(ish) zippable pouch, which is a nice touch.

Performance
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As new, I found the Nicky Clarke NCMH-D clippers to be moderately loud in use - and they became progressively louder as the years progressed. It's important to oil the blades after every few uses, and a small bottle of lubricant comes with the set - this will actually prevent the volume going through the roof when the mechanism begins to grind together. Performance-wise, the clippers were really good for the first four or five years - a clean cut without needing to go over the hair hundreds of times; however, towards the end of their life, the blades gradually blunted and hair cutting had to be done at a snail's pace. In fairness to the clippers, the actual 'motor' was incredibly reliable, and felt as powerful on day 3647 (roughly) as on day 1.

Final Word
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To be completely honest, Nicky Clarke isn't a brand I would normally consider buying a product from - but having owned and used the NCMH-D clippers for the best part of a decade, my opinion has changed - recommended, although you'll be hard-pushed to find a set these days.