People have been shearing sheep for hundreds of years and the methods and tools used have changed quit a bit. In the early 1800′s people washed their sheep in creeks before shearing. Then just before the 1900′s they realized that it was easier to wash the wool after the sheep was sheared. They also found that they could use hotter water to clean the wool more thoroughly.
There are 2 ways to shear your sheep. One is to use blade shears which are more like scissors and work well by leaving some wool on the sheep if it is in a colder climate and needs protection from the weather. Another option is to use machine shears which are more like human hair clippers. Using machine shears is more practical than using blade shears because they take a lot less time to do the same job.
Sheep shearing tools have improved in speed and performance over the years. Many years ago people had to use blade shears, then the hand crank shearing machine was invented and now we have the more conventional sheep shearing tools. The modern shearing tools have been proven to be faster and more convenient for sheep owners.