Wahl
Est. 1919
Heritage & History
Leo J. Wahl was still a high school student in Sterling, Illinois when he began experimenting with vibrating electromagnetic motors around 1911. As an engineering student at the University of Illinois, he channeled that curiosity into a medical massager for his uncle, J. Frank Wahl, who manufactured it out of a small plant in Sterling. Spending spare time selling to barbershops, Leo recognized that the clippers barbers used — driven by bulky remote motors connected through flexible shafts — were unwieldy and unreliable. On October 14, 1919, he applied for patents on an electromagnetic hair clipper with the drive motor built directly into the handpiece, creating the first practical self-contained electric clipper. By the end of 1920 the factory had sold thousands of units to barbers across the United States. Leo purchased the manufacturing business outright and formally incorporated Wahl Clipper Corporation in 1921.
Leo Wahl became one of the most prolific inventors in his field, ultimately applying for more than 100 patents before his death in 1957. His son Warren P. Wahl succeeded him, followed by Warren's son Jack Wahl, and then by Gregory S. Wahl, who became president in 1997. Wahl's international footprint expanded through key acquisitions — including the 1996 purchase of Moser Elektrogerate GmbH, a respected German clipper manufacturer — and by 2010 the company's products were reaching 165 countries. Through every stage of that growth, Wahl maintained its headquarters in Sterling and preserved its identity as the company that started it all in a small Illinois factory more than a century ago.
Made in Sterling, Illinois
Wahl's manufacturing has been rooted in Sterling since the beginning. The original plant on East Third Street gave way in 1957 to a purpose-built facility on North Locust Street, which the company expanded repeatedly as global demand grew, eventually adding more than 130,000 square feet and a 40,000-square-foot corporate headquarters building constructed in 2016. The Sterling facility at 2900 North Locust Street remains the operational and symbolic heart of the company. Professional clippers and trimmers — the product category Leo Wahl invented — continue to be assembled in Sterling, and Wahl's engineers and product developers work in the same city where the first electromagnetic clipper was prototyped more than a century ago.
The Sauk Valley region of northwestern Illinois has been shaped in part by Wahl's presence over 100-plus years. The company grew from roughly 60 employees in the 1950s to more than 4,000 worldwide, and for decades the Sterling plant was the largest employer in the area. Wahl's domestic manufacturing is particularly notable in the professional barbering and salon market, where the Sterling-made clippers carry a heritage that competing brands cannot replicate. The Wahl name and the self-contained electromagnetic clipper are one and the same invention — and both were born in Sterling, Illinois.
Wahl Professional 5 Star Legend Corded Clipper with 8 Cutting Guides
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Beauty
Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Senior Clipper 80-Minute Run Time
Wahl
Beauty
Wahl Professional 5 Star Magic Clip Corded Precision Fade Clipper
Wahl
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Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip 100+ Minute Run Time
Wahl
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Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Legend Clipper 100-Minute Run Time
Wahl
Beauty
Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Magic Clip Gold Edition
Wahl
Beauty
Wahl Professional 5 Star Barber Combo Legend Clipper and Hero Trimmer
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Beauty
Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Barber Combo Magic Clip and Detailer Li
Wahl
Beauty
Wahl Professional Sterling MAG Cordless Trimmer 120-Minute Run Time
Wahl
Beauty
Wahl Professional All Star Combo Designer Clipper and Peanut Trimmer
Wahl
Beauty
Wahl Professional 5 Star Metal Edition Cordless Magic Clip 90+ Minute Run Time
Wahl
Beauty
Wahl Professional 5 Star Cordless Detailer Li T-Wide Blade
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Wahl Professional 5 Star Detailer Trimmer Corded T-Wide Blade
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wahl made in the USA?
Yes. Wahl manufactures 20 verified products in Sterling, Illinois. Wahl Clipper Corporation has manufactured professional-grade electric hair clippers and grooming tools in Sterling, Illinois since 1919, making it the company that invented the self-contained electromagnetic clipper and has built it in the same American city for more than a century.
Where is Wahl manufactured?
Wahl is headquartered in Sterling, IL. Manufacturing takes place in Sterling, Illinois.
What Wahl products can I buy?
We carry 20 verified Wahl products across Beauty. Every listing links directly to Amazon with verified American manufacturing.
When was Wahl founded?
Wahl was founded in 1919. Wahl Clipper Corporation has manufactured professional-grade electric hair clippers and grooming tools in Sterling, Illinois since 1919, making it the company that invented the self-contained electromagnetic clipper and has built it in the same American city for more than a century.