Finally took the plunge and groomed my own dog yesterday
Tired of 1-2 months backlog at the groomers and the $50-60 it costs, so I bought equipment including clippers, scissors, and a device that holds the noose to keep the dog steady during cutting.
Having a Schnauzer, I was also frustrated that almost every time we get him groomed he'd have mats and the groomer would say he'd have to be completely shaved down. I decided I was going to somehow salvage his long leg hair and beard and leave his body hair a bit longer too. It wasn't easy and now I know why groomers take the easy way out and just shave them down. It took a solid 3+ hours and I'm still working on some areas, but generally happy with the result. There's definitely an art to it.
Before:
After:
