Are All Combs Created Equally?
There is a lot of talk about brushing coats, removing matts and great prep, but the real star of the show is a good comb, And I can tell you, not all combs are born equal! Why is a good comb so important? Making sure a coat is knot free is the all-important job of a groomer. If a comb glides through the coat, then your equipment will too, so it is, amongst other things, your gauge of excellence.
Combs have two different jobs; they help groom out a dog and remove matts and tangles. This type of comb needs to be robust and strong. The second job is for styling and this comb is finer with strong pins so that every hair is detailed for neatness.
Different textures of coat require different length and thickness of pins, as do different lengths of coat and we haven’t even mentioned different sizes of dogs! No point using a 5” comb on a standard Poodle’s leg when you can cut your time in half using a 10” one. A Yorkie’s silky coat will be best prepped with a small, fine pin comb whereas a Cockapoos coat will require a medium, heavier, stronger pin to tame the curls. One size doesn’t fit all and your kit bag should have various combs to support your grooming.
Knots form near the skin so it makes sense that your comb needs to be at the correct depth to be efficient at removing them, and not all dogs are cut the same length so combs with different pin lengths are also required for that all important prep and styling.
As with most equipment there are a wide range of prices. The rule of thumb generally is to always buy the best that you can afford. Pins are either machine or hand finished and that contributes to price. With a higher price comes higher quality. Machine finished pins are standard and you should expect to experience some drag from tiny burrs on the metal as the pins tend to be blunt, rounded and don’t penetrate the coat as easily, making combing harder work. Hand finished and polished pins are the top of the range so more expensive but manage the coat better as the edges of the pins are glassy smooth and slip through the coat picking up every stray hair, penetrating a coat with ease. This will make your grooming exceptionally neat with much less hair damage.
Also with price comes better quality metal, steel that has been polished will not rust, and some combs come with powder coating to help with static. When buying a comb remember, it’s not JUST a comb it has the potential to improve your speed, improve your finish and improve neatness. The right comb is a potential super-hero!
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