I keep seeing bits and pieces in other posts about combs, and wanted to get a thread started to try to collect some info.  I never really noticed until I started reading the boards that my wide-tooth plastic comb causes so much static!  And I read that can lead to damaged and split ends.  So I want to get a new comb, but I have a few questions:

• If you could only keep one comb, which one would it be and why?  If you absolutely can't have just have one comb, what are the benefits of the ones you would keep?
  
• Wooden combs - what kind of wood is best?  
  
• Can you use a wooden comb in wet hair?  I read they might warp (actually, I only read this about boxwood.)
  
• What are the benefits of horn comb, and is there any special upkeep like wooden ones?
  
• Did I miss any other types besides plastic, wood, and horn?
  
• Do you recommend any comb web sites, or particular manufacturer?
  

Thanks in advance!
Cynde

Woo Hoo!

Well, I think you should have all  ;D

Wooden - Ric the combmaker
Horn       - unquestionably LML
plastic     - Kent, Maidenhairtreasures, I don't have any of their's but people seem to be super pleased with their detangler

There is a great site for bone combs too - I'll have to check.

Wood should be oiled, Ric has a very nice beeswax and oils mix that he sells with the comb; horn same, LML recommends lanolin and sells that on her website too - neither should be used on wet hair for optimum care of hair or comb.

Don't know which kind of wood is best - it depends on your hair and what you want the comb to do.  Ric is very helpful and entertaining.

Horncomb benefits are that they just feel wonderful for scalp massage and for hair length combing.  It's a textural thing but I think you kind of have to feel it.  It's not as slippery as plastic and it's not as rough as wood (although I'm sure you could find wood that is super tight grained and polished - it's still different)

For me, hands down if I could only have one first, I'd cry - then I'd keep my horn  ;D...g

I'll second Gabi's comments.  

I have 2 of Ric's wood combs and LOVE them.  But they can't be used in wet hair.  Oil/waxing them is very important.  As for the type of wood, you want a fine grained wood so that it does not catch your hair.

I have a wonderful plastic detangler that I use on my wet hair.  I think it is a Scunci, but I haven't seen this model sold anywhere in years.  I did have to sand/smooth the mold flashings.  I know there are smooth plastic combs sold at various places.  A detangler or wide tooth rake comb is essential.

Bone combs are supposed to be great as well.  I don't have personal experience with them, but from what I read from others comments they are great for the hair, but water should be avoided with them as well.

Good luck on your search for the perfect comb or combs!

If you could only keep one comb, which one would it be and why?  If you absolutely can't have just have one comb, what are the benefits of the ones you would keep? It's a tie between my Rachael Stephens #42 (chisel scritcher, wet comber, and detangler in one) or my Chechen wood comb by Ric.

Wooden combs - what kind of wood is best? The denser the better, in my opinion. You can also check Janka hardness scale (there are charts on Google) Then again, there are so many pretty colors for the medium weights.

Do you recommend any comb web sites, or particular manufacturer? Besides Ric :) I would recommend Uncommonscents because they sell Kent and Rachael Stephens combs.

Happy shopping!

I don't have any fancy combs...but I like quite a lot the ones I have.

For wet hair I use a wide toothed seamless celluloid comb that I found about a year ago from a local store.

For dry hair I have Body Shop's wooden comb that isn't quite so wide toothed as my celluloid comb. It's also gentle and nice.

If I had to choose between these two, I would choose my celluloid comb- it can be used in dry hair too, and before I found my wooden comb I used it alone.

I'm thinking of buying a horn comb too- probably I'll have to buy that from internet.

I use 3 kinds of combs:

A horn comb for scritching--I got mine from ebay.  I love it, and it makes my scalp happy.

A plastic seamless comb for wet hair,

and a wooden comb from Ric the combmaker.  Mine's bubinga.  ;D  I use this for combing and oil distribution on dry hair.

If I could only pick one I'd have to pick plastic just because it's more versitile, but I love all of my combs and would miss any of them terribly if it were taken away from me.  :-[

Since I only have two that I regularly use, I can't say too much. However, I really like my boxwood comb and my Scunci detangler.

Here's a few sites that sell different types of combs. I haven't ordered from any of them and can't vouch for the quality or customer service, but they have nice looking products.

Wood
www.combmaker.com (Ric's site)
www.artistreewoodart.com (nice combs, but cost around $50)

"Bone"
www.hairsense.com (not actually made of bone)

Horn
www.longhairs.com (LML's site; has the most selection)
www.derenaudin.com (made from cow horns)
www.pearlriver.com (nice, but not as fancy looking as other sites)

I have two wide tooth plastic combs.  One I have had for years, the other is a goodie shower comb.  I would love a boxwood comb I could use and wear.  I hope hubby has gotten the hints I've been giving him for our anniversary ::) ;D

Amazing how combs accummulate - faster than hair grows!
I have 3 wooden combs - one from Ric, and two from solano (one of which is a detangler)
I also have a Mason Pearson rake - plastic- that I use for wet hair.
I also still use an old plastic comb (Goody??), must be 20 years old give or take a few, that I use for styling after I've detangled.  I think all the rough spots were worn off long ago.

If I could only keep one....hmmmm....only one? :-/....are you sure? ???........maybe one of the wooden solano combs, the one that is more like a standard comb with narrow teeth on one end and wider teeth on the other since I could do a fair amount of finger detangling.  But is it okay if I keep my Ric comb?  And my wooden detangler?  And my Mason Pearson rake?  and my old plastic comb that I've had for 20 years? ::) ::)

Yikes, now I found yet another type of comb that looks yummy - hard rubber, made in Germany...

Juri - cool site - the derenaudin, the variety of uses is astounding.  Go see gang  ;D...g

Ooh, thanks for all the info!!  I'll have fun tomorrow looking at all the sites.  

It sounds like at the very least, I should have a wooden and a plastic comb, then add from there.  From the scientific information gathered here, I've come to the conclusion that is absolutely improbable, impossible, and unacceptable to have just one comb!  :)

Cynde

wrote on Jul 28^th, 2005 at 7:05am:

From the scientific information gathered here, I've come to the conclusion that is absolutely improbable, impossible, and unacceptable to have just one comb!  :) Cynde

Well, <tsk> DUH!  8) ;) ;D

Have fun researching and finding your new combs.

When looking for a plastic comb, do they come seamless or do you have to take some sandpaper to it? Are there brands that are seamless?
Hmm, I need one soon. Must go looking!
Meg

wrote on Jul 28^th, 2005 at 2:36pm:

When looking for a plastic comb, do they come seamless or do you have to take some sandpaper to it? Are there brands that are seamless? Hmm, I need one soon. Must go looking! Meg

Some are seamless and usually say so in their descriptions.  Otherwise sanding down the seams can usually be done with an emery board or fine sandpaper.

About plastic combs: I found my beloved celluloid comb from a local supermarket (!!!) . It's a great comb- and way more expensive than any other comb they sold, about 10 Euros (I guess that would be something like $13). It has very wide teeth, is fairly big and came completely seamless. It looks very different from cheap combs though it isn't brand comb. You can tell quality by looks!  8) . Cheap combs sold here always have those nasty seams- and though I own sandpaper nowadays, I don't enjoy the thought of having to sand an entire big comb!

wrote on Jul 29^th, 2005 at 3:35pm:

About plastic combs: I found my beloved celluloid comb from a local supermarket (!!!) . It's a great comb- and way more expensive than any other comb they sold, about 10 Euros (I guess that would be something like $13). It has very wide teeth, is fairly big and came completely seamless. It looks very different from cheap combs though it isn't brand comb. You can tell quality by looks!  8) . Cheap combs sold here always have those nasty seams- and though I own sandpaper nowadays, I don't enjoy the thought of having to sand an entire big comb!

Thanks for the input!  I wasn't sure what celluloid was, so I looked it up.  It said:

Cellulose is the chief constituent of the cell walls of plants used to make paper, textiles, etc. Celluloid is a tough flammable thermoplastic consisting of nitrocellulose and camphor, it was invented by John Wesley Hyatt in l869.

It looks like a plastic that is based from plants.  So I don't know if that means it is static-y or not.  Do you have any problems with static on that comb?

I also did a search on products, but a lot of it was vintage.  I see Avon used to make celluloid hair accessories - I think my mom actually has a set!  I will inspect her comb the next time I go visit.  :-)

Cynde

wrote on Jul 28^th, 2005 at 6:45am:

Juri - cool site - the derenaudin, the variety of uses is astounding.  Go see gang  ;D...g

Thanks! Until I saw that site I had no idea how many things that could be made with horn.