Choosing a comb
When using pomade you soon realize that having some sort of brushing or combing tool is necessary. It was just a question of time before a “comb” post was to be added. So far I have mostly stuck to the traditional comb that can be found in pharmacies or hair supply stores. That being said, I have tested various combs and decided that I preferred a comb that was 6″ to 7″ long as opposed to the more common 4″ – 5″ men’s pocket comb. It just fits better in my hand and allows me to comb at the necessary angles. The below comb has been my “Go-To” comb for the last year. It works best for my slightly longer hair in the bangs. My hair is something like the below pictures.
The spacing of the teeth is also an important requirement. It’s pretty easy to state that a comb is a comb – come-on!? Well, not all combs are created equal or meant for the same business. Many combs at the pharmacy are targeted for ladies and have teeth that are very widely spaced. This is meant for long hair (Aaaah ladies with your beautiful long hair!). 🙂
The spacing of the teeth is directly related to the hair length it is meant to handle. In that sense the shorter the hair is, the tighter the teeth should be. So for most guys, a comb with tight teeth spacing will do the trick. For example, the typical pocket comb that can be purchased for a dollar in buckets at convenience stores. If on the other hand you are sporting some sort of pomp, you might actually get better results using two different tools. A tightly spaced comb for your sides and back and a more loosely spaced comb for the top of your mop.
The below Caravan comb for example is great for my sides, but is too thigh for my bangs.
The size or thickness of the teeth generally goes hand in hand with the spacing of the teeth. A more widely spaced comb also sports ticker teeth. Again, with the typical hair do’s one would be targeting by using pomade, you most likely have reasonably short hair. You are therefore looking for tight to medium spacing.
A note on construction materials; to date I have only tried plastic and stainless steel combs. There is a big enough movement towards high end wood combs. The price of these puppies is generally out of my range. A $35 comb just doesn’t make sense to me. As mentioned in other posts, anything over $30 has to be offering me something incredibly special. From what I can see so far, the wood combs offer nothing more than the typical plastic combs. There is for sure the element of novelty and possibly some eco-responsibility, but nothing extra for your hair. That being said, if you can justify the price – why not get one?
A further point on construction material. Pomades can be sticky, waxy and greasy. In that sense, Rumble 59 only offers stainless steel combs. Aside from the cool factor, stainless steel is a perfect material to handle pomades and is easy to wash. As is plastic. Wood on the hand, not so much.
Below is my Rumble 59 stainless steel comb.
Here are other great pages on the subject:
Addendum: April 9, 2017
At the time of writing this initial post on combs, I wanted to share some basics. As part of my on-going exploration, testing and general education on hair styling, I have also become aware of a broader array of combs.
While looking up the British Jack Dean brand (BTW – I will be trying out their pomade in the next few days – stay tuned for the review!), I came across a little something that totally spiked my curiosity; a small hand comb that was referred to as the “Pompadour Streaker”. This is a widely spread 8 teeth comb whose purpose is to elevate your bangs into the greaser’s pompadour or pomp. I am almost regretting bringing this up as it’s almost just a tease since this comb is NOT available in Canada. I did find it on a UK site called Barber Blades, but it looks like they only sale to shops. I will need to research that further.
Provocation aside, even though we not be able to get the Jack Dean Pomp comb easily, we can can find an equivalent or an alternative. The pompadour comb is essentially a hand size “Detangler” comb. The standard “detangler” comb can be used with great success to bring your hair to new heights.
This is a readily available comb in all pharmacies and hair salons. It is usually designed for a feminine audience and produced in pinks and other famine-like colours. It is also generally made with a handle. See the 3rd picture from the top. Little did I know at the time that such a comb would of help achieve my desired style with so much ease.
If you are OK with that, drop the $2-$3 and get a nice pink one. I initially picked up a purple and grey one, but just recently found an awesome black and blue one at Walmart. As mentioned in other posts, Walmart is something of a surprising super store. They have everything. Their hair section though is split into two different sections within the beauty/pharmacy isles. There is a hair care section with all of the main stream shampoos and conditioners where you might find a good “Detangler”. But, if you venture a little further and find that one rack where they keep the old-school pomades, Murray’s, DAX and so on, you might find that slightly more manly pomp comb. That is where I found mine for just under $3.
I still use the regular comb for my sides and back, but it’s now a detangling combs for my bangs. My pomps are nicer and seriously more fun.
