Finding a good beard comb or brush can be a daunting process. There are lots of varieties out there – small, large, various boar bristle cuts – and to add to the mix, every man’s beard length and texture are different.
To simplify your search for the perfect comb and boar bristle brush, we’re breaking it all down for you in this blog post. We’ll go over why you get what you pay for when it comes to mass-produced plastic combs, what to look for in combs depending on your beard texture, and why you need a boar bristle brush in addition to a comb.
We hope you find this information helpful, and feel free to ask questions!
Combs
Construction makes all the difference
Whether you’re embarking on the journey to bearded manhood for the first time or have long possessed an impressive facial thicket, you’ve probably pondered to yourself whether or not you should use a comb or brush, and what kind.
Before we dive into the topic, there is one thing you should ALWAYS avoid: using a cheapo comb you find at the dollar store or local drugstore.
We have nothing against discount stores, but it all comes down to the manufacturing process. Most inexpensive plastic combs (and we’re talking 99.9% here) are made by pouring plastic into a mold and then snapping the hardened combs out. The result is tons of microscopic jagged edges that tear at your hair follicles and create split ends. More split ends and damaged hair means you’ll end up with tangled beard hairs, not exactly what you were looking for when you first decided you wanted a comb.
Mass-produced plastic combs also make your hair staticky (which increases frizz) and break easily.
Why handmade is better
Handmade combs, such as the Zeus Beard Comb, are created with the health of your beard in mind. Our combs are each cut with a saw and then hand polished to ensure there are no jagged microscopic edges that can damage your beard. They’re also made from cellulose acetate, which is more durable than plastic and reduces static.
With rounded tips, our combs offer a nice massage for your skin while distributing oils (both your own and any beard oils you apply) for a healthy, shiny beard.
Size matters
The bigger the beard, the bigger the comb. Just think of it this way: the Zeus Mustache Comb will maneuver any mustache to styled greatness as well as detangle beards for guys with fine hair, but it probably won’t hold up to a thick, burly beard.
If your beard is more of a redwood in the forest of facial hair, taming it will require greater distance between each individual tooth of the comb, so a comb like the Zeus Beard Comb is a better bet, with a medium-toothed side for easy brushing, and a fine-toothed side for detangling.
Brushes
Why you need a dedicated boar bristle brush
Beard hair is not head hair. You probably already know this, but if you’re using the same brush on your head as on your beard, you’re committing a cardinal beard care sin. Most hair brushes are designed to detangle head hair, not to penetrate wiry beards. Also, beard hair is coarser and often denser than head hair, so it requires stronger fire power.
Boar bristle brushes are cut to penetrate even the thickest of beards. The densely packed boar bristles are arranged in alternating lengths to better infiltrate the layers of your beard.
In combination with beard combs, boar bristle brushes help distribute natural oils and beard oils – this means less beard itch and a smoother hair shaft. Boar bristles in particular are excellent at trapping beard oil and then redistributing it throughout the beard. The densely packed nature of these brushes also means they easily remove your beard of dirt and other grime that collect throughout the day.
Using a boar bristle brush to train your hair
Boar bristle brushes are able to reshape/retrain the direction your hair wants to grow. When you grow your beard out for the first time, you’ll find your moustache hairs trying to curl up into your mouth, as well as other beard patches looking to wander away from the pack.
That’s when using a combination of a boar bristle brush (we recommend the Boar Bristle Mustache and Beard Brush with Handle) and beard balm or moustache wax will wrangle all your hair together to grow in a uniform direction.
Do you need both a beard comb and a boar bristle brush?
Absolutely. The beard comb and boar bristle brush are tools that, when used together, give you a stronger, healthier beard with fewer split ends. A beard comb does the detailing and basic maintenance, while a boar bristle brush can get into the cavernous parts of your beard as well as retrain stray hairs.
