Tuesday's Tip #32 Brushes, Brushes, Brushes

I have bought soooo many brushes over the years, always looking for that special brush that would be like my right arm.

These are the brushes that are in my drawer right now.

 How many of them do you think I use everyday?

Only one in this picture...

..and, one other one once and awhile.

First I'll tell you about the ones that I hate.

I don't know why I still have them.

They have been sitting in my drawer for so long, that they have started to rust.

Why do I not like them?

They are flat.

They ride over the hair.

They are too small for me.

I think that it is time that I throw them away.

I bought this brush thinking that I would like it because it was curved, and it had a lot of teeth.

I thought that all of those teeth would really cut through the hair nicely.

It turned out that there are too many teeth.

The brush gets caught up in the hair and pulls the hair too much.

The dogs seem very uncomfortable when being brushed with this brush.

So that one went into the brush grave drawer.

 Then a few years ago I decided to try the 'Paws Bothers Double Sided Flex Slicker Brush'.

Boy, was that a mouth full.

Yes, I know it is a cheap knock off of the LesPooch brush, but I thought I would give it a try.

Actually, it is not a bad brush.

It works well on small, thin coated dogs.

It is just too flexible, and bends back too much when brushing thicker coats.

I tend to forget that I have it.

I always go back to my trusty, cheap Universal Slicker Brush.

I have been using this brush since I graduated from grooming school.

I remember when they used to come in different colors.

Boy, I am getting old.

Anyway, I only like the regular size, I do not like the Grande.

I always liked this slicker because it fit really well in my hand and it curved.

I could use it on any size dog, and any type of hair.

Sadly, they don't last for very long.

I would get about 6 months use out of one before it got demoted to the bathing room, and I broke a new one in.

That was okay, because they were cheap enough to replace a couple of times a year.

Then, a few years ago, I was given a couple of new slicker brushes to try.

They had just come out on the market.

They were designed by a groomer named Kitty Dekeersgieter.

She is a 'World Champion Poodle Groomer', and had won the Cardinal Crystal Achievement Award for 'International Groomer of the Year'.

She was the one who gave me the brushes after one of my competitions at Groom Expo.

I LOVE this brush.

It has replaced the Universal Slicker that I had been using for over 20 years.

I use the regular size pin the most, on every dog.

She also designed a longer pin brush in firm and soft.

I don't use this brush as often as the shorter pin brush.

I like this brush for dogs with really long coats.

This brush is called 'Tuffer than Tangles'.

I have only been able to find them at 'Ryans Pet Supplies' and 'Cherrybrook'.

http://www.cherrybrook.com/index.cfm/a/catalog.prodshow/vid/442715/catid/201/vname/Transgroom_Tuffer_than_Tangles_Slicker_Brushes

For the price, these brushes are worth trying.

My daughter and I both liked this brush so much, that we were always fighting over it till we got more.

I have been using the original one that Kitty gave me to try for three years, and it is still holding up very well, although it has recently lost a few of the pins in the corner.

Now, on to what I broke down and bought at Groom Expo this month.

First, let me just say that in 27 years of grooming, I have never spent more then 10 dollars on a slicker brush.

I had been reading rave reviews about LesPoochs Brushes.

Imagine my shock and disappointment at how much they cost.

I just could not bring myself to spend that kind of money on a slicker brush.

What made that brush so special to cost that much?

You see, I am one of those people that cannot stand to pay a ton of money for something just because it has a designer name on it.

Well, this year I broke down.

After refusing to pay 60 dollars for a slicker brush for at least 6 years, I broke down.

I have been hearing such rave reviews for the 'Mat Zapper', an extreme-dematting brush, that I finally invested in one.

I will say that I walk by that booth about six times.

I checked the brush out about three of those times and walked away.

The last day of the show I bought one.

60 dollars!

OMG I spent 60 dollars on a slicker brush!

So, am I kicking myself?

Do I like it?

Is It worth the money I spent?

Does it really make short work of mats?

The Mat Zapper.

A little red slicker brush.

With two sides.

Why two sides?

I don't see any difference in the two sides.

I didn't ask.

I wish I had.

I remember buying another tool that I was not so happy about the money that I spent on it.

Maybe I was just mad that I hadn't though about making it first.

After all, I had been holding a blade in my hand for years using it the same way as the Furminator.

I just didn't have a handle.  :/

I bought mine when it first came out.

Before they made a bunch of different ones for short hair and long hair.

I bought mine before they put them on QVC and dropped the price by about 20 dollars.

I was not happy.

Anyway, back to my 'Mat Zapper'.

Does it really make short work of mats?

Yes, it does a really good job on mats.

The mats seem to brush out more quickly, and easily.

But, IMO you must use this brush with a light touch.

I can see this brush causing brush burn if someone pressed down too hard with this brush.

I learned the hard way that I had to hold this brush differently.

As you see in the picture, I tend to put my finger on the back of the brush when I brush a dog.

It took me three time of pricking my finger with the pins to start to hold the 'Mat Zapper' differently.

The "Mat Zapper' pins are very sharp to me.

I bled my darn finger three times!

Is it worth the money I spent?

No, but I am not kicking myself.

It does do what it says it will do, but I was able to brush mats out fairly quickly with my 'Tuffer than Tangles' brush also.

The 'Zapper' will demat a little quicker.

Do I like it?

Yes and no.

Yes, I like how it  quickly it removes the mats.

No, I don't like the fact that it could potentially brush burn a dog.

For 60 dollars, this brush better last about 10 years.

I still love my 'Tuffer than Tangles' Brush the best.  :)

Happy Grooming, MFF