The Benefits of Curved Tools

When looking at grooming tools, do you ever wonder why some of them are made with curves where you expect them to be straight or flat? From combs to brushes and even shears, curves are popular when it comes to pet grooming. If you consider the fact that dogs are built of curves and contours, it makes sense that some tools just work better if they are created to work around the shape of the animal on which we will be using them.

When choosing a slicker-style brush, you will see that some are designed with a flat back, while others have their pins set into a curved back. While both types are useful, the curved back style gives some added ability to remove dead hair and tangles and conforms nicely to the dog's body shape. Slicker brushes are best employed using a "pat and pull" movement. First, pat the brush into the dog's coat, then pull it through the fur to remove dead hair and tangles. The curved backed brush style covers the area you are working on more thoroughly and is kinder on the human wrist. As a professional pet stylist, I own many different types of slicker brushes, but the curved back variety tends to be what I reach for to use on most pets.

Curved combs are a reasonably recent trend when it comes to grooming tools. Because they work with the shape of a dog's body, groomers find they cover a lot more ground with each stroke than a traditional flat comb can. This makes for a more efficient way to work and reduces hand fatigue. In addition, they come in a variety of sizes, so choose a long one to lift a Standard Poodles coat and a short one to work on Pomeranians. Finally, you can visualize how a curved comb would work well over a dog's rib spring and when combing thick furnishings on breeds that sport thick hair on the back of their thighs, like Golden Retrievers and Keeshond's.

Scissors, thinning shears, and popular "chunkers" can be purchased with either straight or curved blades. However, when cutting hair that will end up with a contour, it takes many snips with a straight edge to achieve what one can accomplish with just a few snips using a curved shear. Bonus! No angle lines. While it can be argued that a talented stylist can create curved lines on topknots or cuffs using a straight shear, it is clearly more work to achieve that look than if a curved shear is employed. When shopping for curved shears, know that some curves are more extreme than others. Choose the style that will work best for the job you wish to accomplish.

Grooming dogs with tools that emulate the shape of their beautiful bodies makes excellent sense. Curves are compelling!