Beard wearing is in, and an important part of a good grooming routine is a good beard comb. If you are looking for an individual and sustainable beard comb that fits your beard perfectly or you are looking for a beautiful handmade gift for a beard wearer, then you have come to the right place. In this blog post I show you how to make your own wooden beard comb.
What is a beard comb?
A beard comb is a small comb specifically designed for grooming beards. It can be made of plastic, wood, or metal, and usually has closely spaced teeth for breaking knots and tangles in the beard. A beard comb can also be used to shape the beard by gently combing it in the desired direction.
Which beard comb is best?
There is no single beard comb that works best for every beard type and length. Choosing the right beard comb depends on the length and thickness of the beard, as well as personal preferences and needs.
Some factors to consider when choosing the best beard comb are:
- Tooth Spacing : For a thicker beard, combs with wider teeth are better, while for a finer beard, combs with narrower teeth are better.
- Material : Beard combs are available in a variety of materials including plastic, wood, and metal. A wooden comb is gentler on hair and skin and causes less static electricity, while a metal comb can be more durable.
- Additional Features : Some beard combs have additional fun or useful features such as a built-in razor blade, bottle opener, extra row of teeth, or are foldable.
Overall, it's important to choose a beard comb that works for your individual beard type and will help you keep your beard in the best possible shape. It can be helpful to try different combs to see which one works best for you.
Which wood is suitable for a beard comb?
There are different woods that are suitable for making beard combs. The choice of wood comes down to personal preference and the desired look and feel of the comb. Some of the most common types of wood used for beard combs are:
- Sandalwood : Sandalwood is very popular for beard combs due to its natural flavours and smooth texture. It also has antimicrobial properties and can help keep the beard clean and hygienic.
- Walnut Wood : Walnut wood is known for its durability and rich, dark appearance. It's also relatively light and feels comfortable in the hand.
- Pear Wood : Pear wood has a beautiful, light colour and smooth texture that lends itself well to making wooden combs.
- Cherry Wood : Cherry wood has a warm, reddish colour and a smooth, shiny surface. It is also relatively durable and can be shaped well.
- Birch Wood : Birch wood is light, hard and has a fine texture that makes it ideal for making fine dovetails and smooth surfaces. It is also very durable and resistant to moisture.
Other types of wood such as cedar, maple, beech, and olive are also commonly used to make beard combs. It is important that the wood is well processed and does not have any sharp edges or cracks in order to avoid injuries.
Make your own wooden beard comb
You can find the matching file for the beard comb in the Mr Beam Design Store. To complete it, you will need:
- a wood of your choice (I used birch)
- sandpaper
- clips or cutting mat
- optional: linseed oil varnish
Load your file into the BeamOS. You can customize them there if you need to. For example, I added my grandpa's name. To do this, select the Quick Text Tool, write the name in the field and use the arrow keys to select a suitable font. To bend your font, click on the convex variant under Baseline and use the slider to set the desired degree of curvature. This is how you can refine the wooden beard comb into a personal gift.
And off we go to the laser. Insert your material and use the camera in the lid to slide the design to a free space. To move the engraving and the cutting line at the same time, you can easily select the “transform” arrows on both. This time I decided to use birchwood because it is robust, and the engravings come out particularly well on the light surface. Parameters for birch are stored in the laser settings. If you want the engraving to be a little more intense, I recommend setting the intensity higher, to 25% - 40%.
Complete your wooden comb
You now have to work on your cut-out wooden comb before you can use it. It is important that you grind down the edges of the comb teeth so that they do not damage the whiskers. To do this, take a fine sandpaper and gently go along the edges, or you can start with a coarser one and work your way down to a finer one to create more rounded prongs. For a perfect finish and longevity, you can seal your wooden beard comb with a linseed oil varnish. To do this, simply apply the wood oil generously with a cloth, brush or sponge, leave to work for a short time and then wipe off the excess.
The self-made wooden beard comb is ready. It is great as a birthday present, Father's Day gift or, like mine, simply as a nice surprise by post. I wish you a lot of fun imitating it!
Your Marie
