Beard Combs
A Gift of Love and an Exercise in Craft
Personal Project
Winter 2016
Challenge
To create a beard comb for a loved one that was both personal and practical.
Research
First, I considered the lifecycle of a typical beard comb to determine the type of wear and tear this product would be exposed to. I investigated which woods and wood finishes were most durable and would hold up best to the kinds of strain that is placed on combs. I also looked into many beard-specific combs on the market to determine average overall size, tooth count and size, and ergonomics. Finally, I observed the specific end user of my combs and identified the frequency and manner in which they combed their beard, the styling and material of their current comb, and any potential improvements that could be made upon their current combing experience.
Define
I landed on oak, teak, cypress, and mahogany as the best woods for repeated or continued exposure to moisture, which was my primary factor in choosing materials. These woods also hold up well in thinner segments and are moderately flexible, both of which are important traits for the tooth of a comb. I chose boiled linseed oil for to finish the combs with because it is a natural oil that will not irritate delicate facial skin, it does not react to hair and skin oils, and it increases wood’s resistance to water marks and scratches.
COMPETITIVE Analysis
These are some of the wooden beard combs on the market that most closely address my defined user’s needs. I identified the strengths and weaknesses of each in respect to my use cases and moved forward with a better understanding of how to improve on the existing market offerings.
Ideation
I explored comb shapes with and without a protruding handle, with small and teeth and gaps, large teeth and gaps, and of a wide variety of overall dimensions. I decided to create a comb without a separate handle because it would allow for a simpler, more compact comb with less points of weakness and potential failure. I also decided to incorporate a wider variety of woods in response to material availability and aesthetic preferences. There were many options for material composition layout so I resolved to simply make an entire set of combs that would allow for the exploration and testing of many different woods in both production and daily use. The size of the teeth and tooth spacing was informed by existing combs that were reviewed to be most universally preferred. The shape of each tooth was designed to be both gentle on the skin and hair and effective at combing even the densest of beards.
Process
I created each of these bead combs by first creating a blank for it to made from. For some combs, this was as simple as cutting a single wood down to size, while others entailed creating composites of many different woods. Next, I transferred a standardized pattern on to each blank and then roughly cut them all to shape. The rest of the tooling process consisted of a great deal of filing and sanding until each comb was smooth and ready to use. This was followed by multiple thin coats of boiled linseed oil before the combs were fully dried, packaged, and given to their new owner. This project encouraged me to empathize with a user group that is quite unlike myself and to consider both an individual user and every potential consumer if this product were to be mass produced.
solution
3.5” x 2”
Wood, Boiled Linseed Oil
The final result of this project was 6 unique beard combs, each of which was carefully hand crafted. Ergonomics and functionality were equally weighted in the designing of these combs and material quality and appropriateness was of top priority. These combs are a compact, enjoyable, durable response to a common need of an extremely large potential user base.
Next Steps
To take this project further, I would distribute Beard Combs to multiple users who fit within predetermined archetypes and ask them to use them for an extended period of time. I would collect data on their initial reactions and experiences as well as how the Beard Combs perform over time. I’d continue to refine the materials and form in response to this data and then consider how to bring these combs to larger production and sales.