Paw Spaw Part 1 – How to Clip the Paw Hairs using Bravura and BravMini

Paw Spaw – Clipping the Paw Hairs Using a Bravura and BravMini   Includes a Video Tutorial

 

 

Pinky d’Winky aka Pinky d’Stinky will be our model for a tutorial on how we, at Maltese Obsession, clip the hairs around our feet as well as around our paw pads.    
 
Pinky’s nickname is Pinky d’Stinky, because she is the one that has a stinkin’ cute personality.      Her favorite place to sleep is right under my neck, which makes it impossible for me to breathe…
 
We use a few different methods to clip the hairs within the paw pads as well as around the feet.       SHOP our Favorite GTGT on AMAZON
  1. Wahl Bravura at a #15 or #30 setting
  2. Wahl Bravura MINI – which as a #30 blade
  3. 4.5″ Pixi curved shears + 7″ curved shears
Today we will show you the Wahl Bravura and BravMini.
 
Note:   FLOAT the clipper PARALLEL to paw pad as shown above!

First let’s briefly discuss the Wahl Bravura & Bravura Lithium:
 
If you jump onto grooming blogs and forums, you will read many rave reviews and comments filled with adoration for this cord/cordless clipper.    The Bravura’s  claim to fame are:
  • QUIET — this will be demonstrated in the video
  • 5-in-1 blade  that doesn’t get HOT (does get warm)
  • Available in COOL Pretty Colors
  • Metal attachment combs that glide through hair – YES!
  • Cord or CORDLESS use ( I prefer CORDLESS)
  • Newer Lithium-ion battery is said to hold a longer charge
Bravura costs about            $129-ish (orig Brav hard to find)
Bravura Lithium about      $149-ish
Bravura MINI runs about   $75-ish
Metal Attachment combs run $35-ish for the set
 
I would NOT recommend buying these on Amazon, unless the supplier on Amazon is a reputable Pet Supply Distributor (eg. Cherrybrook, Petedge, Ryans, Groomerschoise, Showdogstore, Groomersmall, DrsFosterandSmith).    The reason for this, is that some ‘random’ sellers on ebay and amazon sometimes sell refurbished or ‘knock-off copies’ of popular items.     
 
I can’t verify this, but I read on some grooming forums that if the battery stops holding the charge, you can send the clipper to Wahl and they will replace the battery for a charge of $35 dollars.    I have had my ‘ORIGINAL’ Bravura 3 or 4 years and it is still working pretty good for me, although the run time/charge has dropped off.
Switch toggles from Left (LONGEST) to Right (SHORTEST)

 

5-in-1 Blade and it’s cut length uses
There is a toggle switch in the back of the Bravura that allows you to toggle and change the blade settings (see photo above).    Here is a chart for the 5 settings and what WE at Maltese Obsession use the blade settings for.    Our style may be very different then others, so please be aware that this is our personal use for our maltese.   
 
Note:   When this blade goes dull, you can purchase a new 5-in-1 Blade.   My first blade dulled after 2 years of use.
The 5-in-1 Blade Cut Lengths and Possible Uses:
  • Far Left            #9 = 3 mm cut   Best for summer cut on Body
  • 2nd from L     #10 a little shorter then 3mm
  • Middle             #15 best for tummy, hygiene, armpits
  • 2nd from R     #30 best for feet
  • Far Right      #40 = 0.1 mm cut    This is considered a ‘surgical cut‘ and I ONLY use this setting under a metal attachment comb.
The Bravura MINI has a SET blade that is NOT removable or switchable and has a #30 blade == great for FEET, but I also FLOAT the blade to do the armpits and tight spots that require a MINI clipper.
 
 

Bravura MINI
 
 
Safety:   Floating the clipper blade PARALLEL to the paw pad will ensure a safe clipping of the hairs on the bottom of the feet/pad area.
 
Entire set of Metal Attachment Combs
Shorter Length Cuts (Summer cuts, neck, face)
Longer Length Cuts (Winter cuts, legs, longer sides of face)
The metal attachment combs ‘occasionally’ come as a FREE SET, when you purchase the Bravura through a big pet supplier such as those I listed above.   This ‘FREE SET’ special comes out periodically and thus it is best to get on their mailing lists so that you can find out when this SPECIAL occurs.
 
I personally ‘virtually’ NEVER use the longer row of combs.   My FAVORITE combs are the RED, LAVENDAR and BLUE (the three shortest).   I use these to keep my maltese in a short body, and I keep their leg hairs in the ‘Town and Country’ cut legs.    
 
Most professional groomers will NOT TOUCH the plastic combs that come with the Bravura, as they DON’T work and if there is the slightest mat on your dog, the hair will PULL and hurt them —— THROW THE BLACK PLASTIC combs away…just saying’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICQUBAWH03M

There is much more to discuss on how to use these handy dandy clipper(S) as well as how to take care of them, but we’ll save that for future blog posts.
 
BONUS USE:    I kept my old worn out 5-in-1 blade and use this blade PLUS the metal combs to clip my son’s hair!!…works better then any human clipper that we have….
 
Pinky says Thank You  for Visiting MO!
Please drop us a note below, on Youtube or FB to let us know if this MO BLOG and Videos are helpful.
 
Note:   All fluffs as wells as their groomers have different tastes, needs and favorites.   Not every SPAW treatment need be the same.    Maltese Obsession is happy to share our PAWSITIVELY Perfect GO TO Grooming experiences.
 
 
Please acquire your dog through an ethical, reputable and HUMANE AKC breeder, or better yet, please consider adopting one of the many maltese or dogs available through your local rescue @ petfinder.com.   
Never, NEVER invest a single penny at a petstore that sells puppies….just sayin’…
 
 

Continue reading “Paw Spaw Part 1 – How to Clip the Paw Hairs using Bravura and BravMini”

I’m a KOOOOOOOOL PUP!

Kool pup dryer for Maltese Obsession Pack! ~

Welcome to my ‘Blow Out Bar’!
Chris Christensen makes one of the better dryers for home and pet grooming.    I will compare the ‘Kool Pup’ with a pretty sub-standard  ‘pet dryer’ that I am sad that I spent money on.

I am SMILING at you!!!!
The one thing I have learned over the years is that ‘YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR’, although this isn’t always true….but it proved true for dog dryers that I chose.
KOOL PUP is currently 25% off!   I paid full price == it really is a great deal!
Drying the dogs with a human hair dryer never worked very well for me.   The COOL air was always TOO COLD and the HOT was TOO HOT.    Not to mention how awkward it is to try and dry a dog when I only have two hands with a clunky hair dryer in one hand.    THE FORCE of the air was always toooooo weak to ever dry the ears completely.

 

Dolce with Kool Pup (left) and Metro Air (right)

 

Years ago I cheaped out and spent $100 on a Metro Air Dryer.   Three tries and I  never touched it again until I had to dig it out for this review (WASTE).  $100 was a LOT of money to spend on a dog hair dryer in my mind.    This ORANGE thing was LOUD and the tank get HOT HOT HOT and the air is TOO HOT and the tank is UNSTABLE.    

The cord was sooooo  short that the dryer had to sit right next to the dog in order to reach, which makes it feel like both of us are in the middle of a hurricane!  The orange canister on this ‘thing’ gets super hot as well…clunky…hot….oh dear…
 
The hose on the Kool Pup is about 3x longer


Dolce Pondering ….’what SPECIAL TREAT will I get for doing this dog dryer review’
Dolce right after the Youtube Video shoot!

When I fell in love with the Maltese breed 5 years ago, I became consumed and ‘obsessed’ with everything maltese.   I dragged my kids to every AKC dog show and every grooming show that came near us.    It was at one of these dog shows that I was introduced to the Chris Chistensen KOOL PUP dog dryer, along with many of their other products.

The benefit of visiting dog shows and in particular ‘Grooming Shows’ is that many of the pet industry vendors will have booths for you to visit.    You can touch and feel many products that are available to us and even NEWER products that haven’t yet been released to the public yet.    Pet shows are amazingly fun to visit.

See how long the hose is on the Kool Pup?   Hi Dolce!



The Kool Pup just recently went on sale for $220, which makes this a good time to splurge if you have multiple dogs like I do.   I paid $325 for it at the show, but was lucky to have received quite a few gifts along with my purchase.  
Thanks to our grooming obsessed friends on Spoiled Maltese forum for alerting our SM community that this Kool Tool was on SALE SALE SALE!    Never has it been priced this low.   I might have to get another for the human girls in my home!

 

The added ‘HOLD A HOSE’ flexible extra arm, that can be used with the dryer to allow a hands free drying, is currently $85.    The dryer can be used without the arm, but I have to say that the extra arm comes in really handy if you can make the splurge.
This dryer comes in some pretty cool colors and is very small for the amount of air that is forced through it.    The hose on the Kool Pup is plenty long enough that I place the actual dryer as far away as I can from the grooming table, in order to help with the reduction of noise for my dogs.  
The force of the air on the dryer is quite strong and will reduct the drying time of your dog significantly.   You’ll notice in the VIDEO TUTORIAL, that I had to ‘batten down the hatches’ and cover my grooming supplies, so that I wouldn’t have top knot bands flying all over!    
The air temperature coming from the dryer will warm up after a few minutes of running on FULL POWER.
 
Currently $220 for the Kool Pup on sale from $325…thanks for the heads  up on the sale SM friends

The ‘LOUDNESS’ factor plays a role when drying our maltese.    The scientific and R&D side of my brain wanted to measure and compare the decibel levels.
 
  • Hair Dryer on high measured            98-99
  • Metro Air on ‘ON’ switch measured 107-108
  • Kool Pup on the highest measured  79-80
Decibel Level for Hair Dryer 98-99
Decibel Level for Metro Air 107-108
I used an app on my iPad to measure decibel levels relative to the hair dryer, the metro force and the Kool Pup.    These levels can vary depending on how the decibel meter is calibrated.
Kool Pup Decibel Level on HIGHEST is 80
Kool Pup Decibel Level on MID LEVEL was 75 
Kool Pup on Lower Setting was 68, but I NEVER use it this low as the air comes out too cool on the lowest setting
The number one complaint heard about the Kool Pup dryer is that the air is not warm enough.    This force dryer pushes the ambient air in your room and does warm it slightly.    The fact that the air doesn’t get too warm, makes it amazingly safe to use on our dogs.     On cold winter days when the dogs are really cold after a bath, I will ‘FEED’ the Kool Pup warm air by facing a warm hair dryer towards the vent of the Kool Pup.    This allows the Kool Pup to push a ‘warmer then ambient’ temperature out to my cold dog.
 
 
My GO TO GROOMING TOOL(s) GTGT that I use when blow drying my dog are the CC wooden pin brush and the Madan pin brush.     The CC FUSION brush is brass plated and is not meant to be used on a wet coat NOR with any types of sprays and solvent.

When the dog is wet it is more pleasant for your dog if you brush out with the CC Wooden pin brush.     As the dogs becomes dryer, you can switch over to the Madan pin brush in order to fully straighten the hair.

Dolce says YUCK to any other dryer!

 

The video tutorial will show how straight Dolce’s fur becomes after using the Kool Pup.    If I didn’t dry her with this amazing little dryer, her hair would be pretty WAVY and CLUMPY.   You can see her natural wavy hair in the beginning of the video.

 

This battle of the dog dryers was a ‘BLOW OUT’!   
The END!!!   ‘nuf said…
Dolce smiling right after the video shoot was finished! 



Note:   All fluffs as wells as their groomers have different tastes, needs and favorites.   Not every SPAW treatment need be the same.    Maltese Obsession is happy to share our PAWSITIVELY Perfect GO TO Grooming experiences.

Tweety Face/Eye Wash and Simple Top Knot Tutorial

Tweety Face/Eye Wash and Simple Top Knot Tutorial

Tweety is making her debut VLOG appearance.    She was groomed into her Korean cut over a month ago, and we will VLOG her upcoming clipper Korean cut for viewers to see how we do this at home.
 
This technique of washing her eye area is only one of the many ways that we as maltese owners can keep the eye area as clean as we can.    
 
One question that I am sure to get is what our thoughts are on Angel Eyes and antibiotic treatments for eye tearing.  My experience working for many years in the pharmaceutical R&D as well as the sales and marketing end of antibiotics, has led me to lean against any unnecessary use of antibiotics for our family (both humans and dogs).    Bacterial drug resistance has become a huge problem in the pharmaceutical R&D world and I lived too close to seeing the human struggles resulting from antibiotic super infections and resistant strains of bacteria.


Spa Lavish Blueberry Facial Cleanser by Tropiclean

Above is pictured the Blueberry facial cleanser that is used in the video.   

On my other dog, I also use Contact Lens saline solution that contains Boric Acid to cleanse the eye area.   The saline cleansing is followed up with applying corn starch, which helps keep the eye area dry.

There are various different ways to clean the eyes and remove tear stains.    Excessive tear staining could be the result of blocked tear ducts, teeth problems and/or other health issues.



We hope you enjoy meeting Tweety!

Note:   All fluffs as wells as their groomers have different tastes, needs and favorites.   Not every SPAW treatment need be the same.    Maltese Obsession is happy to share our PAWSITIVELY Perfect GO TO Grooming experiences.
 
 
 

1st VIDEO BLOG with DOLCE +++ 10% Discount on Madan Brushes and Combs

Video Blog Review:   Dolce will review the Madan Apple Green (FIRM Cushioned) Pin Brush

 

10% Discount on Madan Pin Brushes and Combs when you mention Maltese Obsession at checkout with coupon code MO10      www.toplinepet.com

10% Discount will be issued in the FORM OF A REFUND via PAYPAL after purchase is completed
Pretty Brush Bouquets
We’ve already reviewed: 
 
Baby Bear = Orange SOFTY
Mama Bear = Baby Blue MEDIUM
we can’t leave out
Papa Bear = Apple Green FIRM
 
Welcome to view our FIRST VIDEO BLOG aka MO VLOG.   We also show you how we do Dolce’s signature inside out ponytail flip top knot!
 
Dolce and the Maltese Obsession Pack hope you enjoyed our first video to greet all of our Maltese loving friends.    
 
Please come back and see more video blogs and tutorials.    We are hoping to come up with a fun idea for a brush giveaway!!!
Note:   All fluffs as wells as their groomers have different tastes, needs and favorites.   Not every SPAW treatment need be the same.    Maltese Obsession is happy to share our PAWSITIVELY Perfect GO TO Grooming experiences.
 

ICE ICE Baby ~~~ Mats don’t have to be a BAD word

ICE on ICE Detangler by Chris Christensen

Chris Christensen makes some awesome shears.   Pawsitively awesome GO TO GROOMING  brushes, Buttercombs, Kool-pup Dryers, shampoos etc. etc.

Today I’d like to share with you a reason that I am no longer afraid of MATS!

CC Ice on Ice Leave in Detangler & Finishing Spray contains sunscreen and is a conditioning spray, finishing spray and most useful to us as a DETANGLER.

Ice on Ice to detangle a mat


Mats used to stress both our fur babies out as well as myself.   I have tried MANY detangler’s including the Pure Paws line, but ICE ON ICE helps mats SLIP LOOSE with minimal work and zero stress on my fur babies.
How to loosen a mat on your maltese dog:

  1. Spray liberally into the mat
  2. Pull apart by going first sideways, then up ~~ spreading apart the mat with your fingers
  3. After most of the mat has been loosened, then GENTLY use a brush to finish loosening 
ICE on ICE Trial Size
Spray LIBERALLY into the mat
Pull mat apart sideways at first
Spread fingers into the mat sideways and up&down
Still spreading the mat apart with fingers
Spray more ICE into the now opened up MAT
Mat is easily coming apart now.   You can see the ICE sparkling in the sunlight!
Once the mat is mostly broken apart I brush out gently using a soft cushioned pin brush

Once the fingers have separated most of the mat, I can use a soft cushioned Madan pin brush to GENTLY brush out the hair.   I am HOLDING the hair at the base near the skin to prevent any PULLING …gently…no pulling
Chris Christensen Wooden Pin Brush 7″ $25
A FANTASTIC tool to use together with ICE on ICE is the Chris Christensen Wooden Pin Brush.    The wooden pin brush is likened to my fingers and the brush just GLIDES through and separates the mat that has been sprayed with ICE on ICE.
 
This brush comes in the 7″ body for $25 or the 8″ body for $35, with choices of some pretty colors such as blue, black, purple (shown above), pink and bright yellow!
 
The wooden pins are made of hornbeam, which is apparently harder then bamboo.    We use bamboo chopsticks for all types of cooking in our house, including deep frying.   It is no wonder that a wood that is harder then bamboo, such as HORNBEAM would be such a fantastic wood to use to create this AMAZING wooden pin brush.
 
Dogs that are heavily matted or puppies that are new to brushing would benefit from this CC Wooden pin brush.      Any dog that is sensitive to brushing will LOVE and ENJOY brush outs with this GENTLE and FANTASTIC GO TO Grooming tool.
After the brush, spray some more ICE if needed and then gently use a grooming comb …
Hold hair with fingers to prevent pulling ~~~ gently comb out a few hairs at a time
I am now GENTLY working the comb through the loosened mat, but going through just a SMALL section of hair at a time with a 7.5″ grooming comb.    I hold the hair with my left hand to ensure NO PULLING nor TUGGING on the skin…
 
The loosened up mats that came out afterwards. BYE BYE MATS!!!
This mat took only a few minutes to work out of the coat.   The ICEonICE really does a fine job of making the mat slippery enough to loosen out with the fingers.    
 
You can see from above that I have a little 2 oz trial sized bottle.   This little bottle is great to have at every Grooming Brush Bouquet that I have around my house.    I purchase the 16oz bottle and just refill my little 2 oz trial sized sprays.
 
ICE on ICE has no distinguishable odor.   
 
 
Here is another pesky mat that formed from Dolce’s top knot band.   I either cover her eyes and spray the ICE onto the mat OR safer and better yet,  I spray some ICE on my comb and then try and work out the mat.
 
Ice on Ice Detangler, Conditioning, Finishing spray and Stain repellent with sunscreen is available in
  • 16 oz Ready to Use Spray $12
  • 16 oz Concentrate (16:1 makes 2 gallons) $37
  • 2 oz Trial size bottle available in the $10 KITS 

Ice on Ice

($10 Trial size kits include ICE as well as a choice of shampoo set)
 
Daily brushing your maltese will help prevent most mats.   I brush my dogs out every morning and evening.    There are times throughout the year where suddenly, my dog will experience a coat change and virtually MAT OVERNIGHT.     When this happens I am happy to have these great items in my GO TO GROOMING kit to ZAP the MATS!!
 
Other Recommended Detanglers:    The Stuff, Stasko, Cherrybrook, Show Sheen, Animology, Cowboy Magic…ICE ICE BABY!!!
Note:   All fluffs as wells as their groomers have different tastes, needs and favorites.   Not every SPAW treatment need be the same.    Maltese Obsession is happy to share our PAWSITIVELY Perfect GO TO Grooming experiences.
 
 

Combs + Combs + Combs (Part 1)

7.5 Inch Grooming Comb Review:
Combs are used EVERY SINGLE DAY, and multiple times each day!    A comb review is pretty hard to do in one pass.   There are tons of GOOD and GREAT choices.   We will look at just Grooming Combs today.    
 
Face, beard and flea combs will be covered in future posts.


I have used, loved and hated all kinds of different combs.   I let my dogs tell me what they like as their comfort is TOP PRIORITY when they get their SPA GROOMING treatment.     Light weight and high function are very important to me as the groomer.   
The truth is my heart LOVES the Chris Christensen special edition #000 Buttercomb.
 
#000 Chris Christensen Buttercomb 7 1/2 ” Long Tooth Fine/Coarse
It is BLUE and Crazy AMAZING!   Sadly, this blue special edition butter comb is not currently available.   I have had it for about 4 years and with the exception of ONE tooth being bent and a small corner chip in the paint, it works like BUTTER!
 
 
I LOVE CC combs.   The combs simply glide through the hair smoothly, ‘LIKE BUTTER’.   In the brush world my GO TO pin brush is a Madan over the CC pin (both are AWESOME).    In the comb world, my GO TO comb is the CC Buttercomb over the Madan (again these are my TOP 2).
 
Chris Christensen Buttercombs are the GOLD STANDARD for my GO TO GROOMING Comb + Detangler


In my daily grooming routine, I will search for mats after I do an initial brushing out with a Madan pin brush.    I always spritz with either the CC Ice on Ice or the PURE PAWS Classic Line SHINE Conditioning Spray (purple bottle) before any type of brushing.   
 
If I find any mats I spray the mat with CC ICE on ICE and then work out the mats with my fingers.   If the mat is small I just spray with ICE AND ICE and brush with the CC WOODEN PIN brush (works on mats like a charm).    This takes out most of the mat.    
 
Then I follow and finish the body with this CC 7 1/2″ Buttercomb.    I will once again spritz both  the area where the mat was as well as the COMB with IceONIce before combing.   
 
The CC Buttercomb will finish taking out all the loosened mats as well as CLEANLY brush out and separate all the hair.   (pictured above)
 
 
CC #000 Buttercomb in Blue vs MADAN X-Long Pin in Pink Aluminum

$32 on a CC comb is pretty steep.    There are some less expensive alternatives, but if you have multiple dogs and home groom,

I would recommend either the 
#000 $32 or the #005 $50 as a GO TO GROOMING Comb!

CC 7.5 Inch Buttercomb Coarse/Fine #000 $32
Madan 7.5″ Aluminum X-LONG Pins $20
 
The new Madan Aluminum 7/5″ with EXTRA LONGER PINS (pic above)  is actually equivalent to the CC #005, though the Madan pins are slightly shorter (1.4″ long vs the CC 1.625″).   The  ALUMINUM OVAL non-slip handle makes this comb EXTREMELY light for it’s size and appearance.   
 
I love the lightness of the aluminum body, as I am hard on my hands and they are starting to hurt from arthritis, so lightweight combs and brushes are a must for my GO TO Grooming needs.
 

 

The tips of the pins are SLIGHTLY pointier to the touch then the CC Buttercomb, but I really enjoyed the longer pins and the light weight feature of this comb. 
 

This comb is new and is available in Purple, Light Pink (pictured), Orange and Gold.    Definitely worth it’s weight for just $20.
Madan 7.5″ Aluminum X-Long Pins $20 —- the longer pins make it great to use with Clipper work
Add caption
Pictured above is another great feature about the longer pins on say a CC #005 or a Madan Aluminum 7.5″ Aluminum with Xtra Long pins.   Safety is really important when home grooming and the longer pins allow us groomers to use the comb as a tool/barrier when we are using a clipper.   This is very useful when clipping closer to the skin especially in the rump area or hygiene area.    
The longer pins are also FANTASTIC for fluffing the coat prior to using the clipper or prior to scissor clipping.    

We have a choice of the CC #005 for $50 or the Madan X-Long Alum for $20.   Great 1,2 choices!
 
 
 
Madan Pink 7.5″ Aluminum $13
A great inexpensive comparable comb to the amazing #000 would be the Madan 7.5″ Aluminum comb.    The PINK and GREEN have pins that are 1.14″ long, but the BLUE and PURPLE have pins just under 1″.   Sadly I find the 1″ pins too short and quite unfunctional for my uses.    I would move over to a face or beard comb if I want short pins.   
 
Again, the aluminum body makes this comb very lightweight and very useful for everyday grooming.   A great 2nd choice if you didn’t want to spend $32 on the #000 Buttercomb.
 
 
Madan SHINY Grooming Comb 7.5″   $20
 
Another great alternative is the Madan SHINY Grooming comb 7.5″, also available at www.toplinepet.com.   This is made of some type of Automobile Galvanized plated finish, with a COPPER round handle.    This comb comes in many colors and has COARSE + FINE pins.   The weight and overall size for the Blue CC#000 and this Madan SHINY 7/5″ are pretty identical.  
 
I would say it is definitely SLIGHTLY heavier then the 2  Aluminum Madan combs that I posted above, but if you like a solid shiny comb that is really a perfect size for everyday grooming, then this is a pretty good alternative.     
 
 
 
Petedge Master Grooming Greyhound Comb Fine/Coarse $7.43 on sale from $9.29
 
Master Grooming Greyhounds can be found at Petedge.com  and I thought I would try these out to see if they would hold up to my snobby comb preferences.
 
Above is the MGT 7.5″ Greyhound Fine/Coarse, which is only $7.43 on sale at the moment.   It is available in many colors and pictured above is the RAINBOW version.    The comb is noticeably and significantly heavier then both the CC combs and the Madan combs.    My eyes tell me that they should be just as good as my BLUE CC BUTTERCOMB, but somehow there is a huge disparity in the two combs.    
 
First, the SIGNIFICAANTLY heavier weight of the MGT comb makes me hate picking it up (sorry MGT).    Next, and more importantly my dogs didn’t like this comb anywhere near their legs.    
 
The hair doesn’t have that ‘LIKE BUTTER’ glide with this comb.    HOW can this be?    Isn’t stainless steel all the same?    In the cooking world, all stainless steel pots are NOT created equal.    I prefer using ALL CLAD stainless steel pots over any other less expensive brands. The ALL CLAD pots maintain their luster, are better conductors of heat, and for many other reasons make cooking an enjoyable and gourmet experience.
 
I think the same goes for the quality of the stainless steel that is used in Chris Christensen combs.    One of the earlier interviews I read about the making of the CC company was that CC was focused on the making a great product without consideration of making it less expensive for the consumer.    The stainless steel of the CC combs, must be likened to the high quality of the stainless steel that is used in my favored ALL CLAD cooking pots.
Sadly, my review of the MGT Grooming comb is that though it  is a great deal for a comb,  I would much rather pay a little more @ $13 and get a much better product with the Madan 7.5″ aluminum.    BETTER YET just fork out the $32 for the CC#000 or $50 for the #005 and LOVE grooming with it FOREVER!!!…just saying…

 

 
 
 
 
Wow, and we haven’t even touched on the rat tail comb nor the face/beard combs yet.    Forthcoming in the near future.
 
Thanks for reading.     Please feel free to share your thoughts on what your favorite grooming comb is!!
 



PRODUCT MENTIONED and PICTURED:

  • CC #000 Buttercomb 7 1/2″ Fine/Course:   Teeth are 1 1/16″ long (26 wide and 37 fine pins) $32
  • Madan Aluminum 7.5″ Lightweight Comb Fine/Coarse:   Teeth are 1.14″ (PINK or Green) or 1″ (blue or purple)  $13
  • Madan Shiny grooming 7 1/2″ Comb Fine/Coarse:    Teeth are 1.1″ (many colors) $20

 

  • CC #005 Buttercomb 7 1/2″ Long Tooth Fine/Course:    Teeth are 1 5/8″ long  @ $50
  • Madan Alum 7.5″ Xtra Long Pins:   Teeth are 1.4″ long (26 wide and 37 fine pins)  $20


Other must haves:    I will find comps for these CC combs in a future post

  • CC #006 Face & Feet Buttercomb 5″ long:   Teeth are 5/8″ long (spaced at 24/inch and 12/inch)
  • CC #008 Tail Comb ALL FINE:   7″ long with 4″ tail:    Teeth are 3/4″ long (spaced 16/inch)

Chris Christensen combs are found on their website at www.chrissytems.com
Madan combs and brushes are found onwww.toplinepet.com  


Note:   All fluffs as wells as their groomers have different tastes, needs and favorites.   Not every SPAW treatment need be the same.    Maltese Obsession is happy to share our PAWSITIVELY Perfect GO TO Grooming experiences.

 


 

Top Knot Bands, Cheeries & TEA Parties?!

Obsession with Top Knot Bands & Tea Sets’.
 
 
 
What in the world am I gibbering about?    Most people would find me quite strange to make such a big deal about TOP KNOT RUBBER BANDS.   Oh well!!!    Somebody out there in cyberspace must understand me.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I LOVE having my dogs wear their hair up in top knots.   Tweety pictured above uses up a ton of top knot bands as she has the longer ears and a very long top knot in a FUSION KOREAN cut.
 
 
Tweety in her pigtails, uses quite a few top knot bands from Claires.
 
I have purchased hair bands from all types of specialty dog stores and dog bow stores and craft stores over the years.   MOST of the bands purchased from specialty dog related stores as well as beauty supply stores have FAILED!!!    They were too big, too small, too slippery, too stiff., too thin, too thick, broke hair, tangled the hair, snapped/broke easily…..etc, etc, etc.     Sorry, I have to admit that I am pretty darn picky about my hair bands — BOTH for my dogs as well as for my girls and myself.
 
Today there are TONS of good choices for the Perfect Go To Top Knot Band.    A smorgasbord of choices!!
 
BUFFET TABLE OF BANDS — nom..nom…nom
Buffet table of edible treats! ~~~  we love parties at Maltese Obsession!
Fun with so many choices of bands in a rainbow of colors

After years of searching I used to only find GOOD bands in 2 places (Claires and toplinepet.com).    Today, I can find great bands EVERYWHERE!   Thanks to the latest TOY craze, there are CRAZY LOOM rubber bands all over town.     girls are making LOOM BRACELETS using a plastic device and colorful rubber bands.   These LOOM kits can be bought at toy stores, Michaels, Claires Accessory stores etc.   Not all loom rubber bands are perfect for top knots.   They vary VASTLY in thickness, stretchability and weight.    We use the loom bands that are on the lighter side.

Rubber bands don’t go to waste in our house with three human girls that love to play with hair styles, piggy tails and top knots!!!

 

From Bottom to Top:   1) toplinepet.com SNAG FREE bands in lavender and white 2) Loom bands (rainbow) 3-6) Claires hair bands (hello, green, light blue, lavender) Last is Hello Kitty kit LOOM bands (pink, hot pink, black_
Loom kit rubber bands — this set did NOT cause ANY hair breakage.   They were also very light weight!
 
The above bands are all made for LOOMING!
 
 
Cheerios and Loom Kit Bands
 
Here is where the CHEERIOS come in.   The PERFECT band size for me happens to be the size where a CHEERIO will fit inside!   
 
1/4″ Latex bands on TOP of the Cheerios are TOOOOOO small
 
The above picture shows TINY 1/4″ latex bands that I bought from a dog BOW SPECIALTY store on-line.    My fingers are huge and these TINY bands do not work.    You can see one in the above picture sitting on TOP of a cheerio.
 
 

 
Above you can see the PASTEL bands on the RIGHT SIDE of the cake plate.   These are from CLAIRES Accessory stories and they are LITTLE GIRL HAIR BANDS.    These have been my FAVORITE for years now.   These little girl hair bands are THINNER then most looming bands.   
 
On the left side of the cake plate:

 

Top — looming bands from a toy store (a Hello Kitty kit with light pink, hot pink and black)

 

Middle — thinner hair bands included when you purchase a Madan Top Knot scissor. (lavender, white)

 

Bottom — looming bands that are pretty thick and hold top knots for at least several days! (rainbow of colors)

 

 
 
Madan $5 band scissors come with SNAG FREE bands ~~ www.toplinepet.com

 

The above picture shows what you get when you purchase the Madan band scissor.   When I first received this bag of bands free with the Madan band scissor, I ended up ordering more scissors, just to get extra bags of these nice bands.   They are thinner bands and are a bit slippery, so I found that they do break easier and the top knot slips out a bit quicker.    I still love these hair bands and will continue to enjoy using them, as I like having these thin bands, when I do styles where I do not want the band to show.

NOTE:    these snag free bands are available for sale at www.toplinepet.com    LOVE THEM!!!

 
 
PUPPIES, would benefit from the LIGHT WEIGHT and THINNER human hair bands.   I would NOT recommend using loom bands on puppies as they would be considered MED to Heavy weight and would definitely not be comfortable for a puppy that you are training to wear a TOP KNOT.

 

Looming bands are thicker then Madan or Claires snag free bands
Tweety above is in between grooms and I just washed her face so her fur is wet around her nose and eyes.  I am growing her hair out so that I can video tape how I do a Korean fusion cut on her face.   When I put her hair up in this style, it will STAY NICE AND CLEAN FOR 5 days to 1 week!     Gotta like that!
 

 

 
What is with the tea party you might ask?   I LOVE going to tea and I have two daughters that never get tired of tea parties.   We collected so many tea sets over the years that we love to pull them out to play or drink hot cocoa or lemonade or WHATEVER!

 

 
My younger daughter had so much fun organizing the bands into the little tea cups.    I love how she arranged them so much that I added the TEA SET OF BANDS to my grooming station!!!

 

 

 

Note:   All fluffs as wells as their groomers have different tastes, needs and favorites.   Not every SPAW treatment need be the same.    Maltese Obsession is happy to share our PAWSITIVELY Perfect GO TO Grooming experiences.

The Glamorous Band Scissor? $5 that saves those TOP KNOTS!

Top Knot Band Scissor Review

I love the old saying “You Get What You Pay For!”.    I like chirping this line when I am justifying buying top end kitchen items, designer cosmetics and of course high end couture grooming tools!   

Madan band scissor isolating the rubber band
 
In the last post I mentioned the Designated Doo-Doo comb and scissor.   
LOW COST but HIGH FUNCTION!     
 
Another LOW COST tool packed with HIGH FUNCTION, in OUR home is the simple $5 Madan Band Scissor.     They come in a variety of colors and are available at www.toplinepet.com   http://www.toplinepet.com/grooming-tools-page-2.php     Jenny will give you the most amazing customer service around.
 
How many of you out there have painstakingly and ever so patiently grown out your dogs top knot hair!?   This is not for the impatient hearts, and I AM VERY IMPATIENT.    All of my dogs wear top knots.   

I still remember the HORROR of being lazy and not using the BAND SCISSOR to cut out the rubber band from a top knot when YIKES — I snipped some of the PRECIOUS TOP KNOT HAIR.   
 
I also snipped the front section, so of course these hairs now had to be pinned back until they grew back long enough to be held in the top knot band.   Yes, I had to pay for my laziness and impatience in quickly snipping.    
 
Maybe it is just me, but growing out the top knot hair really is a test of my patience.   Mostly because I feel bad for my dogs having me clip the loose hairs that aren’t long enough to be banded.   I like seeing that their eyes are clear and not being poked by pesky hairs.   
 
After my lazy accident, I have these tiny band scissors in every Grooming Bouquet, in every room.   I also have a couple in the dogs bathing area.   These $5 band scissors really make it easy to see that I ONLY HAVE THE RUBBER BAND IN THE SCISSOR.   Yeah!!!
 

Flipping the top know forward over the dogs face and cutting the band from the BACK side of topknot
 
 
Tips that I like to show my kids when they help me with redoing the dogs top knot is to always cut the rubber band from behind the ponytail.    That way, if they accidentally snip any hairs the shorter hairs will not be in front of the face, but behind the ponytail.    Using the band scissor correctly essentially alleviates any precious top know hairs from being sliced, but still I like my kids to be careful and always cut from behind the ponytail.
 

 
I personally find that having my hands holding the ponytail, before pulling on the rubber band, helps me catch the band after I cut it.   This will prevent the rubber band from hurting my sweet fluff.   By pulling the band you will hopefully see that no hairs are caught in the scissor.   If you look closely here, there is 1 (one) single hair caught and will get snipped!
 
 

 
Here is another angle. You can see my hands and fingers are protecting the face and head of my dog as I
  1. Isolate one strand of the rubber band
  2. pull away, while holding the top knot with my fingers to prevent pulling on my dogs head
  3. snip the band
 

My finger going INTO band before cutting — to catch it when it retracts
 
This picture shows that after I stretch the band to ensure I only have the band — I SLIDE MY FINGER into the band before I actually SNIP.    The band POPS onto my finger and I catch it, just in case it snaps and unravels.    Kind of never will hurt the dog if you don’t do this, but I just have a habit to do this as a safety precaution.    I don’t really think it is necessary for everyone…but since my daughter took these photos…might as well post them!!
 

 
 
Now back to the old saying ‘”You get what you pay for”!    I LOVE this saying.

 

 
I thought I would get a fancy pair of Band Scissors.    Instead of $5 for the Madan ones, I paid $15!    They had to be better, RIGHT?!!

 

 
WRONG!!!   See the picture below — yuck!

 

 
 
Expensive Band Scissors —- I didn’t ‘GET WHAT I PAID FOR’ this time!

 

 

 
The above picture are my HIGH END Expensive Band Scissors!!…OOPS!!

 

 
 
I purchased the Madan Pink band scissor over 4 years ago — STILL LIKE NEW

 

 

 
 
I’ve owned the above two band scissors for the same number of years…can’t remember, but it’s over 4 years.   Both of these have been sitting at my main grooming station!     YUCK on my fancy expensive ones.   Yes, that is rust!    WHAT?!!!

End of my story…

 
 
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