caring for a horn comb

[hanne jensen]

Sunday I went to a Viking festival and bought a hand carved horn comb. I love it! De-tangling is so easy. The problem is that I have no idea how to care for it. It's already dirty. How do I clean a horn comb? What's the best way to store it? Does it need oil? Any help would be appreciated.

[furnival]

Try not to get it wet. Clean it by rubbing a little oil over it and wiping it clean with a soft cloth.

[hanne jensen]

Thanks for your advice.

[brickworld13]

I'm bringing this back to life.

What about if you're having scalp issues that require medicated shampoo? I use that for my brushes but I don't think it would be appropriate for the comb. I shattered a horn fork a couple years ago because I wasn't taking care of it correctly.

Do the same care techniques for horn work for bone? Or is bone entirely different?

[lapushka]

I think horn is rather more fragile than bone is. I haven't got a clue about how to take care of a horn comb, though. I only have bone and resin combs and they pretty much take care of themselves.

[furnival]

I'm bringing this back to life.

What about if you're having scalp issues that require medicated shampoo? I use that for my brushes but I don't think it would be appropriate for the comb. I shattered a horn fork a couple years ago because I wasn't taking care of it correctly.

Do the same care techniques for horn work for bone? Or is bone entirely different?
Don't get horn wet or use shampoo on it. It's possible to clean it perfectly well using oil, and if you're concerned about disinfecting it, use oil with a few drops of tea tree added.

Horn and bone are quite different- think of horn as the same material as a fingernail :) If you get it wet, it absorbs water and becomes soft and more flexible and tends to split into sheets as it dries. Bone is a lot denser and less absorbent, but still porous, so getting it wet still isn't a good idea. The outer shell of antler is denser than bone, and I've experimentally used antler in wet hair for years, with irritatingly varied results...

I think the general rule is not to get natural materials wet, and to clean them only with oil.

[Scarlet_Heart]

I've been using my horn comb on wet hair for the last 3 or four years and never had a problem. No smell, no weakening. I got mine from heavenly harvest. I do occasionally oil it.