Särmä Wool Comb

Wool comb, cool womb. Ha-ha! So what is this thing and why would you need one? If you wear clothes made of wool or synthetic knits, you have seen little fuzzy bobbles appear as the garment wears. Pilling is the problem, meet the cure!

What is pilling and how to prevent it?

Wool pilling happens when the fibres are broken through chafing, washing and generally just wear. The broken ends of the fibres intertwine and form knots, which appear commonly to the sides of sweaters, cuffs and inner arms. It can also happen to 100 % synthetics, the key here is broken fibres, natural or not.

High-quality clothes have longer and stronger fibres, which makes them less prone to pilling. Also, if your wool fabric is sleek like on a suit (worsted to align and bind the fibres), pilling will take a longer time - but could still happen. Blends are more susceptible to pilling compared to 100 % wool: even when polyamide or polyester makes the fabric more durable overall, the wool fibres break as easily as before.

To avoid pilling in the first place, choose clothes with high-quality materials, wash them with the appropriate program (not too hot, don't spin hard, not in a completely full machine etc.) and avoid rubbing them, if possible.

How to get rid of pilling?

While avoidance buys you a little time, you are definitely going to find pills on some of your clothes and they will look worn. That's where a wool comb comes in: the pills get caught in the net-like blade of the comb as you stroke along the knit.

You can do this while wearing the garment or on your thigh: pull the pilled area lightly taut and go gently over the pills. The comb does slightly wear the fabric in the process, so don't ham-fist it or use the comb as a daily routine.

Another way to use the wool comb is to place the garment on a table and use the comb at an angle. This allows you to target just the pills and keep the blade off the knit itself.

Särmä Wool Comb

This small (76 x 44 mm / 3" x 1.75") wooden piece is easy to use, requires no batteries and won't suddenly cut holes in your clothes. Make your older clothes look sharp with ease!

Manufactured in China.