Today, many American and European wood hair brush companies believe they must produce their products far away from their own countries with no possible alternatives, but this is not true.
European and American manufacturers can ensure the best wooden items in terms of quality, possibility of customization, productivity, risks & delays prevention, and competitiveness.
In this article, we talk about pins for a wood hair brush: discover more!
How to distinguish top-quality pins for a wood hair brush
Creating perfect, resistant, and functional wooden pins for hair brushes requires specific technical skills, competency, and knowledge of wood as well as the right machines, software, and tools.
Being very small objects, it is quite complicated to manage them perfectly to be safe (without splinters) and functional.
Here are some examples.
Design analysis
As you can see in the pictures above, only the resistant pin has a 90° angle. The second one will be easier to slide out from the brush cushion, which would be very annoying for end consumers.
You need specific technology to manufacture a 90° angle, and only a competent manufacturer can do that.
Bottom profile analysis
Checking the profile with a projector magnifier of two hair pins made by different manufacturers, we will be able to understand the manufacturing accuracy.
If the pin has a rather irregular shape as in the second picture, it will have a limited surface to hold it in place within the cushion itself. Again, it would be easy for the hair pin to fall out of the brush.
Head profile analysis
The shape of the head is also crucial to ensure maximum functionality. As you can observe, the head morphology of the wood hair brush pin in the picture above is heavily compromised. This is due to the type of technology adopted.
From a consumer perspective, these defects would result in:
- split ends
- scratches of the scalp
- breakage of the hair shaft
Here’s how it appears if made by a competent manufacturer:
Eccentricity analysis
What does eccentricity of the pin mean? Once the pin is firmly fixed on its shaft, you can observe how circular the orbit is when a rotative movement is applied.
If made by a nonexpert supplier, the result of the pin can be very poor. This aspect, often underrated, affects much of the performance of the entire brush, as the brushing function of the pins is not consistent.
Surface roughness analysis
A perfectly made pin for a wood hair brush has a smooth surface free from any sharp, rough, and irregular corners.
Burrs, in fact, might:
- break the hair due to the irregular profile of the pin that stresses them
- scratch the scalp because of the protrusion of the head of the pin
- irritate the skin because of the dirt and bacteria that remain trapped
- cause split ends, as plastic does not absorb oil, and people tend to overbrush their hair
If the manufacturer uses a turning machine to manufacture wooden pins, the result will be very poor in terms of smoothness.
Advanced technologies and digitalized production processes are necessary to create top-quality wooden pins for hair brushes and also ensure the highest standards in terms of safety and aesthetics.
Average breaking point
The breaking point is the degree of tension at which a material tends to break.
When force is applied to a material, there will be a certain point where the material loses its ability to withstand any additional amount of stress and tends to break.
The point where breakage occurs is considered the breaking point.
We compared 10 pins made by Minelli (first column) with 10 pins made by a competitor (second column):
Pins made by Minelli have 85% higher mechanical strength.
It means that:
- pins made by the competitor are more likely to break while consumers brush their hair
- Minelli’s pins will last longer in time
Material analysis
Consumers will also buy a wood hair brush because it is sustainable.
To offer 100% sustainable products, however, you must know if wood derives from responsibly managed forests and is gathered following the rules imposed by the market for environmental and forestry protection.
It is crucial to check if wood is FSC/PEFC certified and if the manufacturer complies with the most important standards:
- EUTR 995, which aims to avoid circulation of illegally harvested timber in the EU market
- Lacey Act, which is very similar to EUTR 995 but valid for trade in the United States
- REACH (EC 1907/2006), a European Union regulation that wants to protect human health and the environment from potential risks caused by chemical substances
The entire wood manufacturing process from collection of the raw material to production and distribution must be sustainable to offer 100% eco-friendly wooden products.
Quality control
To maintain the highest quality standards in the market, a reliable wood maker should perform deep quality controls during production.
All wooden pins must be individually checked with sophisticated automatic systems of infrared video cameras that operate at 360° all around the object to verify:
- dimensional and functional aspects (size and shape)
- milling accuracy (missing parts, dents, splinters, breakage)
- the presence of morphological defects (open knots, heavy discoloration)
Digitalized quality control processes guarantee the highest accuracy.
Stress test: dimensional variation
It is important to consider the behavior of wooden pins in humid conditions, e.g., a bathroom with steam caused by a shower or brushing wet hair, to understand the dimensional variation of the pin.
An expert wood maker knows that wooden pins are better to create specific products. It is important to consider the physical characteristics of each type of wood to determine if it is suitable for a specific application.
Hornbeam pins, for example, are far more stable than those made of birch. This aspect is relevant because variation may affect both performance and how long the brush will last.
Based on this analysis, we can say that choosing a reliable and expert wood manufacturer is crucial to ensure top-quality, durable, and resistant products.
The Minelli Group and subsidiary Minelli USA have manufactured wooden components for the OEM market for more than 50 years.
Thanks to our internal research & development department, sophisticated software, and cutting-edge machines, we can produce innovative and inimitable objects customized according to your clients’ preferences and needs.
We take advantage of well-known Italian craftsmanship that we translate to our American production plant, where we can produce the highest-quality wooden components.
If you are looking for a top-quality wood hair brush or have a project in mind, contact us right now!
