# Just got a Chris Christensen coral brush, now confused



## MaizieFrosty (Apr 12, 2019)

I donated all my $$$$$ CC crap brushes and comb because they hurt my dogs. I use a cheap Petco brush on mine and they are much happier about it. 

I also have never had luck with any of the $$$$ shampoos from CC and other big names. What works best for mine is $5 Nature's Miracle shampoo. 

I'll leave all the $$$$$ grooming products to those who know how to use them!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

What a thoughtful and generous gift!

It’s too much brush for the rest of her, but I use the black CC on Peggy’s topknot and tail. It has sparser pins, but otherwise looks pretty much the same. Nothing else fluffs her up quite so much, and it takes far fewer strokes.

Last month I used just a pin brush while we were travelling, because it’s fine for her (much shorter) body. But apparently neither it nor I did a good enough job. Our groomer said Peggy had a bad tail mat that I was just brushing over, obliviously. I felt terrible.


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## Phaz23 (May 31, 2020)

This is my favorite brush and yours looks correct. Use short soft strokes with a detangling spray or water.


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## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

For comparison, I use both CC brushes.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I don’t own one but I’ve seen one and this looks correct.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I have heard of Amazon selling knockoff CC slickers. I wonder where he bought it.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

My CC Slicker was great for taking burrs off of Tonka. But only off the surface of the coat.
Deeper into the coat, it tangled immediately.


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## Porkchop (Sep 2, 2019)

Hi, welcome to the club officially. That’s a very nice gift!

I have the coral brush. I have to disagree with the others and say your pins do look a little flat to me.
Here’s what mine looks like, I’ve had it for over a year now.









As mentioned, the coral brush has more pins packed onto it. Since it’s more dense it definitely catches tangles the first past through and does so deeply. But in turn it has the potential to pull more.
The pins are also likely much longer on the coral brush than the one you were using before. Most slickers have pretty short pins that don’t go very deep.
As far as the sharpness of the pins, they are definitely pokey and a bit sharp. That’s normal. I’ve had some slickers that take off the top couple Layers of skin and made me bleed in one swipe on myself. The cc brush won’t do that in one swipe, or even a few.

Sometimes I wish I’d got the black brush instead, as I think it would be slightly more gentle. But I do like the coral brush for its tangle busting abilities when needed.

I always do a quick preliminary brush with a pin brush before using any kind of slicker. It helps to break up the hair gently and begins the untangling process. It makes the job easier for me and more comfortable for my dog.
(Then of course I follow with the comb as the final step)

p.s. thanks @scooterscout99 for the very helpful pic.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

The brush looks correct, and exactly like mine. If your dog's coat is matted, or even just a little tangled, you have to use it gently until you straighten the mess out. I tend to use a pin brush first, then the CC Slicker. I angle the brush steeply, if it doesn't want to go thru, so that only the first inch of bristles are doing the work. And with a light touch so that I'm only doing the top hairs first, then repeat going deeper and deeper, at flatter and flatter (brush angle), until you can get to the skin. If you can't get the CC brush to go thru, and you can get your other brush thru, then now you should understand that the other brush is just going over the mats, not clearing them. It's a very good brush and you will learn how to use it in time. Light touch working down through the coat in several strokes until you can get to the skin. Congratulations on the new brush! Keep us posted!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Here’s Peggy’s:


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Porkchop said:


> Hi, welcome to the club officially. That’s a very nice gift!
> 
> I have the coral brush. I have to disagree with the others and say your pins do look a little flat to me.
> Here’s what mine looks like, I’ve had it for over a year now.
> ...


This looks like a smaller size brush so not a direct comparison.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I am glad you posted your concerns because I have always contended that my tender skinned boy, Wilson much prefers his Activet brush to the CC Coral. He leans in to the Activet and away from the CC. The other poodles don't care which brush is used on them. I don't know if it has any correlation at all, but Wilson is by far the thickest coated poodle I have ever had,


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I am on the side that your brush is not normal. It looks flattened. Here is a photo of mine which has been used sparingly. It was purchased straight from CC. But I agree the pins of mine were quite sharp when first received. I sanded them down and now they are soft. While I do like the brush, I can never use it right off the bat. I have to use a lighter more gentle slicker first and then use the CC as a finishing brush. It is great to penetrate deep into the hair after the surface layers are clear of tangles. But small gentle strokes are still needed.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Welcome!

What other types of combs and brushes do you use, and in what order?


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I recently acquired two different sizes of the Chris Christensen T-brush. So far I really like it, and the dogs seem to like it too. It's basically a pin brush head mounted on a slicker handle. 

None of my dogs have ever appreciated a slicker brush. They would tolerate having their backs and hips line brushed. As soon as a slicker tine scratched their belly, though, they were up and gone. Plastic tipped slickers didn't help; too much static. So, I do a lot of work with a pin brush.

I find the ergonomics work much better for me than a standard pin brush. I'm susceptible to tendonitis, and getting an entire spoo brushed with a pin brush has always been a strain. The T-brush works pretty well on the legs and underbelly, which have always been the areas I struggled with the most. Ritter in particular will just relax on his side with his eyes half closed as I run the brush over his legs, sides, chest, neck, and armpits. 

I do still prefer a standard pin brush for the ears, tail, and topknot. I also go over the areas I've brushed with a comb to make sure I haven't missed a mat next to the skin.


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## LolaBonanaSheep (Dec 23, 2021)

PennyDog said:


> I’ve been wanting to join the community for a while, but this is the question that made me finally jump in lol!
> 
> The other day my brother gifted me a Chris Christensen Big G slicker brush. When I opened it though the pins were angled way more at the tips than photos of the brush online show. Almost like something flattened them down. And the tips of the pins are much more scratchy than I was expecting based on what people say about the brush. Now I’m wondering if the brush is defective/damaged.
> 
> ...


I have both large CC brush and compare the cheap whals slicker I tried (I couldnt even use the newer one I tried one stroke on my arm and i was bleeding of tones of scratch with just a gentle stroke o_o ) my 2 CC brushes are much softer and dont scratch me when I gently brush my arm with it , that give me an idea how much pressure is painful or uncomfortable. The bristles on your picture looks a bit different for some reason like the angle is maybe a bit different and they look more tangled but maybe it's in my head. it's subtle though.


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## PennyDog (Dec 23, 2021)

Thank you guys for all the replies!! I like all the different opinions. Lots of advice and lots to think about.

I currently use a self cleaning slicker from tractor supply, a dubious brand pin brush I found at Ross, and a petsmart comb, in that order. I usually mist with water before I brush. If I use the pin brush first, it snags more than the slicker and Penny doesn’t like it, but it still detangles and is gentler than the other 2 pin brushes I have. Mostly I like the slicker because I feel like all the pins reach more of the little tangles than my pin brush which has fewer pins. If I find any nasty tangles or mats I just cut them out. The tractor supply slicker works great but takes a lot of strokes because the pins are short and it’s pretty scratchy. Some of the pins are sticking out in crazy directions so it’s hard to avoid scratching her skin in some places. So I wanted to find a more comfortable option for Penny. Last week she decided she hates the entire grooming process after being very tolerant for months. But that’s for a whole other thread.

Since I use my current slicker first I assumed I should use the CC brush first too. 

Since the pins are weirdly flat on my CC brush I think I will return it and take some time to decide on a brush more suited to Penny. Brother’s cool with that. I’m thinking of the Big K brush, just for her topknot, tail, legs, and maybe ears when they grow out more. I will check out some other brands too.


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## MaizieFrosty (Apr 12, 2019)

_SOLD_ 
Just discovered I still have one CC Poodle Buttercomb 004 left--if anyone wants it, they can have it for $10 postage. PM me.


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## Sylvia K (Feb 4, 2021)

I use the Lawrence Tender Care slicker brush on my poodle. I bought a cheap slicker brush once (and once only), tried to use it once and threw it out. It was awful. The Lawrence was recommended to me by the breeder and is great. I have several of them and none have ever felt scratchy or sharp even when brand new. The only time any of my dogs have ever objected was if they had a really bad mat hidden in their fur. I am pretty careful about brushing and can usually get any mats to brush out, no matter how bad they are, but occasionally I just haven't spotted them in time and have snagged and tugged too hard, but my dogs let me know they are there! I haven't tried any other kind of good quality slicker brush as I am more than happy with the Lawrence - and so are my dogs. I like the fact that I can run the Lawrence across my own skin without any discomfort. No pins sticking in me and no scratching at all.


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