[Lesley Silvester]

I bought some wool combs at WW on Saturday and wondered if anyone on here who has a set uses them on raw fleece or just washed. I much prefer to spin in the grease but don't want to harm them.

[Dogwalker]

I always use washed fleece and when I tried mine with mohair that had been washed but not thoroughly enough it just wouldn't comb through properly.
I haven't tried greasy sheep fleece but on another thread Sally has said you can.
I don't think I'd want to get dirt and grease on  something so expensive.
I found spinning the combed top so easy and can spin a much better yarn. 
I tend to lightly spray the fleece with water to reduce static while combiung so you could spray with a light oil instead, don't know haven't tried it.

[Bionic]

I have never tried them but there are a couple of ladies at our group that use them. I have never seen them being used on unwashed fleece.

Much the same as a drum carder, I think the dirt and grease wouldn't do them any good.

[Lesley Silvester]

I card unwashed on my drum carder with no problem. I suppose the only thing is to try it.

[Fleecewife]

I've only used mine with washed fleece, because that's all I use.  I think it would depend on the breed of fleece you were combing - if it's very greasy and sticky I don't think it would slide through the combs easily (although you could try it warmed), but clean non-greasy fleece might work.  If it messes up the combs then you could clean them easily, maybe with vinegar on the tines, but keep the wood dry.

I hope you like your combs - I love mine, although you can tell when I've been using them as my hands become a bit punctured 

[SallyintNorth]

As ever with fleece, I seem to fly contrary to everyone else... 

I don't like combing squeaky clean fleece, it's too fly away.  So I comb either unwashed (just cold soaked) or lightly washed fleece (that still has some grease in it.)

You do need to be in warm, though, yes, so that the grease isn't solid.

To clean off grease from carders or combs, put some meths on some waste fleece and and card or comb that.  The tines will come up squeaky shiny clean 

Which combs did you get?

[Lesley Silvester]

They were from Wingham Wool Work and are made by them. I still haven't tried them as I've been too busy but I've found a video on You tube to watch and will then give it a go. I bought a gorgeous Cotswold fleece at Wonderwool that I'm dying to get started on.


I also asked my question on Spinners UK on Facebook and, as well as the comments that ignored my question and told me that it isn't safe to handle raw fleece, was one that suggested using cheap baby wipes to clean them so I now have several methods to try out.


Pity it's bedtime. I'm dying to get started now. Thanks, all, for your help. 

[SallyintNorth]

Winghams make a variety of combs, up to and including the full size English combs, to e Peter Teal design.  I'd guess you've bought the ones they call mini combs, which are big enough! 

I suppose there is a point about raw fleece and sharp points that probably will puncture your skin...   But then, so does a flick carder.  Best keep the tetanus up to date!

[SallyintNorth]

And I have to say, that group on FB is a great place for getting every opinion under the sun... . Better quality reponses, by far, on Ravelry, if you can bear it.

[Buttermilk]

Wingham recommend using washed fleece with wool combs.

[Louise Gaunt]

I have the Wingham mini combs, and so far have only used them on washed fleece. I have mine with a fixed mount so can use them the same way you would use a larger comb, it makes dizing much easier than if they are both just hand held. I am sure you will love using them, combed top is just so lovely to spin.

[Lesley Silvester]

Mine are the mini combs with a fixed mount. I did try the weight of the bigger ones but suspect my hands wouldn't cope for long. They did say only washed fleece but I wanted to know if others had used it on raw as well. I got my answer 

[Dogwalker]

Sally - if you use them with unwashed fleece does the vm still drop out.
I love the way I can rescue contaminated fleece by washing and combing it, only a few very small bits get left behind.

I'd hoped to get some Valkyrie superfine combs but there's a hiccup in the supply chain atm so I'll have to wait.

[SallyintNorth]

Yes, the VM drops out.  If the fleece is so greasy it's holding on to hay seeds and so on, it does need a wash. 

[Lesley Silvester]

Looks like it's a case of trial and error then. I have a gorgeous Cotswold fleece that I bought at Wonderwool last weekend which I am dying to get started on so that is tomorrow's project.