It can be difficult to find wool combs on this side of the pond (Europe). Most of our combs are imported from the US, Canada, and Australia (e.g., Majacraft), and the primary reason for that is not just a matter of quality, but also simply that there aren’t many folks making combs on this side, and I genuinely don’t know why. Peter Teale-type (replica) combs are available via a shop in the UK, but beyond that pickings are discouragingly slim. However, there is one independent manufacturer in Germany who is worth consideration. Jürgen Schönwolff makes a convertible mini-comb. As far as I know, these are the only combs of their type, and the workmanship is sound. They were the first combs I bought, and while the Valkyrie Extrafines have become my go-to combs, I have no hesitations recommending the Schönwolff combs for those who may not want/like the Valkyries or want to buy from a more local manufacturer.
The combs are available in a couple of different formats—a fine and a regular—and the following photos show the fine setting.
The combs utilize individual “plates” of tines with each row embedded in hard plastic. There are four rows, and with all four rows in place, you’re working with a nice sized 4-pitch comb. The tines are stainless, and the woodwork is smooth and professional. The combs are a little heavy on the head end, but have a good balance.
In order to reduce the pitch, just unscrew the black screws on the inside of the head of the comb toward the handle, remove the number of rows you want removed, add the provided spacers, and fasten the arrangement back down.
The combs are slightly heavy with all four rows in place, and I would strongly recommend ordering the base to go with the combs.
The set comes with the appropriate Allen wrenches to match the individual screws and a tine straightener.
The base is shaped in such a way that there’s plenty of edge or space for clamping and serves its purpose well.
Mr. Schönwolff’s English is somewhat limited, but I believe he has family and friends who can assist as needed, and he has no hesitations about selling out of the country. He is a professional, is not afraid of questions, and communicates in a timely manner. And, he supports his own product. I had one tine break–something which is very unusual–and he repaired the row without hesitation or question. You’ll find him here:
website: http://www.wollwolff.de/ Click on the tab for “Wollspindelen – und Mehr,” then click on the photo for “Kategorie 2: Spinn- und Wollzubehör” and scroll down.