The Groom Professional Ball Pin Slicker has a tiny ball on the end of every pin, which is what lets you brush firmly enough to get a knot out without the pin tips catching the skin.

Key Features

• Ball-tipped pins: The ball protects the skin, so this is the slicker for a thin-skinned or wriggly dog
• Curved head: Follows the shape of a leg or a chest rather than fighting it
• Gets through knots: Firm enough for real tangles rather than just surface fluff
• Rubber grip: A cushioned handle, which matters if you are brushing for any length of time
• Three sizes: Small, medium and large
• All coat types: Works on anything with enough length to tangle

How To Use A Slicker

• Work in small sections and in the direction the coat grows. Line brushing -- lifting a layer and brushing from the skin outwards -- is how a groomer gets all the way down.
• Let the weight of the brush do it. Pressing harder does not get deeper, it just scrapes the skin.
• Follow with a metal comb. If the comb goes through cleanly the coat is actually brushed; if it snags, the slicker has only skimmed the top.
• Clean the pad out as you go. A slicker packed with hair stops gripping.

Slicker Burn Is Real

A firm slicker used too hard, or used over and over on the same patch, leaves a red grazed area that groomers call slicker burn. It is most likely on the belly, the armpits, the hocks and anywhere the skin is thin. If the dog flinches or the skin goes pink, stop and switch to a softer brush or a comb.

Who Makes It

Groom Professional launched in 2009 on the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland and is sold through the grooming trade supplier Christies Direct. The range was built for working salons rather than for the bathroom cupboard, which is why so much of it comes as a concentrate and in four-litre sizes. Groom Professional say the products are manufactured in the UK.

Good To Know

• This one is out of stock at the moment, so the page is here for reference while we wait on the next delivery.
• Ball tips make it kinder, not harmless -- it is still a slicker and still needs a light hand.
• Not a toy. Keep it out of reach of pets and children when you are not using it.
• Check the pins or teeth now and again -- a bent pin or a missing tip scratches skin.