Manufacture of Shubi

The manufacture of combs and fined-toothed combs is a complex and exquisite folk craft.

Materials must be of the best quality, and the manufacturing process is also very complicated. The main materials for making combs are bamboo, wood and animal bones.

The bamboo material is mainly selected from Yinshan grown, high-quality bamboo in South Jiangsu and West Zhejiang. Bamboo from these places is not only rigid and flexible but also durable.

The wood material is mainly selected from such rare woods as rosewood, jujube wood, heath and boxwood. The comb and fined-toothed combs are made of boxwood and have fine wood character and clear grain, and also have functions of relieving headaches and itching, so they are particularly rare and welcomed.

From preparing materials to the end product, a piece of wood comb needs 28 processes, and a single piece of fine-toothed comb needs 72 and a half processes. The delicate processes such as carving, drawing, scalding, engraving and grinding can only be finished by traditional manufacturing methods.