Kansa Comb with Wide Teeth, Set of 2

Name: Kansa Comb with Wide Teeth, Set of 2
Brand: PEETAL PARAMPARA
SKU: PP-KA-KAN-COM-177
Price: 1199.0 INR
Availability: InStock

Two kansa combs with wide slotted teeth, one handled and one sized for the palm.

Rs. 1,199.00

Price includes GST.

Weight: 150g

Material: Kansa (bronze), unlacquered
Finish: Brushed satin, edges filed smooth
Technique: Teeth slotted out of one flat sheet, tips rounded off
Quantity: One handled comb, one palm comb

In the box

1 kansa comb with a handle
1 kansa palm comb

Check delivery to your PIN code

Estimated, not a guarantee. Dispatched from Guwahati, Monday to Saturday.

Each piece is shaped and finished by hand, so small differences in weight, size, finish and surface marking are normal and no two are identical. Colour on screen can differ from the metal in daylight. Handmade in India.

Both combs are cut from one flat sheet, so the teeth are slots rather than separate spikes and every tooth ends in a soft rounded tip. The handled one has a long grip that runs off the head at an angle and finishes in a paddle. The other is a rounded rectangle with teeth on one long edge and nothing to hold but the metal itself.

What is it?

A kansa comb is cut in one piece from the metal rather than moulded, the teeth slotted out of a flat blade, and it is drawn through the hair and over the scalp the way a wooden kangha is.

Also known as a kansa kangha, bronze comb, kansya comb, scalp comb or bell metal kanghi.

What is in the box?

1 kansa comb with a handle
1 kansa palm comb

How do I look after it?

Kansa is an alloy of copper and tin, known in English as bell metal or bronze. It is dense, hard, and heavier in the hand than steel of the same size.
Wash by hand with a mild dishwashing liquid and a soft sponge straight after eating. Dry fully.
Kansa darkens with use and reacts to sour food faster than brass does. Serve lemon, curd, tamarind and pickle fresh rather than leaving them standing in the vessel.
To restore the shine: tamarind pulp, or lemon and salt. Rinse thoroughly and dry.
Do not use steel wool, harsh detergent or bleach.
Not dishwasher safe. Not microwave safe.
Kansa is hard but it is not forgiving — a fall onto stone can dent or crack the rim. Store it where it will not knock against other metal.

Handmade in India

Every piece finished by hand

Solid metal

No plating, nothing to chip

Weighed and listed

In grams, on almost every page

Tin lining stated

Where a vessel is lined, we say so

Questions about this piece

Is this solid kansa or plated?

Solid. Each comb is cut and filed out of one sheet of the metal, so there is no coating to wear off the teeth, and the pair comes to 150 g on a kitchen scale.

Will it look exactly like the photograph?

Close. The blanks are cut and the teeth filed by hand, so the width of a slot and the exact curve of the handle move a little between one comb and another.

Is kansa the same as brass?

No. Kansa is an alloy of copper and tin while brass is copper and zinc. Kansa is the paler metal and it is the one traditionally cut for combs, eating vessels and massage tools in India.

Will it discolour with sour food?

A comb is not a food piece, but the metal answers the same way. Hair oil, sweat and anything sour will dull the satin and darken it in patches. Wipe both combs dry after use and the colour holds.

How many do I need?

One pair covers one person, since the two are different forms rather than two of the same comb. The handled one is for long strokes and the palm one travels in a bag.