All vintage enthusiasts will know that mastering the art of vintage hair can be quite a challenge. Even I have found that after years of wearing vintage, my hair is still a challenge that gets the best of me. I’m always on the look out for tips, tricks, products and items that can help me master my hair which is how I came across today’s item. The Hair Grip, released by the Kin Hip Metal and Plastic Factory, was made in Hong Kong sometime in the 1950s and boasts to be an ‘aid to beauty, charm and glamour. This ring comb claims that it can create multiple styles with ease so I am hoping that it might just become my new secret weapon. It’s time to embark on another exciting adventure of Testing Vintage.

The maker of the Hair Grip, Kin Hip Metal and Plastic Factory, was founded in 1949 Hong Kong. The founder, Sun Kin Chao started his career as an apprentice and had learnt the art of mould-making while at an electric torch factory in Shanghai. He first opened his factory on a ground-level store on Portland Street, Hong Kong, where he made moulds and repair machines. In around 1953, the factory moved to Soy Street and began producing daily goods using hybrid metal and plastic materials. Kin Hip eventually evolved from a small mould-making workshop to a world-renowned specialist in the manufacture of stainless steel kitchenware, insulated tableware and catering ware for commercial food and beverage industries, produced under the brand ‘Kinox’. Kinox is a name synonymous with quality, craftsmanship and dedication to the pursuit of multi-purpose designs to meet the needs of home uses and hospitality professionals. In 1996, kinox began to develop electrical products and diversified into the small home electrical appliance sector. Kinox’s global market spans across the world including America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The Hair Grip is basically a ring comb that has teeth in the middle and opens up to help you create multiple hairstyles. There are at least two I want to try and test out, the first is trying to mimic the image on the front of my Hair Grip packaging by following the printed instructions and the second being a simple ponytail style which after some research, is a ring combs most iconic style.

Package instructions are as follows:
1. Comb hair from the part line as desired.
2. Insert either half of Hair Grip through the hair, pressing from the rim of the comb, as shown in the picture
3. Snap Hair Grip shut and finish your hair arrangement around it.

Package Hairstyle Attempt

Ponytail Attempt

The Desperate Poodle

Final thoughts
As with ay new product, there is always a learning curve and I’m not hiding the fact that I am not a hair dresser. Factors such as hair thickness, the amount of hair and the direction of your curls all play a part in how the Hair Grip will work on your hair.
I think this ring comb is a great way to style a pony tail and as a daily wearer of the messy top bun, I can see myself wearing this comb a fair bit.
I really do wish I had access to more tutorials or at least could talk to someone with some hair-styling skill because I’m sure this comb would work great under professional supervision. During my online research time, I did find advertisements for ring combs with various illustrations and I noticed that many styles had either two or more combs present in the hair. This makes me wonder how much more could have been done with more than one comb so if you do find one for a good price, maybe grab an extra. My research also showed me that these ring combs came in a range of sizes and colours and I think that will also play a factor in how it sits in your hair as well.

Overall, I think the Hair Grip is a decent product and I can see it’s purpose however, I’m not sure how overly popular it was. I couldn’t find any photos of real life people or even models wearing the ring comb and could only find the illustrations on the advertisement materials. I would have loved to have known if the ring comb was popular or more of a passing fad during the 50s.

Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.