I need some help deciding what the best material for hairsticks is. :D Thanks!

.

How funny!

I was the first one to vote, so when the
vote came back, it showed 100% voted
for plastic, so I went HUH?

Well, duh, Karen Marie, it would be 100% if you
were the only voter so far.

:D

I have zillions of hairsticks, filed, sawed, bone,
plastic, wood, you name it, even jade.

Give me but one, and I'll take my wavy black plastic
stick from Claire's ANYDAY.

I voted for the wooden because, well, that's all I own.

I tried plastic hairsticks from Claire's and I always break them.

Wow, 50% for wood and 50% for plastic! :P

I picked wood. I've used plastic, wood, and bone, but... I dunno, my wood sticks just hold better and they seem nicer on both my hair and my head. Plastic feels too unyielding, and I've snapped the tips off of bone sticks before, just trying to slide them into a very loose bun.

I have a pair that are stainless steel. Very strong, no snags. Pretty much unbreakable.

The titanium hair sticks over at Argus Designs look pretty interesting, and they're lighter than steel, but I'm really partial to these silver tones . :D

Elle

??/39.25/48
1c/C/iii
Straight with body wave and one or two visible S-waves, Coarse & Thick

Vitamins/Supplements:

MultiVitamin
Biotin - 5mg
Flaxseed Oil - 1000mg
Evening Primrose Oil - 1300mg
Vitamin E - 800 I.U. (Dr's orders)
Calcium Citrate - 1000mg
MSM - 1000mg

I have a pair that are stainless steel. Very strong, no snags. Pretty much unbreakable

I didn't even think about stainless steel. Where do you get them??

I only tried wood and plastic and prefer wood. Plastic is almost too smooth for my fine, sleek hair - wood (sanded and oiled, not laquered) is smooth enough to be totally hair safe, but still has some grip so it doesn't slide out.

I didn't even think about stainless steel. Where do you get them??

I got mine a long time ago on Ebay. Haven't seen any there in quite awhile. Try here:

Argus Designs
http://www.argusdesigns.com/

Elle :)

Elle -- yes!! I've been to that site before, and I saw it in your post above, but I don't know why I forgot that they had the steel ones. ;)

How heavy are they?

Elle -- yes!! I've been to that site before, and I saw it in your post above, but I don't know why I forgot that they had the steel ones. ;)

How heavy are they?

:D Right before I saw this post, I sent you a pm, Hollie...

The stainless isn't too heavy. The pair that I have are fairly thin, but from what I've read on the Argus site, the Titanium is even lighter... Now, THOSE are the ones I REALLY want! :D

Elle

I voted for wood. I've never tried bone. The plastic cheapies from places like Claires always seem to have little snaggy places on them. THey are so thick they won't go thru my bun nicely. And they are way too long to look nice on me.

Most of my hair sticks and hair forks are wooden, but most of them are also lacquered. The lacquered ones are my favorite -- so smooth!

I also like metal, but don't find many of those. Want one of those Argus titanium ones!!!

I put wood, because I too usually break the plastic ones. Even when I buy wooden sticks from Claires I break them.
I have some really nice metal sticks I like, too. One pair is a very fancy sterling set I got from Indonesian Elements. They are hollow, so not too heavy, and they are just beautiful! I also have a twisted hairstick from Bronze Jewelers which holds great, but sometimes I catch my hair in between the marble and the setting.
I have never found bone hairsticks that are long enough for my hair.
Kim B.

while wood is much more appealing to me, I picked plastic as the best for hair because it can be found in bendy plastics that don't strain the hair as much as stiff materials. I have a thick plastic hair stick that bends to the shape of my bun and stays in better too.

smooth, smooth stainless steel... nothin' better!

~magpieDee

I have four pairs of wooden sticks, 2 sanded (from Miaden's Treasure' and 2 lacquered/painted (from Ebay seller georgemac I think). And they are all OK :)

But nothing holds my hair better <b>but without snagging or pulling too tight</b> than my bone sticks, which are carved into a twisted helical spiral and stained black. They are LongLocks sticks from the 2000 collection that used to be on HairBoutique, so very different to the very fancy wooden sticks she does now. But still my favourites, the bone spiral is just so smooth and lightweight, but the shape gives them extra hold.

I have four pairs of wooden sticks, 2 sanded (from Miaden's Treasure' and 2 lacquered/painted (from Ebay seller georgemac I think). And they are all OK :)

But nothing holds my hair better <b>but without snagging or pulling too tight</b> than my bone sticks, which are carved into a twisted helical spiral and stained black. They are LongLocks sticks from the 2000 collection that used to be on HairBoutique, so very different to the very fancy wooden sticks she does now. But still my favourites, the bone spiral is just so smooth and lightweight, but the shape gives them extra hold.

Oooo...Miss KT........I'm glad you brought up the "spiral" design. Do you like the spiral, or corkscew, design better than straight???

I don't care for plastic ones -- most of the plastic hair sticks/forks I've used on my hair have ended up breaking at some point.

I have a pair of metal sticks that I bought from Claire's around Christmas. I like them a lot -- they're relatively short (about the size of Mei Fa styx), and hold quite well. The only thing I don't like is that they have decorative metal claws that surround the center beads, and those sometimes catch on my hair.

I'm hoping that I'll like my new set of Mei Fa styx a lot, too. I've never actually tried wood hair sticks. I have a three prong wooden fork, but I don't use it that much, because I haven't quite gotten the hang of it holding up my hair.

Cheers,
Jonobie

I don't have any - the don't seem to want to stay in my hair for some strange reason.

I have 17 pairs of chopstick!!!!! :shock: 4 pair are plastic the other 13 pair are wooden.

I buy my at a local orential store. I just walk in and ask to see their decorative chopsticks (don't tell them what you want to use them for!!!) They reach behind the counter and pull out a large box. Hair sticket Heaven!!!

AND they are usually about $2 - $3 a pair. I guess they are so cheap, because in reality they are eating utensils.

Kimberly

I have 17 pairs of chopstick!!!!! :shock: 4 pair are plastic the other 13 pair are wooden.

I buy my at a local orential store. I just walk in and ask to see their decorative chopsticks (don't tell them what you want to use them for!!!) They reach behind the counter and pull out a large box. Hair sticket Heaven!!!

AND they are usually about $2 - $3 a pair. I guess they are so cheap, because in reality they are eating utensils.

Kimberly

Wow......how sturdy are those suckers?? I'll go get some if they're sturdy!

Wow......how sturdy are those suckers?? I'll go get some if they're sturdy!

I've maybe had only one or two of the wooden sticks to break on me.

The only thing about them (in reallity - chopsticks) is you have to watch the size. Some are longer that others. BUT on the other hand they make chopsticks for kids --- so the work great as hairsticks for little girls.

(I hope that made sense.)

I love em'. Matterfact I have a pair of brown chopstick in my hair right now. They have red, yellow, and white flowers painted all over them.

Kimberly Miracle

I like metal sticks myself. Smooth, smooth, smooth, and I usually have trouble getting hairsticks to work well unless my hair is somewhat damp. I want anything going in my damp hair to be totally smooth, and not made of wood. Unfortunately the steel sticks from Argus are the wrong sizes -- 5" is too short and 7" (which I have) is too long! I'm tempted to try cutting my 7"-ers back to 6" but despicte my boyfriend's assurances I'm worried about whether I could get the ends as smooth again. I want some titanium sticks too!

I have a pair of "specialty wood" hairsticks from OzarkTwist that I like very much. They look like wood but are smooth as glass and can bu used in wet hair.

One of these days I'm going to buy a pair of super-smooth, acrylic hairsticks from someplace like FranceLuxe. Those will probably be wonderful, too.

I find chopsticks too long for my tastes, except for the kiddie ones, which usually have kiddie designs on them. (As I said think 6" is the perfect hairstick length.)

Metal, for its strength and durability. Not to mention its beautiful sheen!

But wood and bone hairsticks are good, too. I wish I could find more bone hairsticks.

Update: My Mei Feis are great. Even better are my Sophie and Lucy hairsticks. Those *rock*. And, I really like my blondiesturn sticks. The metal sticks I had have long been tossed.

Cheers,
Jonobie

OK, I voted for wood, but I actually have two that are tied for favorite. I have two black lacquer chopsticks that I bought in Chinatown years ago, and I have my titanium death spike from Argus Designs. Love them both equally.

Steel, Titanium :rockerdud and then there is the occasional long handled fan brush :gabigrin:

I'd have to say wood is my favorite type of hairstick. I have some Steelstix, by Ron Quattro that I love for wet buns, but on dry or damp hair, wood wins hands down.

I have a single wood hair stick that is my all time favorite, it's very pointed on the end, yet smooth and beautiful. It holds securely all day long. I also like my Mei Fa hairsticks because they're short and lightweight and black, so they match pretty much everything. The wood is very smooth, if they're made well, yet seems to grip in my hair better than other material.

The steel slides right in too, but doesn't seem to hold as well for my hair.

I :heartbeat Quattro steel stix.

wood wood wood!!

i make mine out of dowel and love them so.........WOOD!!! :razz:

Metal. They have been my favourite ever since i got them. second to that, my plastic hairsticks, they hav 4 or 5 twists (corscrews~) in the middle. they are my oldest and still my fave hairsticks. but i would highly reccomend metal as theyre soooooooo smoth and easy to use.

I love the Mei Fa sticks. They are made of wood with beautiful jewels. I also like plain wooden ones.

Meg

I voted for wood since that is all I have so far. I have a pair of Kevin's Ketylo spirals in hardwood, reddish color; I can't remember the name of the wood. But I love them!!! They were my first hairsticks to hold my hair up at such a short length.

I would love to try Argus spiral stainless steel hairsticks. I'm not sure about the Titanium sticks yet; my hair is very fine and they look a little "fatter" than the steel sticks. I don't know if they would work for me.

I'm really glad you posted this. I've gotten lots of good info here.

strawberryfine

I don't like wood since I have to make sure my hair is dry and that it won't rain. wood can also get splinters over time with wear.

Plastic is nice if you're going to get wet. It's usually pretty fragile though...most plastic hairsticks are easy to snap.

Most of my hair sticks are metal or laminated wood. My favorites are titanium.

I have abone hair fork, but I don't wear that too often since it seems like it would be more fragile.

I voted other. My favorite are the stainless steel that I got from Argus Designs. I absolutely love them. They go in so smooth, no snags.

Plastic, no matter how thick always breaks in my hair. I have broken a total of 8-10 so I gave up on plastic.

I have 4 from Maiden's Treasures that are wood. They are my second favorite because they sometimes snag a hair or two when I am weaving them into a figure 8 or a bun.

I would love to get a titanium pair next time I order from Argus.

Hm, I never replied to this thread!

I picked wood. it is my material of choice, though I do own some very smooth plastic ones. I've never tried any bone ones. I also am dying for some sterling silver and/or titanium sticks!

OTHER - I prefer smooth metal; knitting needles in particular. VERY lightweight and don't seem to pull hair funny if properly inserted. My plastic ones always bend and I've never had a wooden stick I liked..

I picked wood, but my favorite pair is a semi-synthetic wood called "Dymondwood" (super compressed and resinated wood) And the corkscrew shape keeps them from falling out of my bun. Dymondwood Hairstick maker Mamacat is away from the boards at the moment but she'll be back!

Anais

I made my first (and still favorite) hairstick from a chopstick from Thailand. I don't know what kind of wood it is, but it's very dark and very smooth, I sanded it with very fine sandpaper and oiled it. I still apply oils to it now and then to keep it conditioned (and maybe keep my hair conditioned too!)

Plastic ones always have to be sanded to get rid of the seams, and they feel cheap and clunky to me.

I only have two kinds of hair sticks: plastic and wooden. Both suite me equally... I've never had any problems with snapping things or anything like that. So I voted for OTher, since it's a tie. ^^

Though I can't use long thin plastic sticks, because I'm afraid they'll break.

I adore my Quattro Steelstyx.

Resoundingly Quattro steelstix. It's all I use now. Bar none.

I love my LongLocks sticks. :inlove:

They are made of bone or wood, but also painted and enameled so they are very smooth, yet not as slippery as "bare" wood, which is very important for me. They are also the most beautiful hairsticks I've ever seen.

I have a couple cheap sticks made of plastic or base metal- I almost never use them. Plastic ones are for wet bunning. For regular use they are too long and snap too easily.

I'm interested to try titanium hair spikes, once Argus Designs gets back into business, though...

yeah seems like the wood does hold better! imo, though i'm still trying to figure them out! lol

I almost voted wooden. My favoritest, bestest, most wonderfullest hair toy is a wooden 3 pring hair fork. It is AMAZING.

BUT, you said hair STICK, so, I voted other. The very best hair sticks I own are made of ivory. They are super duper extra smooth and not too thick, and not weak, and they work very very well.

I didn't vote, as I don't use hairsticks all that much and the only pair I use is made of plastic. However, they're pretty strong and flexible, and it's just a cheap Goody pair. They're on the short side and they're flat rather than round. I've snapped round plastic sticks before, so I'm wondering if the secret to plastic sticks is to buy flat ones rather than rounded ones.

Definitely going to check out that chopstick idea though!

I voted bone. I break plastic ones in five minutes flat, and wooden ones, no matter how smooth, always seem to "stick" more. I've broken a few wooden ones too...

I also love metal ones.

~Diamond~

I only have one hair stick and it's plastic. A cheapo Goody brand that's shaped like a long-legged U.

Metal. But that would be considered a hair spike, and not a stick, right?

Anyway. I have 3, they're thin and short, very smooth and pwetty sparkly. Easy to insert, and very secure. I only need one to hold up a bun, and it holds all day. (but I don't have very long or thick or heavy hair)

With a wooden or plastic stick I would be afraid to break it (because if it's even remotely possible to break something, I *will* eventually break it.) And bone seems very heavy, I'm not sure I would like that for my hair. Also, sticks made from these materials always seem so thick (like a pencil, or thicker) and I don't think that would work for my hair.

I love wood, but I also love my stainless sticks for when my hair is very damp or wet.

Stainless steel is the best for me, doesn't snap the hairs, I have some wooden sticks too, but I really like the metal ones better.

Wood is smooth enough that it doesn't damage your hair but it's not quite as smooth as plastic, which helps it stay in place. Also, like plastic, wood can be light. And lastly there's the aesthetic side of it - unless it's something gorgeous like FranceLuxe, I usually like the look of wood over plastic.

I do like plastic clips more than metal clips, because they're lighter, too. I'm not trying to hold up the world's thickest mane, and a heavy clip drags it all down.

I've been using a metal crochet hook.

My hairsticks are ironwood chopsticks that DH cut down some and drilled holes in the ends for me. So far I've made all my own sticks!

MariahL.