Border Collies, German Shepherds, Huskies and Retrievers all carry a lot of coat without being wiry or coarse about it, which is the specific gap between a hard-pin slicker built for wiry fur and a soft one built for volume.

This slicker has angled soft pins on a rubber pin bed, built to trap and remove debris, dead hair, knots and tangles from medium, long and thick coats without the harshness of a hard-pin brush. It has an ergonomic, flexi-head design to absorb brushing pressure, and Mikki recommend it for breeds such as Border Collies, German Shepherds, Huskies and Retrievers. This is the Large size.

• Angled soft pins, rubber pin bed
• Traps and removes dead hair, knots and tangles
• For medium, long and thick coats
• Ergonomic, flexi-head design
• Recommended for Border Collies, German Shepherds, Huskies, Retrievers and similar
• Large size

Soft pins, but still not for every coat. Even with softer pins, Mikki say this isn't suitable for corded coats such as a Puli's or Komondor's — the cord structure needs a different approach entirely, regardless of how gentle the pins on a slicker are.

Who it's for: owners of a medium, long or thick-coated breed — a Collie, Shepherd, Husky or Retriever type — wanting a gentler slicker than the hard-pin option for regular coat maintenance.