TEK

Our history and mission

Tek was born in the seventies, the brainchild of our founder Giulio Valsecchi. In those years Giulio was a professional hairdresser and a teacher (he joined several competitions including the world haircutting championship) and he visited several countries in the world while on the job. During a journey to Paris he joined a beauty expo. This is where the idea for a wooden comb came to him: the material – thanks to its inherent natural characteristics – was heavily indicated for combing hair and comfortable for the scalp. The concept of the wooden comb had been in existence since the times of Ancient Egypt, so Giulio’s great and innovative intuition was to realize brushes with the same material. He came up with it because of his determination to use accessories that would be worthy of the high qualitative standard of his hairstyles and because of his belief that only those who used these tools could bring effective improvements. He and his brother-in-law, who was a carpenter, created the first wooden brush model. After receiving very positive feedback, they decided to found Tek in order to produce and distribute them to every professional hairdresser. In the year 2000, the company, maintaining faith in its philosophy, introduced the innovative Ceramik technology to supply a specialized service to professionals in the sector: the first brush that takes advantage of aerospace technology to guarantee the professional hairstylist a perfect brush. The attention to design and details such as the accurate realization of wooden pins, make Tek a well-known international company, symbol of Made in Italy worldwide. Tek is constantly growing and is dedicated to market expansion: whether B2B and direct sale to consumer (B2C). Tek can be found at leading trade fairs like Cosmoprof Bologna and will continue to grow on worldwide markets.

WOOD source IN EUROPE

The wood used to make Tek brushes comes only from Italian supplier. Its geographic origin varies according to the type of wood. For example, olive wood comes from southern Italy, while ash wood comes from France. Tek was one of the first companies to obtain FSC certification when it was not yet widespread in Italy, to confirm the company’s commitment to the environment and the protection of wood in the world. This certification also guarantees customers high quality and reliability. The ash wood was chosen for several reasons: it’s strong, light, has a pretty natural color and beautiful grain. As a result, it guarantees elevated quality for the “entry level” lines, which has always been a fundamental requirement for every Tek product. The design and realization of the pin are the result of several years of research and development. Nothing is random: the shape of the pins is designed to be comfortable on the scalp and to absorb excess sebum and hair impurities; different lengths were studied for straight or wavy hair, thin or thick, in order to penetrate any depth or density of hair. Hornbeam was specifically chosen for its properties – both flexible and tough – and for its lack of knots that make it possible to mould small, thin pieces that are also very sturdy.

Rubber source

The natural rubber comes from a plant also known as caoutchouc: it is gathered from the bark of its tree without compromising its well-being. This material is ideal because, unlike synthetic rubbers, it is antistatic (unlike the plastic), is not oil-based, and is soft – a fundamental feature for an excellent massage of the scalp that makes the material perfect for our pneumatic brushes. When used with the right strength and speed, blood circulation is increased around the massaged areas to help strengthen the hair follicle and the head muscle.

Sustenaible direction

Tek has always been committed to respecting the environment: its products are FSC® certified – all wood used in the development of products comes from sustainable forests – and, in March 2017, it became a Certified B Corp®, community of companies and people that aims to have a positive impact on society and environment. Today, it chooses to renew also its packaging that is made of natural, recycled and FSC® certified paper, completely removing the plastic. In addition to this, TEK acquired the VeganOK certification, the first and only standard for Ethical Vegan products created in Italy, that guarantees the absence of animal-derived elements in brushes and combs of the consumer line.