Walter Sammons
Inventor of the hot comb (1920)
hot comb
Walter Sammons. U.S. Patent No. 1,362,823. Comb. Filed April 19, 1920. Issued December 21, 1920. USPTO.
Why This Person Is Included
Walter Sammons patented an improved hot comb in 1920. The hot comb became one of the most widely used hair styling tools in Black beauty culture for the following half century. Sammons's biography is largely undocumented beyond the patent.
Historical Significance
The hot comb's widespread adoption in Black beauty culture — across barbershops, beauty salons, and homes — reflects the intersection of practical invention with cultural practice. Sammons solved a styling problem specific to the hair textures that mainstream beauty product manufacturers had largely ignored.
The Story
Walter Sammons received U.S. Patent No. 1,362,823 in 1920 for an improved hot comb — a heated metal comb used to straighten tightly coiled hair. The device used controlled heat applied through a metal comb, allowing styling without the chemical relaxers that posed their own safety risks. The hot comb became a staple in Black beauty culture for decades.
Sources
- 1.Walter Sammons. U.S. Patent No. 1,362,823. 1920. USPTO.↗