Krest

Krest is an American manufacturer of professional hair combs, based in Leominster, Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1958 by Pat and Esther DiMarzio [1] and remains a family business now run by its third generation. It supplies combs chiefly to barbers and salons rather than to consumers directly, and describes itself as "one of the last American manufacturers of professional hair combs" [2].

The company is still active. It maintains a current website and an Instagram account, and its combs appear in 2026 marketplace and distributor listings across the United States [4].

Krest Products Corporation was started in 1958 by Pat and Esther DiMarzio as a family-run maker of professional combs [1]. According to the company, the founders set quality as the guiding principle from the outset — its About page states that "quality became the cornerstone of the company" and frames that idea as still central today [1]. The business has stayed within the DiMarzio family across three generations, with Rick DiMarzio, a son of the founders, listed as president and Dean DiMarzio, a grandson, as vice-president [1].

Krest makes only combs, organised into seven distinct product lines that the company says span more than 100 variations of style and colour [2]. Each line is defined largely by its material:

- Cleopatra combs are general-purpose tools made from nitrile rubber, a synthetic the company notes resists shampoos, conditioners, perms and sterilising solutions and can be cleaned wet or dry. - Goldilocks, along with the Silver Edition and Supreme combs, are heat-resistant thermal combs made from DuPont Delrin, an acetal polymer. - Krest Bone combs are described as ultra heat-resistant and made from phenolic resin. - Krest and Pegasus Hard Rubber combs are presented as handmade from genuine hard rubber. - Krest Wood combs are handmade from rosewood.

The range also includes specialty styling combs — weaving, foiling, teaser and pocket combs — plus aluminium and carbon lines. The combs are positioned as professional-grade tools "for stylists and barbers" [3], and the company sells primarily through professional and barber-supply channels rather than to retail consumers.

Krest presents itself as a quality-focused American manufacturer that has kept comb-making in the United States while much of the trade moved offshore — hence its claim to be among the last domestic makers of professional hair combs [2]. The brand's stated values centre on craftsmanship, domestic manufacturing and the durability of its materials, summed up in its tagline, "Krest Combs a Tradition of Quality" [2]. Much of its range is described as handmade.

Krest is an active brand as of 2026. It is a single-country operation, with production based in Leominster, Massachusetts, and distribution concentrated in the United States; no documented presence outside the US has been recorded. Evidence of continued activity includes a maintained website, an active Instagram account (@krestcombs), and a current Amazon listing for its Cleopatra combs alongside stock at numerous US barber- and salon-supply distributors [4].