Knox Gelatine How-To (from the mohawksrock forums)

If you've got a mohawk and need to spike it, check out the method I use. It's hard to find information about this kind of thing, so after lots of trial and error I've started working on this HowTo. I'll be editing it as I find out ways to improve upon it. I also will try to get a video HowTo, as soon as I can find a camera.

KILLER SPIKES: Knox Gelatine and YOU

For huge spikes, Knox has got to be the way to go.

The first time I tried using Knox, I had found a (bad) HowTo online and followed the instructions to the letter. I boiled one and a half cups of water and mixed in two packets of Knox. The directions I got pretty much had me following the recipe on the back of the box. Then they recommended getting a cheap spray bottle, and putting the still-boiling molten mixture in it, so I could spray it into my hair before it got to be lukewarm. The bottle was melting, my scalp was absolutely hating me, and it was just too much hassle that took too long and didn't even work right in the end.

Since then, I've been using trial and error to find out just what makes Knox work as a hair product, and below is my current recipe and method. Enjoy.

For mine (not "huge," per se..) I microwave half a mug of water for about 2 or 3 minutes, then immediately dump 1 packet of Knox in. You have to stir it for a while so it's all liquid. This will be super-hot, and you have to be finished with your hair before it gets super-cold.

I wait for it to get cooled down to the point where if you stick your hand in, it's lukewarm.

Get the first straightened chunk of hair you want to be spiked in one hand, and with the other hand, dip four fingers into the Knox, and generously coat the bottom half of the spike, kind of squishing it all together to get a nice coat going. Then, with your blowdryer on hot and high, dry it thoroughly while standing it up. It's nice to cover the handle of your dryer with a bag or something...

Once it's dry, it should be really stiff, but you still have flexible tips. From here, you keep one hand on the blowdryer, and the other takes little dabs of Knox and just coats the length of the spike slowly, drying as you go slowly up. Repeat a bunch of times and move to the next spike.

Happy hawking!

Comment by Tre on April 10, 2009 at 3:37am: hey so how resistant are your spikes against rain with knox?

Comment by Joseph Russell on April 18, 2009 at 5:06pm: In my experience, sweat and rain are no problem for a Knox hawk, in moderation. Of course if you're standing in the pouring rain for too long your hair is going to go flat, but if you're doing short bursts of rain with chance to dry in between, it will be fine.

Test it yourself: Put your hair up with Knox gelatine, let it dry an hour or so, and then jump in a cool shower. See how long it takes to melt if you don't touch it.

Comment by Riot Raven on April 22, 2009 at 11:48pm: my ex cut out a cardboard mohawk and laid his hair out on it then clipped his hair to the cardboard then had someone painted the knox on.... then waited for it to dry then did the same to the other side

Comment by bubblegum on May 8, 2009 at 11:04pm: Very helpful. Planning on doin liberty spikes this summer.

Comment by So What on May 9, 2009 at 11:26pm: Do you think there is a minimum to knoxing a hawk? Like with hair spray it has to be like 3 1/2-4 inches minimum.

Comment by Bob on July 10, 2009 at 6:11pm: knox is awesome! ive been using it for almost two years, the longest ive left my hair up with it is two weeks and thats without many touch ups, about once or twice a week. ive found that the best mix is about 2-3oz water and three packets of knox, nuke the water till boiling then pour ontop of the knox in a small bowl(with a lid so you can put it in the fridge) stir till all chunks of gelatin are gone and use before it cools to much. (make sure your hair is not oily or smooth when you use it or it wont work very well, also apply thin at first and apply more once dry or it will droop over if your hair is long) this is great for a fan mohawk because it holds the hair up quickly after you apply it.

Comment by Josh Also on December 30, 2009 at 11:36pm: im 7' 2'' with my mohawk up so im wondering if the spikes will stay up when i go in the car.

Comment by Walker Skank on December 31, 2009 at 1:33am: glue and hairspray work pretty well. kinda shaves a whole lot of the microwave/boiling process away...entirely. but wet hairspray (rainy warped tour) gets in the eyes and is definitely no fun