I had a 10 month old blue roan cocker come in for grooming before Xmas. The owners want to have him handstripped, which I am happy to do and makes a nice change from the clip-offs that most clients want. Most of the handstripping I've done has been on terriers, so a different coat type. I have done a bit of handstripping on my own Sussex Spaniel but having had operations which resulted in most of her coat being surgically shaved, and she is neutered, she is now clipped.

Anyway back to the original dog! The black areas of his coat, along his back and body, and the front of his front legs are still very wooly (I assume puppy coat?) and seem stuck solid. I didn't force the issue, but no amount of plucking would remove any more than a tiny amount of the coat. He will be coming back in a couple of months. Would you think the wooly bits will be ready to come out then or am I doing something wrong?

Any tips would be appreciated.

At 10 months, most Cocker puppy coats are ready to shift but there's always the exception so it can take longer in some, specially heavy coated darker blues & blacks. Have you tried winding an elastic band through a fairly fine toothed comb as a stripping aid? I probably only actually pluck with finger and thumb on the head and to fine-tune areas I've already stripped out with a comb (either using a Spratts 76 Spaniel Comb or comb with elastic band) I probably would use thinning scissors on the front legs of a pet Cocker if very hairy (unless they want to show and/or you're willing to spend hours over several sessions to do everything by hand)

I used a Spratts 76 on him and it had no effect whatsoever and also finger and thumbed him, again nothing. His chest was badly matted from using a harness so has had to be cut. He is very heavy coated and I'm sure at the end of the day, as he is only a pet, they will find it easier if he is kept a bit shorter. It just seems funny that the black hair is still wooly, yet the white bits are beautifully smooth. I'll see what he's like in a few weeks.

Yes I'm sure as time goes on they will ask for him to be done shorter - it's still possible to do a smart pet trim without clipping but without handstripping totally too.

Would a Coat King be of any use? I had a pet cocker in before Christmas, like your one they didn't want him clipped, and I also found I had trouble stripping anything. The Coat King got some undercoat out and it all seemed to lie quite flat using that though.

fine if your not going to show your young dog but if you are im afraidit would have to be hand stripping
i know in springers if you dont hand strip ypou will end up with a curly coat that will go in all different directions

I Coat King my Yankee and his coat lies lovely and flat except I admit to curly bits on the shoulders unless I strip properly there. I'd assumed the OP's client was a pet dog as most show people would not take their dogs to a groomer, those of us who know how to handstrip etc are few and far between!