Best Cat grooming supplies?

I'm the one with the Persian who doesn't like being brushed. I have some grooming supplies for him but was looking at all the stuff on the internet and was wondering if some of these fancy newfangled dematters really work or are just not worth the money? I was looking for something that would make removing the matts less stressful for him.

Currently I have the following grooming supplies:

A metal comb with wide teeth on one side and narrow on the other.
A flea comb.
A comb with rotating teeth
A soft bristle brush comb (totally useless for a Persian , might be better for a cat with short fur)
A 12 pin rate comb ( I like this one. It seems to pull out the tangles nicely but doesn't work on matts)
An old beard trimmer(discarded by my husband) that's kind of noisy. Maybe some of the new ones sold on E-bay are quieter and wouldn't frighten my kitty so much? The one I have is getting dull too so it takes awhile to get a matt out.

I notice some of the dematters seem to have blades in them that split up the matt. Just wondering if anyone here has any experience using these things and what they feel is the best grooming tool for longhaired cats.

Matt splitters work very well.You use them to break up large matts into smaller clumps which you can then gently comb out using regular metal comb.If your cat really hates being groomed you may want to consider keeping her in a lion clip.It's a lot easier on him than constantly having to remove matts.I use a regular steel comb and a rake to remove any dead undercoat on my himmies

I have a lot of grooming tools that I never use - they dont work.
I find the wide-toothed metal combs such as you've desrcibed the one article that helps keep the coat matt-free.
A matt-splitter is also very helpful for when they do crop up.

Btw... If you do opt for the lion cut - I would advise against getting the tail shaved. Some groomers leave just a little pom-pom at the end.
The coat will grow out in about 4-5 months.. but the tail fur takes much longer.
I actually just had my persian done in a lion cut two days ago. She's such a tiny cat under all that fur - sort of resembles a white squirell now:eek:
Feeling pretty chilly too.. I'm trying to keep her as warm as possible. (she's an indoor cat) But this will last her six months or more - a break from the grooming she so hates.