We talk about how awesome our soaps are, "exploding with lather", "slick as snot on a doorknob, "my bathroom smelled like a field of lavender"......you get the idea. Fast forward to the new Trumpers Eucris soap. For all that it seems to be an excellent new soap, how much play did its nifty black bowl get? I can't believe the marketers would think that something as simple as bowl color could appeal to traditional brush-wielding wetshavers like us, and influence our soap choice, could it? Nah. Impossible. Well. Maybe. Ok, I picked up MWF because of the dish. I can't be the only one, can I?
Appealing to Our Base Instincts
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Really MWF is the only bowl I see talked about regularly... and it's not necessarily good. I think the main reason you see it talked about is that it's an easily broken dish that nearly triples the cost of the soap. So even the people who talk about how they like it are probably only mentioning it because it's so absurdly priced.
Personally speaking - I cannot stand the whole tupperware bowl look.
I get the soaps in the bowl, or I get some nice quality aftermarket bowls, but I can't stand the idea of the plastic in my shave den. The road is a different matter.
So, in a nutshell, yes. The bowl makes a difference for me. YMMV
I get the soaps in the bowl, or I get some nice quality aftermarket bowls, but I can't stand the idea of the plastic in my shave den. The road is a different matter.
So, in a nutshell, yes. The bowl makes a difference for me. YMMV
There are very nice aftermarket bowls. I have three seperate japanese handpainted ceramic bowls I've gotten at yard sales for 25cents to $3. I think they were originally meant to hold powder or something, but they are dead perfect size and shape for tabac pucks. Then of course there are Old spice mugs. Lord I have so many of those. You aren't stuck with plastic if you don't pay for the "official" bowl. And frankly, I've yet to see a soap in bowl that looks even remotely worth paying ANYTHING for based on looks, much less any substantial amount (Ok, maybe those courtley bowls, but I'm talking modern stuff). Honestly, even a $1 milkglass ramekin from K mart looks a LOT better to my eyes than the MWF bowl. Frankly I feel that the best soap delivery mechanism (if you don't want an aftermarket bowl) is the good ol' fashioned unfinished (or natural finish) wood bowl, which coincidentally are available for purchase at a number of sources (mostly eBay sellers) for a few bucks. So now you reach the Penhalingons paradox. $35 + ~$7 or what $70(?) for the exact same thing. My mind... it is blown.
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I've flip-flopped - I used to never buy soap in the wood bowl, but now I do if the bowl is nice. I think it adds to the luxury aspect of my morning ritual, so if I do pull the trigger on the Eucris soap (which is highly likely), it will definitely be with the sexy black bowl.
I agree that there are limits - the bump in price to get a Penhaligons bowl is crazy - especially considering the new bowls are nowhere near as nice as the old ones, which were the nicest ones on the market (IMHO).
I agree that there are limits - the bump in price to get a Penhaligons bowl is crazy - especially considering the new bowls are nowhere near as nice as the old ones, which were the nicest ones on the market (IMHO).
luvmysuper said:
Me too, by the way, I did buy some MWF in a black bowl awhile back
Yes, quality aftermarket is what I was mainly going for.
I have some very nice silver plate bowls and some great cloisonne bowls complete with lids, even a Ralph Lauren Normandy Sugar Bowl which is perfect.
If the cost break is pretty even for the bowl included, I'm inclined to buy it with the bowl, but when it gets outrageous, as in your example, that's when aftermarket comes in handy.
I have some very nice silver plate bowls and some great cloisonne bowls complete with lids, even a Ralph Lauren Normandy Sugar Bowl which is perfect.
If the cost break is pretty even for the bowl included, I'm inclined to buy it with the bowl, but when it gets outrageous, as in your example, that's when aftermarket comes in handy.
Because I have grandchildren swarming around I keep my shaving tackle up high. After losing a couple of ceramic/glass bowls onto the ceramic tiled bathroom floor ('It was an accident Grandpa!') I eventually settled on a $3.50, 100 mm diam., plastic, screw topped food container as my soap bowl. Not elegant but it bounces.
Well, I certainly got MWF for the bowl 
I get a kick out of dropping a puck into a regular coffee mug. They look good and are replaceable. It's easy to find properly shaped ones, and it's easy to pop the soap out after letting it sit in the freezer for a bit. I don't have to switch out too often because I usually stick with a soap for weeks at a time before rotating.
I do like the look of the wooden soap bowls, but I stick to buying refill pucks, because the wooden bowls would only be for storage. A tupperware bowl is better for storage anyway, and they stay out of sight, so as not to offend my delicate sensibilities!
I do like the look of the wooden soap bowls, but I stick to buying refill pucks, because the wooden bowls would only be for storage. A tupperware bowl is better for storage anyway, and they stay out of sight, so as not to offend my delicate sensibilities!
No doubt about it.
Don't for a second think that the makers of luxury shave products don't take the image that packaging creates in to account. Heck, DR Harris offers their soap in two different woods. (Beech and Mahogany)
Any leg up they can get, they will exploit. Colors, scents, fonts, and shapes are agonized over.
There are dozens of other products in more utilitarian packaging that work as well or better like Cella, Palmolive stick, Proraso, Speick etc. They are marketed to more of the "Everyman", at least in their country of manufacture, and are priced accordingly.
They need to make a good 1st impression, and packaging plays a huge role.
The market for people who will pay $30, $40 even $70 for a bowl of shaving soap is relatively very small.
It has work on me a few times
Don't for a second think that the makers of luxury shave products don't take the image that packaging creates in to account. Heck, DR Harris offers their soap in two different woods. (Beech and Mahogany)
Any leg up they can get, they will exploit. Colors, scents, fonts, and shapes are agonized over.
There are dozens of other products in more utilitarian packaging that work as well or better like Cella, Palmolive stick, Proraso, Speick etc. They are marketed to more of the "Everyman", at least in their country of manufacture, and are priced accordingly.
They need to make a good 1st impression, and packaging plays a huge role.
The market for people who will pay $30, $40 even $70 for a bowl of shaving soap is relatively very small.
It has work on me a few times
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It seems like the only manufacturer of high end soap who could not care less about appearances is Creed. Awesome soap. Awesome scents. Lousy bowl. 
I love the nifty MWF dish (thanks, Jim), and think it's better than the soap itself, but every time I pick it up I know that it will eventually drop and smash into a million pieces.
I agree with Phil. To my way of thinking it is about presentation and enjoyment to my shaving experience. If one is a careful shopper MWF bowls can be found for under $35.00 with the soap. I have several pewter mugs and bowls as well as OS, Seaforth etc. Mugs. I buy soaps in wooden bowls when available. I have been wet shaving for many years so I have gathered quite a number of mugs and containers that I have reused for other products.
Enjoy your shave,
Doug
I currently have 10 soaps in my rotation and my two Mama Bears are the only ones in factory containers. I bought a puck of Tabac from a member here who packed it in a nice metal container with a screw on lid, the rest are in various Gladware type containers that cost a few pennies each.
I look at them for about a minute in the morning as I load a brush then they go back under the bathroom cabinet out of sight.
And they do bounce on the tile floor.
I look at them for about a minute in the morning as I load a brush then they go back under the bathroom cabinet out of sight.
And they do bounce on the tile floor.
Mine stay in glass pyrex bowls. I would rather have two soaps than one soap in a fancy bowl.
A nice looking bowl is important. It's the first thing people notice in my shave locker.
I like the wood bowls more than anything else. I even use wood Trumper bowls without the soap to work up tricky thick creams like SMN and AdP.
I used the trumper soap pucks to wash the dog anyway.
I like the wood bowls more than anything else. I even use wood Trumper bowls without the soap to work up tricky thick creams like SMN and AdP.
I used the trumper soap pucks to wash the dog anyway.
I like the MWF and Tabac bowls but echo the above sentiments; they're fragile and spike the fragility of my nerves. The soaps I have in my rotation are all stowed in standard issue wooden bowls. A puck of English Fern in a tupperware bowl feels something like desecration.
Yes, quality aftermarket is what I was mainly going for.
I have some very nice silver plate bowls and some great cloisonne bowls complete with lids, even a Ralph Lauren Normandy Sugar Bowl which is perfect.
If the cost break is pretty even for the bowl included, I'm inclined to buy it with the bowl, but when it gets outrageous, as in your example, that's when aftermarket comes in handy.
That's pretty nice. I like the height. My one complaint about the japanese bowls I use is there isn't lather room above the puck (letting lather run over the sides while you load the brush. Where do you snag those things? Now if the lid had a recessed handle making them stackable, that bowl would make me drool.
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