Bowl Lathering

[Big Jim]

I have always been a mug latherer from the beginning of my shaving days until recently. Just to experiment I tried some shaving creams and of course needed to bowl lather with them. It took a few tries but was easy enough to build nice thick lather this way. A few days ago when using a soft soap, Pinaud Clubman, I decided to try bowl lathering with it. It worked about the same as cream. Next I tried it with Cella, another very soft soap, and again it was successful. In both cases it took less soap than when mug lathering. Next I tried Lather and Wood, a harder soap, with the same success. This morning I tried it with Mitchell's Wool Fat and found it only slightly better than mug lathering, but I think it will improve with practice.

Anyway, I'm going to experiment much more and see what else I can learn. This might even convince me to try a scuttle.

Any hints on how to improve or your experience with bowl lathering would be appreciated.

 

[Ivo4u2]

I think you are already on the right track.
-texture or ridges in a bowl makes it easier to lather
-add drops of water to find the right amount. Some soaps need a lot.
-watch for that shine on the soap
-if you preheat a thick walled bowl, razor and brush with hot water a scuttle is not needed.
-some prefer circulair other lineair motions for building lather.

 

[JohnPS]

Bowl and brush is my absolute favourite way to lather.

Precise amounts of product, controlled water... can control density of the lather very easily and very consistent. Your product lasts longer for many reasons including dialling the exact amount you like to use per shave. You are not introducing crud and bacteria into it if you use a clean spoon. You can keep the scent of the product too as you don't need to air dry it out and again subject it to more environment, dust etc.

Bowl and brush is where it is at!

I use a bowl.... smooth. Brush doesn't bang around either.

I feel although it's slower to work up the lather, than with the ridges, I can more easily control the aeration of the lather and thus its density... it's all about slickness not foam... not how shiny it is... not how thick you glob it on... Slickness and that's it, that's where it's at. I'll keep saying that in my videos forever.

Not saying other methods aren't good. Love a face lather. But bowl and brush is my absolute favourite.

Buy a Japanese rice bowl and never look back.

 

[LJS]

Any hints on how to improve or your experience with bowl lathering would be appreciated.

Yes! Get a nice scuttle The rest sounds like you are doing fine.

 

[BigJ]

... you are doing fine.

+1! Keep at it as you are just about there!!

 

[Chevyguy]

I have always been a mug latherer from the beginning of my shaving days until recently. Just to experiment I tried some shaving creams and of course needed to bowl lather with them. It took a few tries but was easy enough to build nice thick lather this way. A few days ago when using a soft soap, Pinaud Clubman, I decided to try bowl lathering with it. It worked about the same as cream. Next I tried it with Cella, another very soft soap, and again it was successful. In both cases it took less soap than when mug lathering. Next I tried Lather and Wood, a harder soap, with the same success. This morning I tried it with Mitchell's Wool Fat and found it only slightly better than mug lathering, but I think it will improve with practice.

Anyway, I'm going to experiment much more and see what else I can learn. This might even convince me to try a scuttle.

Any hints on how to improve or your experience with bowl lathering would be appreciated.

Amazon has some inexpensive scuttles. I got mine from Q Shave for $21.99 shipped. I like my warm lather.

Clayton

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[Big Jim]

The Q Shave shuttle looks a bit small. Amazon shows it at 4" diameter and 2" deep. West Coast Shaving has a larger one that looks more promising. The bowl I'm using now is 6" in diameter and closer to 3" deep. My largest mugs are bigger than the Q Shave.

I'm really interested in a scuttle. Research has started.

 

[Phil E2]

My kids bought me the ceramic scuttle from WCS for Christmas. I was using a large BOSE promo mug the size of a giant cappuccino cup or soup bowl with a handle. It worked but my hand was always banging around inside the deep cup. The scuttle just blows up lather with any brush and I can fill the bottom with hot water for hot lather. I tried the samples from Chiseled Face and it took just a small amount of soap to make enough for six passes. The scuttle is great.

 

[Beefdrippings]

You’d be surprised what you can find at the dollar store. Yesterday I saw several ceramic bowls that would be perfect, but I’m kicking myself for not buying the stainless bowl with bumps. It was the perfect size for lathering!
Edit: as far as lather goes, there’s some good advice provided. For me I find brushing across the bowl, not just circular, gets things going better/faster.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

The Q Shave shuttle looks a bit small. Amazon shows it at 4" diameter and 2" deep. West Coast Shaving has a larger one that looks more promising. The bowl I'm using now is 6" in diameter and closer to 3" deep. My largest mugs are bigger than the Q Shave.

I'm really interested in a scuttle. Research has started.

I bought the Savanna Shave Scuttle from Amazon and haven’t regretted it a bit. Come summer, I’ll probably go back to my Captains Choice bowl. 4” is a good size. Not so big that you waste lather, but big enough to work up a lather.

https://www.amazon.com/Savanna-Shaving-Scuttle-Single-Mug/dp/B07STP76K9/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Savanna+Shave+Scuttle&qid=1612836477&sr=8-2

 

[FarmerTan]

I would recommend face lathering.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I would recommend face lathering.

I personally can’t face lather. I end up with brush burn on those rare occasions that the tremors have let me control the brush.

 

[FarmerTan]

I personally can’t face lather. I end up with brush burn on those rare occasions that the tremors have let me control the brush.

Sorry about that friend. I was born with a stainless steel face. And I like the scritch.

I was dropped on my head a LOT as a child. It's a lifelong recovery process.

 

[sternej]

I forgot which B&B member recently mentioned use a lot of water. I use mostly Tabac hard soap and offloag it to a lather bowl. Recently I've experimented with 'lots' of water. I get it to a fairly thin consistency and then lather it for a few minutes hard untill it gets thick again. This breaking down and building the lather back up seems to make the lather slicker or at least brush on more smoothly. Not sure if this would work with creams or other soaps.But now thinking about it I realize I've always done this with Arko tub soap.

 

[Ron R]

If a person has sensitive skin he should consider a bowl lather because he is prepping the bowl to get his lather correct instead of loading his brush transferring to his face and then experimenting with water and scrubbing his face until his lather is correct. It might be easier on the skin? Another important possibility is keeping your soap in better condition because some fellows have 30 or 50 soaps and adding water to the brush and then loading the brush from puck, residual soap and water is left and then the soap is put away for a month or two more than likely not the best idea.
With a bowl I just scoop enough soap or croap and press into the bowl and then start generating lather and basically paint on the lather or a gentle scrub with less scrubbing to face. I do face lather with stick soaps but its rarity because I enjoy preparing my lather to the way I like and know it works with a bowl. If you have never bowl lathered just grab a bowl out of the cupboard and try it.
Also I use my tailored modified ceramic bowl to heat my lather in the winter months, place the soap first in the bowl and then heat it up upside down for 20 to 30 seconds and then take your hot wet brush and now generate the lather, stays warm in the winter months until done shaving a 2 pass shave with pickups.

has work great for the last 4 yrs.
Have some great shaves! Stay and think safe in these times.

 

[Merle]

Is Georgetown Pottery still in business? Their scuttles are pretty darn good mojo.

 

[Big Jim]

You’d be surprised what you can find at the dollar store. Yesterday I saw several ceramic bowls that would be perfect, but I’m kicking myself for not buying the stainless bowl with bumps. It was the perfect size for lathering!
Edit: as far as lather goes, there’s some good advice provided. For me I find brushing across the bowl, not just circular, gets things going better/faster.

The bowl I'm using now was from the Dollar Tree a year or two ago. I have several mugs from Dollar type stores, but they don't always have an appropriate one in stock. I also sometimes find nice ones in Thrift Shops.

 

[DaveHStone]

I have always been a mug latherer from the beginning of my shaving days until recently. Just to experiment I tried some shaving creams and of course needed to bowl lather with them. It took a few tries but was easy enough to build nice thick lather this way. A few days ago when using a soft soap, Pinaud Clubman, I decided to try bowl lathering with it. It worked about the same as cream. Next I tried it with Cella, another very soft soap, and again it was successful. In both cases it took less soap than when mug lathering. Next I tried Lather and Wood, a harder soap, with the same success. This morning I tried it with Mitchell's Wool Fat and found it only slightly better than mug lathering, but I think it will improve with practice.

Anyway, I'm going to experiment much more and see what else I can learn. This might even convince me to try a scuttle.

Any hints on how to improve or your experience with bowl lathering would be appreciated.

By all means get a scuttle and try it out with both soap and cream... and then once you've tried it all, ditch it all out and start face-lathering. Nothing comes close!

 

[Chevyguy]

The Q Shave shuttle looks a bit small. Amazon shows it at 4" diameter and 2" deep. West Coast Shaving has a larger one that looks more promising. The bowl I'm using now is 6" in diameter and closer to 3" deep. My largest mugs are bigger than the Q Shave.

I'm really interested in a scuttle. Research has started.

The Q shave scuttle is plenty deep. I did a 3 pass shave and used my 26mm. Stirling Kong Synthetic. It fits my small bathroom vanity perfectly. The 4 inch scuttle is the standard size, I had one from the Straight Razor Place ten years ago and sold it when I had to downsize and relocate. It's nice having warm lather again.

Clayton


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[Chevyguy]

I would recommend face lathering.

It's hard to beat a warm brush and lather.

Clayton

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