Don't forget Julie at Dirty Bird. She makes a scuttle that really holds the heat. I recommend her brush scuttle if you face lather.
Clayton
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Bowl Lathering
- Thread starter Big Jim
- Start date
Clayton
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My biggest words of advice would center around enjoying your shave. All kinds of good advice has already been given, but it comes down to finding a bowl you like. I use an old wooden soap bowl. Other bowls would probably work much better as far as generating lots of thick rich luxurious lather without a doubt. But personally, I like the wood. It fits my personality better and it suits the decor of my shave den. (Den being a very generous term for walk in closet converted into a half bath.)
One thing I like to do, particularly with harder soaps, is to press a small amount of the soap into the bottom of the lathering bowl and then add just enough water to barely cover the soap. Then I take a shower and while I'm showering the soap is getting nice and soft and gooey. It seems to make the process of building lather start out a little more quickly. Just make sure you don't add too much water in the beginning.
My suggestion is not not go cheap. You're buying quality hardware. Pay the price and it'll last for years. Here's mine:
This is the XL SWK scuttle. I purchased this YEARS ago from Mama Bear (I think!), and it has become an integral part of my daily shaving ritual. Traveling is the only time I don't use it.
It has a massive inner mixing area, and is surrounded by an equally large "jacket" that holds A LOT of hot water, and it can handle some pretty high temperatures. I pre-warm the scuttle with hot tap water while the tea kettle heats up my water, then replace that water with the heated kettle water. Not boiling, but I would guess it's between 160 to 180 degrees. Both soaps and creams work, but I'm one of those lunatics who only uses one soap... right now, that's Vitos.
Both Georgetown and Dirty Bird appear to offer quality scuttles, so don't dismiss them. Here's a link for SWK:
Schwarzweisskeramik
At the current rate of exchange, an XL scuttle would run you a little over $100. I think shipping from Europe would be where they'd really nail you, though. It's a high quality product. I've never dropped it, but its been banged into things with no ill effect. I've had it so long I just take for granted that it's here. You can also use it as a defensive weapon in case of home invasion
.
I recently switched to a bowl from Kroger's Mason dishes. The bowl ran $1.99 (USD) and is works quite well. The pennies are glued to the bowl's bottom using a super glue product.
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View attachment 1219944
Bowl lather is my preference by a wide margin. It's generally less messy (for me, obviously everyone's mileage may vary with such a personalized process with so many variables) and conservative with soap but I also hate scrubbing my face with a brush.
Material is important. I have many metal, plastic, and melamine bowls but my favorites are all ~6" wood bowls.
Wood gets better grip when wet while most materials get worse grip while wet. Wood is less loud and has a duller sound when contacting counter or sink surfaces excepting for maybe plastic. Wood is an excellent insulator. Most wood bowls have a slight grain that helps with building lather. If you would like you can also take a drimmel tool or similar and easily give a wood bowl more or less texture inside for more aggressive lathering or outside for better grip, though I've never decided to go ahead with this.
I start with a loaded brush a just a little water to keep the lather smooth and minimize large bubbles. I just add more and more water as the soap takes it up until I get to my sweet spot, a nice wet, slick lather that still has good body. I like to have slightly jiggly peaks.
The great thing is you can try them all and decide what works best for you! It's interesting to keep an eye out for a good bowl with nice shape and size in hand and whatever grain or material piques your interest.
Cheers!
-Paul
Material is important. I have many metal, plastic, and melamine bowls but my favorites are all ~6" wood bowls.
Wood gets better grip when wet while most materials get worse grip while wet. Wood is less loud and has a duller sound when contacting counter or sink surfaces excepting for maybe plastic. Wood is an excellent insulator. Most wood bowls have a slight grain that helps with building lather. If you would like you can also take a drimmel tool or similar and easily give a wood bowl more or less texture inside for more aggressive lathering or outside for better grip, though I've never decided to go ahead with this.
I start with a loaded brush a just a little water to keep the lather smooth and minimize large bubbles. I just add more and more water as the soap takes it up until I get to my sweet spot, a nice wet, slick lather that still has good body. I like to have slightly jiggly peaks.
The great thing is you can try them all and decide what works best for you! It's interesting to keep an eye out for a good bowl with nice shape and size in hand and whatever grain or material piques your interest.
Cheers!
-Paul
In terms of a shaving scuttle, or ceramic bowls generally, I haven't found them to be worth the weight.
I have a very nice, large scuttle from Doug Smith pottery similar to this one. Shave Scuttle Mug Large Lather-Warming Ceramic Traditional | Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/listing/171727242/shave-scuttle-mug-large-lather-warming?ref=shop_home_active_43&frs=1&sca=1
In terms of it's finish and quality I really can't fault it in any way. It's really beautiful and functions perfectly. The internal walls and diameter are slightly steeper and smaller than I'd like but it's got enough room. The spout works just great and doesn't easily let water out unless intentionally.
But... it is heavy and, in my experience, I've never really felt like the difference in warm lather was a huge "wow!" experience. Warm lather is nice, but not nice enough (for me) to deal with the process of heating it up and keeping hot water in it.
-Paul
I have a very nice, large scuttle from Doug Smith pottery similar to this one. Shave Scuttle Mug Large Lather-Warming Ceramic Traditional | Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/listing/171727242/shave-scuttle-mug-large-lather-warming?ref=shop_home_active_43&frs=1&sca=1
In terms of it's finish and quality I really can't fault it in any way. It's really beautiful and functions perfectly. The internal walls and diameter are slightly steeper and smaller than I'd like but it's got enough room. The spout works just great and doesn't easily let water out unless intentionally.
But... it is heavy and, in my experience, I've never really felt like the difference in warm lather was a huge "wow!" experience. Warm lather is nice, but not nice enough (for me) to deal with the process of heating it up and keeping hot water in it.
-Paul
Since starting de shaving, I face lathered. I did try bowl, but found it difficult !. Probably because it was a smooth earthenware one lying about the house! However, for the past 2 weeks, I have been lathering creams in a proper fine accoutrements bowl with ridges and get better lather than I ever did face lathering. The shave is close and a bit more comfortable too.
Also, you get loads of lather with half the amount of cream or soap. Load the brush and add water drop by drop . Creamy lather in no time.
Also, you get loads of lather with half the amount of cream or soap. Load the brush and add water drop by drop . Creamy lather in no time.
A little table for shave bowl material characteristics. What do you guys think? Agree? Obviously exceptions are possible. For example, plastic and melamine can have as much character as anything but I'm trying to judge the average for that material and they typically have none, also while metal won't shatter it could dent... stuff like that. Obviously it's also not meant to deem any material as supirior, though this table of course reflects my opinions.
| Shave bowl material characteristics | |||||
| Wood | Ceramic | Plastic | Melamine | Metal | |
| Durability (breakage from drops) | 9 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Noise (hitting something) | 9 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Character (original uniqueness) | 10 | 4-10 | 2 | 2 | 2-4 |
| Insulation (not heat capacity) | 10 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 1 |
| Wearability (gains patina) | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Lather assist (grain or dimpling) | 8 | 1-5 | 1-3 | 1-3 | 1-5 |
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Lefonque
Even more clueless than you
+1
I've tried face lathering but simply prefer to use a bowl. I use a 6", smooth bottom, ceramic bowl I got from Target for $2 and have no issues with getting a decent lather with any soap I've tried. I have another smaller, fancier, much more expensive ceramic bowl with a ridged bottom, thumb-button and all that which I like as well, but I didn't find the ridges particularly helpful and the larger bowl is big enough to store my Stirling soap jar.
- Thread starter
- #32
Follow-up on a scuttle. SWMBO gifted me a naked armor scuttle for Easter and I shave with it this morning after unwrapping it. Really nice. It is a bit smaller than my lather bowl so I may not use it with my biggest brushes, but it was wonderful this morning with a 26mm synthetic. Nice warm lather for all three passes. Nice consistent warmth.
I don't scuttle, I have just a stainless steel double walled bowl, works great.....I just hammer it with the brush and I always seem to be able to make a great lather.
But to each their own you know.
But to each their own you know.
I tried that with MWF, and got a good result and zero irritation with the slicker lather. MWF is the best performing soap I have tried so far.
If you're still looking at options for a bowl, there's many to choose from. I used mugs then cereal bowls before getting a Captain's Choice copper lather bowl over a year ago. It's the last lather bowl I'll ever need. It's perfect for me! Wide bottom so I can easily swirl my brush, circular ridges to aid in making lather, & the copper just looks cool!
Me too
I just ordered one. She was delightful to deal with and helped me to select one of her new color combinations.
Bowl lathering just doesn’t seem to be for me. I have a Captain’s Choice heavy copper bowl that looks great and makes great lather but my preference is for face lathering.
I use my Captain's Choice Copper Bowl almost every day:
I was always keen on a Captain’s choice lathering bowl but these are quite expensive in Europe. Therefore, I lathered for years in a IKEA muesli bowl and it worked fine. Since quite a while I am nearly 100% face lathering. Works fine, too.
Enjoy your shaves!
Enjoy your shaves!
