Does bowl material play a part in lathering

[Memphis]

I use a very smooth ceramic bowl. And I started thinking that it is probably not the most conducive material to build lather. I would think a rough or textured finish would be more conducive to lathering as it would provide more resistance.

Anyone know if this the case?

 

[Mick]

It is "easier" if you use a bowl with a rough or lined inside but it is not critical.

I use smooth stainless steel bowls and scuttles with lines. I can get a great lather built in either.

 

[Songwind]

I'd say it makes an appreciable but not huge difference. Personally I think it's more about promoting bristle movement than resistance, but that's purely conjecture.

 

[jb4647]

I have a plastic bowl like this from a local grocer in Houston called HEB. It's hard plastic so perfect in case I drop it and the inside has a good texture for whipping up a lather. The little legs on the bottom aide in holding in one hand as well.

 

[ouch]

I've been using a molcajete and tejolote, but it makes everything smell like guacamole, so I'm stuck using Taylor's avocado.

 

[BarbaGnosa]

This is a topic about which I've also been wondering. I'd love to hear more from OUCH about his experiences with typically rough hewn/surfaced molcajetes, if he's not just joshing.

 

[Gingerbread]

I've used two bowls from the same company - one with a rough finish, one in a gloss finish - and the end product is the same. The rough whips up much more quickly.

 

[JFielder23]

I've been using a molcajete and tejolote, but it makes everything smell like guacamole, so I'm stuck using Taylor's avocado.

Too funny! I bet that thing works pretty well though, and would hold a good bit of heat... I may have to look for one of those (new... so I'm not stuck with using avacodo creams! Haha)

 

[Infernal2]

I tried a ton of different bowls before I got my scuttle. It seems shape of the bowl as it relates to the length of your brush that has the most consideration. One of the reasons I ordered my new brush is because my scuttle's depth makes it a pain to use put with a shallower bowl, I get incredible lather (even if that blasted brush sheds like a blasted angora).

 

[Occams_Razor]

I use a yellow plastic cereal bowl and my lather seems to come out very nicely. I think it's really just a matter of aesthetics once you get the lathering techniques down.

 

[vertelselaar]

I use a very smooth ceramic bowl. And I started thinking that it is probably not the most conducive material to build lather. I would think a rough or textured finish would be more conducive to lathering as it would provide more resistance.

Anyone know if this the case?

+1 here.
Too smooth a bowl makes it harder to lather. I'll get there in the end, but a bit rougher bowl works much quicker. I use ceramic, steel and hard plastic bowls and find this conclusion in every of those materials. As the other sirs wrote, dimensions may be a factor, as might be the shape of the bowl.

 

[sychodelix]

Roughness does catch some of the lather and keep it from slipping around too much, but any container the right size and shape for your brush should work.

 

[indytechnerd]

I use a bowl just like the one jb4647 uses. I picked it up for less than $2 at Walmart. I ended up raking some lines into it to beef up the texture. Dirty Bird appears to have a texture on the inside of their products. I would like to see a bowl about the same size as our WM salsa bowl, with bumps on the inside, kinda like what a golf ball would look like if you were looking at the shell from the inside.

 

[RobE]

 

[Charlie NJ]

I've been wondering this also, om mostly face lather but occasionally bowl lather. Can a rough surface shortin the lifespan of the brush ?

 

[Howl1nWolf]

Nice bowl and lather!

 

[rosskostron]

I also use a ceramic bowl and it seems to work just fine

 

[musicman1951]

There are surfaces which make the process faster, but you'll get there either way. You'll notice most scuttles have an indented pattern which helps.

I think having the right size bowl for your particular stroke size is more important.

 

[AceByTerror]

Well, I've made a couple of these bowls now with grooves and detailing carved inside. Initially I did it purely for cosmetic reasons, but no question I have noticed lather comes much easier to me now using the bowls with texture. I think it's akin to the same principles of an old fashioned laundry board. A little groove-assisted agitation goes a long way

 

[mikeadams]

I have a plastic bowl like this from a local grocer in Houston called HEB. It's hard plastic so perfect in case I drop it and the inside has a good texture for whipping up a lather. The little legs on the bottom aide in holding in one hand as well.

That's the exact bowl I'm using right now. Can always scuff the inside if I want a little more agitation. Works pretty well, plus doesn't clank with the brush and disturb the wife.

Steve