does the lathering bowl matter?
- Thread starter johnnyyt
- Start date
Sir, what really counts is your ability to make a proper lather. Hence, is a bowl necessary? No, it's not. Can it be helpful? Yes, it could. But only if you like to build your lather inside a bowl. If you want, you can get the same results making lather directly on face or in your palm. As about which type or size or bowl to use (if you decide to use one), only keep in mind that it has to be big enough for your brush.
I had difficultly lather with the small bowl that comes with the Van Der Hagen deluxe starter kit. I got much better results when using a cereal bowl or a large cappuccino mug.
But now I mostly face lather anyway.
But now I mostly face lather anyway.
I can make lather in a larger "cereal" type of bowl or one that fits into the palm of my hand. Overall it doesn't matter. In fact my small EJ brush and tiny bowl gave me an excellent lather made with Proraso Green soap. Don't be fooled by companies trying to sell lathering bowls for something like £30 just for the logo. Any bowl from the house can do it.
It can. It doesn't for me since I face lather. It's mostly a matter of using something that works for you. If your movement is severely constrained by the bowl then your lather will probably be affected, for example. A certain size and/or shape may work best for you. A certain material may work best for you as fear of chipping the bowl can impact how well you can build lather. If you prefer hot lather a scuttle may be better suited to you. If you don't know how these factors affect you then try some stuff that you already have around the house.
Not a dumb question at all but you can better answer this question for yourself than we can.
Last edited:
I agree the small bowl that came with the VDH Deluxe kit is too small to use to lather but it holds soap well and can be used to face lather. I use the VDH Apothecary bowl with my soap melted in the bottom and I get my brush loaded then face lather. My grandfather used to use one of my grandmother's silver serving bowls thus she got a new set and it was fairly large and he got great lather from it plus the metal really transferred the heat from the hot water. Disclaimer when using your wifes silver serving bowl be prepared to by a whole new set! 
Jim
Jim
I only use a bowl so i can put it on top of the water to keep the lather warm between passes
Depending on the cream or soap and brush combination a bowl can be helpful and the right bowl can add to the overall quality of your shaving experience. I flip between hand, face, and bowl lathering. I have used a number of bowls designed for shaving or not. After years of experimenting I recently settled on a Scottish quaich, a 4" horn bowl mounted in pewter. A Balanced size that works with all my brushes, is steady in hand, and looks great. I enjoy using it and it is an accessory that complements the rest of my gear. Only issue is my wife continually wants to redirect it to her uses. I see a second quaich in my future.
The effect on lather... Probably psychological, you have a better overall experience so you may perceive a better overall result. Perhaps you will focus more on creating the optimum lather and have the quantity for the desired passes. No doubt a very personal and subjective outcome. Only you can tell.
For a fast, effective, economical, utilitarian orientation to shaving, skip the bowl.
The effect on lather... Probably psychological, you have a better overall experience so you may perceive a better overall result. Perhaps you will focus more on creating the optimum lather and have the quantity for the desired passes. No doubt a very personal and subjective outcome. Only you can tell.
For a fast, effective, economical, utilitarian orientation to shaving, skip the bowl.
- Thread starter
- #11
thanks for all the replies. i guess it doesn't matter what bowl i use or if i use one at all, its more about my technique. i just prefer to make it in a bowl
the reason i asked about this was because starting out, i used a coffee mug to create my lather. the problem was that the mug was taller than its width..so it restricted me from making lather.
i used a porcelain bowl that i have at home to make the lather but to be honest, its not the nicest traveling item to bring along and its kinda harder to grip. some of you are against it but is there anything thats dedicated to making lather with a nice handle for some grip and wide enough to maneuver the brush?
the reason i asked about this was because starting out, i used a coffee mug to create my lather. the problem was that the mug was taller than its width..so it restricted me from making lather.
i used a porcelain bowl that i have at home to make the lather but to be honest, its not the nicest traveling item to bring along and its kinda harder to grip. some of you are against it but is there anything thats dedicated to making lather with a nice handle for some grip and wide enough to maneuver the brush?
Yes there's a number of producers that are well respected on the forum, that make either scuttles that hold water and keep water warm and/or shaving bowls/mugs. The ones that seem to pop up most often that you might be interested in looking into are Robert Becker, Dirty Bird, Georgetown Pottery.
Like you mentioned none of these things are really travel friendly; when I'm travelling I usually end up face-lathering or trying to find a small bowl or soap dish that will work to build lather in.
In the summer like the Wal-Mart $1.28 salsa bowl. It is light, plastic and cheap. In the summer, I generally face lather and use the bowl to soak my brush and then to dip the brush into for water for the lather. If I decide to bowl lather, this bowl works great for that too.
In the winter, I use a G20 scuttle and generally bowl lather. I like warm lather when it is cold out, but not when it is hot out.
In the winter, I use a G20 scuttle and generally bowl lather. I like warm lather when it is cold out, but not when it is hot out.
I found the same bowl in Dollar Tree and it works very well for that purpose.
I have a Colonel Conk ceramic shaving bowl with a lip to try to keep lather in, which I like. I also have 2 miso soup bowls for travel (1 that is pure woodgrain, 1 that is black melamine with a red interior and a Japanese design on the outside) that also work well.
As long as the size and shape work well (and the bowl doesn't get damaged by soap and water), then I think it doesn't make much difference. Scuttles or soaking a ceramic bowl in hot water may retain heat better, or putting a ceramic mug/bowl on a travel warmer.
As long as the size and shape work well (and the bowl doesn't get damaged by soap and water), then I think it doesn't make much difference. Scuttles or soaking a ceramic bowl in hot water may retain heat better, or putting a ceramic mug/bowl on a travel warmer.
Broke my Col Conk bowl and face lathered for the first time yesterday. Face lathering is awesome.
When I started, I purchased a $5 rice bowl from a Homeestore which I used for ages, the I got a GeoBowl which is great, but eh other day my Rober Beaker Scuttle arrived and its great. The rice bowl was good, but its so much easier in the RB scuttle.
There are many ways to make good lather. I bowl lather and use mugs and bowls from the potter and thrift shop. Shape and height matter to the extent that the lather should fit in the bowl but the sides should not bang your fingers or brush handle. For mugs, look at the vintage Old Spice mugs which are about right. The mug bottom should be flat to hold and store hard soaps. Bowls can be an inch or two wider and do not need the flat bottom if not used to store soaps. I transfer lather from mug or factory tub to bowl for mixing. A glass or ceramic bowl holds heat better than plastic or metal, but metal can work well in a warm water bath.
I also find the VDH bowl to be a bit too narrow, but it works OK for pre-soaking brushes. I like mugs to be slightly over 3 inches in internal diameter.
I also find the VDH bowl to be a bit too narrow, but it works OK for pre-soaking brushes. I like mugs to be slightly over 3 inches in internal diameter.
Last edited:
I find something with ridges or a bit of roughness inside makes lathering quicker than a glass smooth interior, but I don't think the quality is affected either way.
Similar threads
