How long do wooden soap bowls last with daily use?
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They should last decades.
When mine start looking shabby I hit them with some shoe polish and they look new again.
Just make sure you "buff off" all of the polish unless you want a brown lather (trust me on this part)
When mine start looking shabby I hit them with some shoe polish and they look new again.
Just make sure you "buff off" all of the polish unless you want a brown lather (trust me on this part)
Just make sure you "buff off" all of the polish unless you want a brown lather (trust me on this part)
That gave me a good laugh. Mainly because I could see myself doint the same thing lol
When mine start looking shabby I hit them with some shoe polish and they look new again.
Just make sure you "buff off" all of the polish unless you want a brown lather (trust me on this part)
Wait, doesn't shoe polish contain lanolin? Hmmm, ... I think you may be on to something here.
OldSaw
The wife's investment
They should last decades.
When mine start looking shabby I hit them with some shoe polish and they look new again.
Just make sure you "buff off" all of the polish unless you want a brown lather (trust me on this part)
Wait, doesn't shoe polish contain lanolin? Hmmm, ... I think you may be on to something here.
What about neutral polish, I wonder how that would work?
Any suggestions on getting the Sticker (C&E)
off the wooden bowl
off the wooden bowl
Instead of shoe polish, try a wash with Murphy's Oil Soap. It has a wonderful revitalizing effect on table tops and cabinet surfaces, and I imagine that it would work well with a wooden bowl, too.
I found 4 old wooden Yardley soap bowls (no soap left) and refinished them.
4 different finishes.
The great thing about wood is you can always redo it.
4 different finishes.
The great thing about wood is you can always redo it.
The reason I use shoe polish is that it is 1: very easy (just put it on and wipe it off) 2: it is wax so water proofs and protects the outside.
Even a wood butcher like me can't goof up too much with shoe polish
Even a wood butcher like me can't goof up too much with shoe polish
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I took a Trumper sticker off with Goo Gone.
I've used Butcher Block oil on the outside and it seems to keep water from soaking in. Also, since it's meant for cutting boards/food prep I figured it wouldn't be too bad on my skin if I was sloppy and got a little inside the bowl my mistake. Seems to work pretty well. I've also used Johnson's Paste Wax because it's really easy.
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the bowl is for storage of the soap. You should load your brush in the soap bowl then either take the loaded brush to your face to build your lather or put your brush into a lather bowl or scuttle to build your lather.
If you do this, you will end up with lather that looks like this
wd 40
the bowl is for storage of the soap. You should load your brush in the soap bowl then either take the loaded brush to your face to build your lather or put your brush into a lather bowl or scuttle to build your lather.
If you do this, you will end up with lather that looks like this
Oh, sure...a scuttle...something else to spend money on. That was helpful!! And I'm afraid I've managed to hijack the thread...sorry to the OP and others!
Well, seriously and to be more precise, I still find LOADING the lather in the wooden bowl (with or without the intermediate use of a scuttle) to be inefficient and messy. I already take the loaded brush to my face for full lathering and get a lather as rich and delicious as yours...so there!
In short, I understand and respect your methodology/preference and love, as I said, the esthetics of a nice wooden bowl, but a nice mug for storage and vigorous lather loading works better for me.
YM obviously V!
This is in my to-do projects to turn a wooden bowl one day and varnish it well so it lasts for a few years. I got one who wasn't designed as a shave soap holder and it did well. The varnish was too thin and it ended up turning black but it wasn't smelly, no fungus, no soft spots. I ended up recycling it as it was broken. I prefer shave sticks 
rolleyes but having a puck of soap is always nice.
rolleyes but having a puck of soap is always nice.
Yes as turtle mentioned. The wooden bowls are just for storage. They were usually for higher end soaps (marketed as such, unknown if the ingredients tended to be different at the time) or luxury lines from soap makers (Williams mostly sold cup-pucks and sticks, but they had a line sold in a wooden bowl at times).
I'm only speculating but I think the idea was that sticks and cup soaps (high steep walls around the puck like old spice mugs and tabac dishes) encouraged using more product so they were fine for cheaper soaps. But "luxury" soaps demanded thrifty use and a handsome display that would fit in with your wive's bathroom decor (as nice as barbershop mugs are, I'm sure some women would object to seeing them on their bathroom counter), so the soap bowl with lid was born.
And if you're really having soap get out of control while loading from a bowl, I'd recommend either loading with a slightly drier brush or else with less pressure and plenty of water (the italian barber technique Marco posted). I find that when I load, I get at worst a couple thin trails dribbling down the sides of the bowl, and a quick wipe with a cloth cleans them up just fine.
I'm only speculating but I think the idea was that sticks and cup soaps (high steep walls around the puck like old spice mugs and tabac dishes) encouraged using more product so they were fine for cheaper soaps. But "luxury" soaps demanded thrifty use and a handsome display that would fit in with your wive's bathroom decor (as nice as barbershop mugs are, I'm sure some women would object to seeing them on their bathroom counter), so the soap bowl with lid was born.
And if you're really having soap get out of control while loading from a bowl, I'd recommend either loading with a slightly drier brush or else with less pressure and plenty of water (the italian barber technique Marco posted). I find that when I load, I get at worst a couple thin trails dribbling down the sides of the bowl, and a quick wipe with a cloth cleans them up just fine.
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