My Colonel Conk shaving bowl is leaving stains on my bench

[Peter Mount]

It looks like the varnish is coming off and the wood is leaving stains. The stains are easily wiped off.

I’ve cleaned and dried the bowl as it’s due for a soap replacement. I’m thinking I should apply a coat of varnish to the outside of the bowl. Will that help?

Failing that, I might toss the bowl and just leave the Colonel Conk soap in the plastic container. I’ve noticed this bowl is no longer being sold on the websites I’ve looked at. I suppose I could look for a substitute bowl, the size of Colonel Conk shaving soap I have is 66.5ml or 2.25oz.

 

[StewB]

I would guess sealing the bowl would probably help, but I'm no expert. Col. Conk shave bowls are available on their web site, though: colconkproducts.com.

 

[gpjoe]

I would let it dry, lightly sand the outside, and spray it with a few coats of polyurethane satin finish from a rattle can.

Pretty simple fix, rather than tossing the bowl.

 

[ajkel64]

Any chance of some photos of the bowl? Interested to have a look at the problem bowl.

 

[Peter Mount]

 

[Peter Mount]

 

[Berwick12]

Yup. Depending on how intensive you want to go sanding staining and refinishing are in order. I'd do varnish or laquer over poly since it will be in a wet environment.

 

[Peter Mount]

Yup. Depending on how intensive you want to go sanding staining and refinishing are in order. I'd do varnish or laquer over poly since it will be in a wet environment.

Thanks. I’ll compare the cost of buying that stuff to the cost of just buying a new bowl.

 

[Berwick12]

It will be 1 million percent quicker easier and cheaper if you just buy a new one. If you refinish it you get that pride in saying, I did that, every time you look at it.

 

[rbscebu]

Just get some candle wax (bees wax preferred), rub it well into the raised ring on the base and polish. Cheap and easy. That should last many months or a year or more.

 

[Invicta]

I’ve cleaned and dried the bowl as it’s due for a soap replacement. I’m thinking I should apply a coat of varnish to the outside of the bowl. Will that help?

A coat of varnish is the easiest solution.

 

[Big Jim]

Buy a new one then seal it before you use it. I use a water based polyurethane on my wooden shave brush handles that holds up well to water.

 

[Tomo]

This is why I avoid wooden bowls for shaving soaps. The wooden bowls look great but ceramic, glass, some metals and plastic are better to the conditions.