Like a lot of other people here, I can easily imagine how ordinary items can be re-purposed for use in traditional shaving. That's the first thing that immediately came to mind when I saw one of these "singing bowls" - that it would make a great lathering bowl so shortly thereafter I had one making its way to me from China. These apparently have been used for hundreds of years for meditation and healing in certain belief systems. I believe they make great lathering bowls!
These can readily be found on the internet and are often described as "copper singing bowls". It would be more accurate to call them brass. (copper + zinc) Some have elaborate designs and lettering on them but I opted for the plain brass as I was unsure of what substance the design was made with and how it would wear under regular use and regular exposure to soap and water. It's hammered brass so it has that pebbled indentation look both inside and out. The hammering is pretty smooth so its aiding in the lathering process is probably negligible. I ordered the 10.5 cm bowl which measures 10.5 cm on the outer diameter of the rim. The actual opening is 10 cm. (about 4") There is a notable jump in price (I paid $18.99 delivered) when you move from a 9.5 cm bowl to a 10.5 cm bowl but I don't think I'd want anything with less than a 10 cm opening as it would start to get a bit tight. At its widest point the bowl is 12.5 cm. (about 4-7/8") and it is about 6 cm (2-1/4") deep. It weighs in at 14.2 oz. My impressions:
+ It feels fantastic in the hand! It's curved in such a way that it conforms perfectly with the curvature of your hand. I love the thick, weighty feel of a solid piece of metal! It's not too heavy yet it conveys the feeling of something solid and substantial much like those who can appreciate drinking a cocktail out of a thick-bottomed lowball glass. The weighty feel makes it a more pleasurable experience.
+ It looks great and makes for an eye-pleasing addition to the bathroom.
+ The design, being wider in the middle than at the top and bottom, makes it a lot less likely to have "splash over" the edges when in the early stages of lathering using the "Marco method".
+ It transmits and retains heat very well for those who like to float the bowl in hot sink water for warmer lather. Since it's solid brass it's not going to break and it will be unaffected by exposure to soap and water.
+/- The rounded bottom will make the bowl wobble around like a Weeble ("Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!") when you place it on a hard surface. You may want to put it on a towel or washcloth on your counter top to prevent it from wobbling.
+/- You might want to mind and tighten your swirling pattern so that your brush does't hit the sides of the bowl. It will make a distinct "tinking" sound when your brush hits the sides. It may not bother you but it kind of annoys me.
- Because of it's weight and unbreakable nature you don't want to drop it. Dropping this bowl has the potential to crack tiles or damage a counter top or items sitting on the counter. The bowl doesn't get wet when I use it so slipperiness isn't an issue. Even when wet it's not very slippery.
+ It also works great for it's intended purpose!
I'm giving this bowl two thumbs up!
These can readily be found on the internet and are often described as "copper singing bowls". It would be more accurate to call them brass. (copper + zinc) Some have elaborate designs and lettering on them but I opted for the plain brass as I was unsure of what substance the design was made with and how it would wear under regular use and regular exposure to soap and water. It's hammered brass so it has that pebbled indentation look both inside and out. The hammering is pretty smooth so its aiding in the lathering process is probably negligible. I ordered the 10.5 cm bowl which measures 10.5 cm on the outer diameter of the rim. The actual opening is 10 cm. (about 4") There is a notable jump in price (I paid $18.99 delivered) when you move from a 9.5 cm bowl to a 10.5 cm bowl but I don't think I'd want anything with less than a 10 cm opening as it would start to get a bit tight. At its widest point the bowl is 12.5 cm. (about 4-7/8") and it is about 6 cm (2-1/4") deep. It weighs in at 14.2 oz. My impressions:
+ It feels fantastic in the hand! It's curved in such a way that it conforms perfectly with the curvature of your hand. I love the thick, weighty feel of a solid piece of metal! It's not too heavy yet it conveys the feeling of something solid and substantial much like those who can appreciate drinking a cocktail out of a thick-bottomed lowball glass. The weighty feel makes it a more pleasurable experience.
+ It looks great and makes for an eye-pleasing addition to the bathroom.
+ The design, being wider in the middle than at the top and bottom, makes it a lot less likely to have "splash over" the edges when in the early stages of lathering using the "Marco method".
+ It transmits and retains heat very well for those who like to float the bowl in hot sink water for warmer lather. Since it's solid brass it's not going to break and it will be unaffected by exposure to soap and water.
+/- The rounded bottom will make the bowl wobble around like a Weeble ("Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!") when you place it on a hard surface. You may want to put it on a towel or washcloth on your counter top to prevent it from wobbling.
+/- You might want to mind and tighten your swirling pattern so that your brush does't hit the sides of the bowl. It will make a distinct "tinking" sound when your brush hits the sides. It may not bother you but it kind of annoys me.
- Because of it's weight and unbreakable nature you don't want to drop it. Dropping this bowl has the potential to crack tiles or damage a counter top or items sitting on the counter. The bowl doesn't get wet when I use it so slipperiness isn't an issue. Even when wet it's not very slippery.
+ It also works great for it's intended purpose!
I'm giving this bowl two thumbs up!
