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Shaving bowl - big difference

This is my third but by far the best shaving bowl I have, both in looks and performance. Captains' Choice heavyweight copper.

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The right bowl makes a difference.
I tried several special ones but so far my trusty granite mortar beats them senseless
It is heavy, but heat it with water and you have a scuttle.
But best it’s slightly rough internal surface helps speed up the lathering.
And the Round bottom is comfy lathering. You need a long handle brush though and you might hit the walls.
Pereira bowl is still on my wish list though. As is the captains.
Maybe this year...

So far mwah
Paa unbreakable scuttle
Van yulay honeycomb bowls.
 
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What? Natural? Obvious? I only heard about bowl lathering ~13 years ago here on B&B. And I don't practise it. I have been shaving for 35 years. I tried bowls a couple of times some 10 years ago, but this is more time consuming for me. Heck, I am even not a big fan of the soaps in bowls, because it takes me more time to do, say, 80 whirls in the soap first.
When you see your Barber doing it daily for a living then it can’t be that wrong ;)
Anyway that’s how I started out but live and learn...
 
I use wooden coconut bowl 90% of the time, it makes good lather and it's simple to use, plus I store some small things in it while I'm not using it
But for cold days I use this scuttle I found, it's a bit small for lather, but it's good for soaking brush
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I started bowl lathering with a tiny 3” stainless steel bowl and then graduated to the Captain’s copper bowl boy was it a game changer. Now I had room to build the lather and the ridges work great for that purpose. When this last winter rolled around, I picked up a cheap scuttle on Amazon and again experienced the world I though not possible. Now I have a nice warm lather every shave. When it gets warm, I’ll go back to the Captain’s bowl but until then...
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
I use the bowl in my Georgetown G12 scuttle. That warm lather is so wonderful on a cold winter day. It's a good place to soak a boar brush and also to clean one when the shave is over.

I also use my face for a bowl. As I do all my prep in the shower, there is zero difference in the shaves. But if your prep isn't quite finished face lathering is an excellent chance to do that job. It definitely presents a better chance to make a bit of a mess. But there is something old school about it that I find attractive.

I only do two passes with face lathering. The lather gets colder and colder, and it's much easier to hold the extra lather in the scuttle.

Whatever works for you is good. Either way you can get the same lather if you practice enough times.
 

linty1

My wallet cries.
I like bowl lathering, although once I have my lather, I will sorta circle the lather brush on my face for a bit too, currently going back and forth between a db scuttle and a fine bowl. I ordered a pereira bowl for its higher walls.

Hey @Ad Astra is that one of those marble bowls? and its got a bit of a roughed up inside? How do you like it?
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
I like bowl lathering, although once I have my lather, I will sorta circle the lather brush on my face for a bit too, currently going back and forth between a db scuttle and a fine bowl. I ordered a pereira bowl for its higher walls.

Hey @Ad Astra is that one of those marble bowls? and its got a bit of a roughed up inside? How do you like it?
Hmm? The only one I pictured was a Timeless bowl in gray. They're a rubbery plastic.

I generally use metal bowls, they hold heat.

Fave:

full



AA
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator

Oh! 🤔That's simply a soap storage bowl, not a lathering bowl. It is marble (maybe) from Target. One loads soap from that one, then whips up a mess in the larger, flatter lather bowl. (Or the Timeless one).

Good example of the difference between the two types of soap bowl. Really, the marble one is just a storage container.


AA
 
I have always face lathered, never thought about getting a bowl. I was fortunate to win the Captains Choice non US Pif which included a bowl. Not knowing what to expect I asked for a bowl of their discretion so I don't know what I will receive. I can't wait to try bowl lathering when it eventually arrives. Tracking shows it still in Chicago.
 
Then I discovered a scuttle... Oooooooh... Warm lather.
Scuttles are a big game changer!!! I use a kitchen water heater with a narrow curved spout set to 156 degrees to fill a QSHAVE scuttle, to bloom Mitchell's Wool Fat soap in a separate container and fill a small plastic coffee cup to pre-heat a synthetic brush. It is like shaving in heaven!
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Scuttles are a big game changer!!! I use a kitchen water heater with a narrow curved spout set to 156 degrees to fill a QSHAVE scuttle, to bloom Mitchell's Wool Fat soap in a separate container and fill a small plastic coffee cup to pre-heat a synthetic brush. It is like shaving in heaven!
Smart idea!
 
I use a ceramic bowl I picked up while on vacation in Israel. It was a little too smooth though and I added about 20 silicone glue dots into the pattern. It's been over 2 years of regular use and it is holding up perfectly... none of the dots have come off and it whips up a mean lather. That being said... I still want a heavy Captains Choice... they look cool, have a great reputation, and I won't be so afraid of breaking a souvenir.
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i face lather because back when i was shaving every day very early in the morning pre-covid it saved me time vs bowl lathering and then applying to face. Also i can dial in the water/soap ratio just as easily on face as in a bowl. I guess if you are lathering on the puck then it becomes difficult.

But i have to say i do like some of these ceramic bowls.

Enjoy!
 
It was a little too smooth though and I added about 20 silicone glue dots into the pattern. It's been over 2 years of regular use and it is holding up perfectly... none of the dots have come off and it whips up a mean lather.

That seems a superb idea.
 
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