The Perfect Lather Bowl

[seanusa]

I am in need of some advice on finding the perfect lather bowl. I realize that YMMV on a topic like this but wanted to see what other member use, pros, cons and general wisdom from experience. I currently have a Colonel Conk apothecary mug and an Edwin Jagger nickel rimmed porcelain soap bowl. I use both to bowl lather but feel like there is something missing in the shape, diameter and depth combo on both these. I feel like they would be better suited as a place to store a good puck of soap. If it makes a difference I usually use the Proraso or a TOBS tubs. My brushes are a Simpson special 1 in
best and a commodore x3 in best. Also I have a SOC boar brush. Feel free to show pics and give your two cents on anything bowl related as it could all prove useful to me and anyone to view this thread in the future. I don't know what I would do without B&B

 

[Mick]

I use two old stainless steel Danish gravy servers that came out of the back of my kitchen cabinet to make lather in. After trying lots of other bowls/mugs these seem to be the best that I have found. They are both marked Leonard Denmark 18/8 (stainless)

The large one is 5 3/4" across by 2 3/4" deep and perfect for my larger brushes like the Polo 12 and Rooney 3xl

The smaller one is 5 1/4" across by 2 1/2" deep and perfect for my smaller brushes like the Kent BK8

I've had these two bowls for 20 years or so. Never realized how useful they were until I joined B&B and started looking for more things to make lather in Before joining B&B I had always face lathered (always as in for the past 45 years)

If these look interesting you can go to the gravy boat section of eBay and type in either Denmark or Danish (or stainless if you want to wade through a whole pile of them) you will come up with a lot of them. The rim on the bottom makes it easy to hold and it catches any lather that over flows the bowl which helps keep things a little less messy in the shave den.

 

[BlackBear]

I too bought the EJ bowl, but you're right I found it too small and shallow for bowl lathering and not that easy to grip. I now just use it to hold a soap puck and bowl lather in this generic cereal/noodle bowl which I warm up in the sink, it works fine but I'm heading down the road of a scuttle as I do like my lather warm and in this thing it's losing too much heat by the 3rd pass.

 

[Legion]

Here it is. I mostly face lather now, but I found this in a thrift store. It could be nothing else but a lather bowl. Sloping sides, thick walls, textured inner surface. This was made for bowl lathering, and nothing else. Cost me $2.

Potters take note.

 

[seanusa]

Check out the Shaving Pottery Reference thread below.

It has lots of great pictures of the bowls, mugs, and scuttles being used by fellow members.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...Thread-(Scuttles-Bowls-amp-Mugs)-ADD-YOUR-PIC!!!

Nice thread but seems to be mostly scuttles and custom or semi-custom pottery items. I would like to touch on the bowl aspect a little more in this thread and I have no problems with a .50 cent latte mug from wall mart if that's what works for you, but I would like to know why you see it as the perfect lather bowl and what brushes you use with it as that can make a difference.

 

[luvmysuper]

The perfect lather bowl

 

[brucered]

custom dirty bird bill bowl and HERE

i find my stock one to tall and clangs around the brush. some have had julie make them shorter (click on above 2 links) and think that's what the perfect lather bowl looks like.

View attachment 309989 View attachment 309990

 

[rockviper]

Really loved this....

until this happened...

 

[seanusa]

oops!

 

[oldtrout]

Since receiving a DB scuttle from Julie I would not even think of bowl lathering in anything else. Warm lather is a luxury I like very much. I am considering purchasing a brush scuttle from Julie for when I face lather. I seldom face lather anymore because I love the warm lather so much. I know you are asking about bowls and not scuttles, but if you have room for a scuttle in your den you owe it to yourself to fill it.

 

[chilliman64]

I use 12cm x 5cm porcelain bowls I got at a discount store for $1.50 each (similar to the green one in post #2) - they do the job and if they break, pfft I'll just grab another! they work well with badger or synthetic brushes and when using cream or pucked shave sticks.

 

[Shutterbug57]

In the winter, I really like my G20 scuttle. When it is hot out, my $1.28 salsa bowl from Wal-Mart works great.

 

[whiteweed]

I like my Corelle rice bowl cheap and durable. However, I would like a scuttle.

 

[Kabong30]

The famous Walmart salsa dish. It costs about a buck and a half.
as referenced above.

 

[santamariasteve]

The "perfect" lather bowl is HIGHLY subjective. But there are some general guidelines:

It must not be too tall. It must not be too short. It must not be too wide. It must not be too narrow. It should be a color that will compliment or enhance the color of the soap in it. It should be attractive or attention-getting. It should be microwavable. And it must not be shatter-proof, because if you drop it on a ceramic tile floor you want it to easily break, rather than breaking a tile.

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[BIGFURM]

+1 on the salsa bowl. I also just picked up a pet water bowl that is a little less than 2 inches tall, is about 4 inches in diameter, has a rubber base and is made from stainless steel. I just whipped up some nice lather in it. Total cost: $3.16.

 

[bemiller]

I use a Commodore X3 as well, awesome brush. This is what I use.

 

[Dusty1]

Man, for a buck fiddy I gotta give the salsa bowl a whirl!

 

[spacegoast]

I was thinking of getting one of these:

It is 4.5in x 4.25in and stainless steel. Trying to stay away from something that will break, lol.
Link here http://www.cb2.com/stainless-steel-mini-snack-bowl/s613096

 

[temjeito]

I was thinking of getting one of these:

It is 4.5in x 4.25in and stainless steel. Trying to stay away from something that will break, lol.
Link here http://www.cb2.com/stainless-steel-mini-snack-bowl/s613096

That looks sweet! If you get it, let us know how it performs!