The rumors are true, bringing back a favorite!

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

We have just begun building inventory on our original ceramic lather bowl. The hope is that by the first week in October or so we will have inventory of both colors - Gunmetal and Cobalt. These have been longtime favorites of customers for many years. It has not been easy but we have identified a potter with the skill set we need to deliver a consistent product in timely fashion. They make a great compliment to the copper bowl and provide interesting variety to the daily shave - win / win!

An important design element is lowering the sides so that the brush does not knock against it. When you lower the sides the lather will go right up and over the side unless... it has a nice concave profile to it. Then the lather curls right back inside where it belongs. Those grooves in the bottom help whip up the lather, it is sized to fit snugly in the palm, and the lip has just a bit of sass to it. The best part is the fingers curl securely right up along the convex side, becoming one with the hand. It doesn't get any better!

 

[EdHeart]

The cobalt is really beautiful.

 

[Lightcs1776]

I absolutely love my ceramic lather bowl. I was cautious, as I worried I might drop it. However, it works so well that I would happily buy another if my current one broke.

 

[JCinPA]

Oh yeah! Perfect timing, I just broke my favorite stoneware shaving mug a few weeks ago.

Can't wait!

 

[JCinPA]

When can we order, don't see them on your site.

 

[Stikeyoda]

I love the Cobalt - when will they be up on the site?

 

[Mustard Seed]

Dang. I absolutely love my Captain's heavy copper bowl. BUT... that black ceramic is gorgeous! MMMMMMMM

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

When can we order, don't see them on your site.

Just got the product pictures done and have activated the listing right here.

What we have in stock is limited to the Gunmetal and inventory is short on purpose. We need to be sure the glaze is dialed in and the little white accent frosting bits are perfect with the high gloss black as a base. So larger inventory will build and we ought to have more in a month when these run through.

I love the Cobalt - when will they be up on the site?

I would look for them in a month. We wanted to do a short run of the Gunmetal first to nail it down. Cobalt looks good so will proceed with those and in a month ought to have them available in the store.

 

[JCinPA]

Just ordered, Scott!

 

[Mustard Seed]

Wait! I have a gunmetal one from years back. Just remembered. Not as snazzy as the newer model but it will be fun to alternate it with my copper bowl at times.

 

[JCinPA]

Tuesday, September 17​

• Pre shave - shower
• Gillette 1947/48 Super Speed (USA)
• Gillette Platinum "Swede" #3 (Russia)
• Captain’s Choice Italia (USA?)
• Omega 10049 “Italian Barber” (Italy)
• Thayer's WH (USA)
• Cella red a/s (Italy)

8.5/10, CCS. Third time with the SS razor. It’s clearly not as efficient as some of my newer designs, but it is a really fun razor to shave with. I got the Captain’s choice as a sample when I bought one of his new lather bowls, and loved it. It is a very good soft Italian soap shave, close to but not quite as good as Cella—almost though! But the scent! Wonderful. I could see myself reloading with this instead of Cella just for the strength of the scent alone, the shave is good enough, loved it! The new stoneware bowls are awesome, too!

=====
This was my first shave with the new lather bowl! It is just about perfect, IMO. Fits my medium-sized hand perfectly, the mass of the stoneware holds heat for a bit, and I like the inward folded lip which keeps the lather from spilling out the side. I don’t know if the stoneware was textured or if the glaze fires with a pockmarked finish, but it is a perfect surface for bowl lathering. The scent on the Italia soap is wonderful!

The shave quality is very good, indeed. And I’m not a tallow acolyte by any means, Haslinger and S.V. Have shown me you can get great soaps with or without it. That said, I’d give a very slight edge, emphasis on the slight, to Cella for the shave, but it’s close enough I may end up reloading my Cella with this for the scent. Made in USA, and represents us well!

I like the color of the first bowls Scott sold, but when he ramps up with the other colors, I’d suggest you get one. I’m a hybrid latherer, start in the bowl, keep it a little thick, finish on the face. I still miss my beloved Celtic mug, but this bowl made me very happy! Highly recommended!

 

[Mustard Seed]

I have the heavy copper bowl but also the "old' original ceramic bowl. I mentioned this a few posts above. It looks like the newer ceramics are perhaps less in diameter than the old ones. My hand has difficulty holding the old one and it is somewhat heavy... BUT...... its works great just laying it on the counter and lathering my soap/cream. Still want a new one ( I do not need it) so I may give the older but very functional one to my son.

 

[Albert V]

These colors, especially the Cobalt, are beautiful

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

These colors, especially the Cobalt, are beautiful

Thank you, our Gunmetal and the Cobalt were top sellers for many years so we are glad to offer them once again.

The challenge is finding a potter who either has or can develop the glazes we need. Truly it is an art as we have seen over fifteen years now. For instance, there may be a dozen or so that look amazing next to the others that are just fine. "Why do these dozen look so other-worldly?" The potter usually shares some version of, "Well those were on the bottom rack in the kiln and that is not as hot as the rest of the kiln. Plus I had to open the kiln for a moment about half way through. And when I did it was a humid day outside but very cool. So the bottom rack got a fast blast of cool, humid air but just for twenty seconds or so..."

And I realize it can never be recreated. This is why I am no artist!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Scott, I'm glad you finally found a potter for your ceramic line... I use one of my two soap lockers every day, as I have two different kinds of pre-shave soaps melted into them.

I know I'm not that only one that uses your amazing copper bowls for decoration around the house instead of for their intended use..... I would be surprised to discover if anyone else has 4 of them, however. <eg> I just love looking at them in various places around our place....3 of them are in our TV room... and one sits on top of a butcher block with an open cabinet in our dining room.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Scott, I'm glad you finally found a potter for your ceramic line... I use one of my two soap lockers every day, as I have two different kinds of pre-shave soaps melted into them.

I know I'm not that only one that uses your amazing copper bowls for decoration around the house instead of for their intended use..... I would be surprised to discover if anyone else has 4 of them, however. <eg> I just love looking at them in various places around our place....3 of them are in our TV room... and one sits on top of a butcher block with an open cabinet in our dining room.

They are pretty cool, and have a vintage look unique to each one. And thank you Kim for being a customer.

It took us six months to get that design just right in copper, and we already had a starting point with the ceramic lather bowl. But metal is altogether different to work with. For instance, the Standard has a rolled edge on it. None of the others do since the others are of a heavier gauge copper. Only the lighter gauge of the Standard can be worked to roll over to form the edge and not split.

A lot of having a small business is multiple failures up front as you get closer. So it will take time and money. Then when you get to the end you just hope it sells. Often it does not but sometimes it does and that is just how it is. For instance, we have a sale going on right now for the first time in many years. Closing out slow moving creams, soaps, aftershaves as we bring in new items like our ceramic lather bowls, Traveler copper lather bowl, Polished copper lather bowl, etc.

 

[Albert V]

Size question. Your website states bowls measure 4 1/2" wide and 1 1/2" deep. Are these specs measured from the outside of the bowls, or inside. For example, do the bowls measure 1 1/2” deep from the counter to the top' or from the inside bottom to the top?

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Size question. Your website states bowls measure 4 1/2" wide and 1 1/2" deep. Are these specs measured from the outside of the bowls, or inside. For example, do the bowls measure 1 1/2” deep from the counter to the top' or from the inside bottom to the top?

Great questions and the listing has better clarity now that I have edited it. The key is these do not come out of a factory so there will be slight differences. Given that, the dimensions will be pretty close to the new description listed in our store here.

 

[Albert V]

Great questions and the listing has better clarity now that I have edited it. The key is these do not come out of a factory so there will be slight differences. Given that, the dimensions will be pretty close to the new description listed in our store here.

Much clearer. From the wording, can I assume the 1 1/2” deep refers to the internal depth, not external height?

 

[JCinPA]

I haven't measured mine, but I've used it for the better part of a week now, and I love it. I miss the one I broke, but mostly out of nostalgia, I like this lather bowl just as much. Very good design, very well-executed.