What makes a good shaving bowl

[Dru]

I've been looking to buy a new shaving bowl. I'm currently using a Stainless Steel bowl which does a great job but I can't help thinking there must be more to a good design. What should I take into account? Here's what I thought.

• Size - Must fit comfortably in the hand
• Weight - Not to heavy, but must feel "Quality"
• Age - Is old better?
• Material - Metal / plastic / ceramic
• Grip - Handle / finger or thumb ring / thumb pad / none
• Bowl - Flat or round profile
• Internal Texture - None / ribbed / nodules / swirls
• Finish - For ease of cleaning
• Sound - For those early morning shaves (clacking of a brush awakens the beast wife)

To this end what do people recommend or has anyone found an item that they have re purposed into an efficient shaving bowl.

 

[Rhody]

I dont use bowls but suggest you look at the captain lather bowls they get a lot of love here

 

[ajkel64]

I normally face lather but I recently bought a Captain's Choice Copper Lather bowl and I find it fantastic with shaving creams. It fits nicely in my hand and is not too heavy. You can get plastic ones with ribs inside to help you make lather. I prefer unbreakable ones as I have a tendency to drop things at the moment as I have a hand issue. Look around there is plenty available. You can even use a plastic soup mug.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Depends on your use. I face lather, and my mug/bowl is for holding soap, or brush soaking.

 

[rlroadie2004]

Check out Symmetrical Pottery on Etsy...

 

[SGH]

I’m real fond of the Captains Choice bowls. I know any ole bowl will work, but these look really good sitting on the counter.

 

[BigJ]

I face lather 99% of the time, so take this with a grain of salt!

A old cereal bowl works fine as a lather bowl when I need a change of pace.

 

[SGH]

If you like scuttles, I highly recommend Dirty Bird Pottery. She does excellent work on scuttles and bowls.

 

[shave/brush]

I like the bowl by Fine. (just do a search on Fine lather bowl.) It has ridges going across the bottom and sides which I believe is better than the swirl ridges in the Captain's Choice bowl. They come in 4 different colors. It also has a built in brush rest.

 

[nicked789]

The Timeless Razor Blue Shaving Bowl is superb. Bowls with internal ridges really make a difference to me. I ordered the one from Pereira also, based on a recent Sharpologist post.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Mexican salsa bowl?

 

[Aziraphale]

It also depends on your brush. Most of my brush's handles are too heavy to stay brush-side-down in a shallow bowl or scuttle. They topple right out. So depending on the heaviness of your brush handles, you might want something large enough for the entire brush to fit into.

 

[Dru]

There are a few local potters who make some bowls for food. They're very ornate (no pics unfortunately) but fit nicely into the hand. They've some patterning in the base which could help the lather build. Might give that a try.

 

[Canadian Mountain Man]

My 2¢'s

• Size - not hung up on a particular min/mix size but I do gravitate to something that's larger that will easily contain the lather
• Weight - should have some substance to it but not be part of my workout
• Age - vintage is preferred but don't eschew modernity
• Material - preference is for ceramic as it holds heat better but I like my metal bowls
• Grip - The big silver bowl has two loops that work well to hook a thumb into and get a very good grip even if its wet. The Fine bowl is good but can get a bit slippery.
• Bowl - parabolic arch
• Internal Texture - some sort of texture, no preference of what but can be subtle and still be effective
• Finish - glazed or polished
• Sound - something tuned to D flat

Favorite bowl measures 6 1/2" in diameter at the top, a height of 3 1/2" and weighs a hefty 450g

 

[Mempho]

I' ve used salad bowls and soup bowls and dog bowls but a couple of years ago I bought a real live handmade shaving bowl, $27. I don't regret it. Here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Blu...57&sr=8-4&keywords=jay+shaving+lathering+bowl

Jay has a website too, with a wider selection.

 

[Dru]

That ones really nice. I'm thinking a pottery one might be the way for me to go as it could keep the lather warm. If I don't go this way then a scuttle may be the answer

 

[Adam18]

5" across the top, 4" across the bottom, 1.5" deep. Concentric circle ridges inside, perfectly comfortable in
my left hand while I'm lathering the brush in my right hand. $12 (USD) from the artisan at a local crafts fair.

 

[Dru]

It's nice and good to be supporting local crafts

 

[Twelvefret]

Small bowls that I can palm while loading the brush.

 

[Invicta]

To this end what do people recommend or has anyone found an item that they have re purposed into an efficient shaving bowl.

I have used a rice bowl in the past but now almost exclusively use a scuttle; the warm lather is great in winter. You can improve your bowl with a few "dents" applied with a ball pein hammer around the base and halfway up the sides.