Bowl lather'rs... What are your preferences?

Discussion in 'General Shaving Talk' started by MikekiM, Nov 24, 2012.

  1. MikekiM

    MikekiM Well-Known Member

    I totally agree that there there are no rules, but I am rekindling my bowl lathering and I am curious what your favorite combinations look like. I used to lather in a big cereal/soup bowl. it is about 4.5" across and about 3" deep. Its side slope out and then up and the bottom inside is smooth. So there isn't much cavitation to add fluffiness and the lather climbs up the sides of the bowl. I just took possession of a Dirty Bird Bill Bowl.. Size is perfect, the inward slope of the sides help keep lather in the bowl where it should be and the spiral on the inside bottom help pull air in; an aide to fluffier lather..

    If you are a bowl latherer..

    - do you prefer soap, cream or crope?
    - load the brush or decant to the bowl?
    - Badger, boar, horse or all?
    - warm bowl or cold?

    Any tips you would like to offer as I re-engage the bowl?
     
  2. Turk

    Turk Well-Known Member

    Congrats on the DB. I may not use my scuttle much but when I do, I use a DB and find that creames work best for me. I put a dab about the size of an almond in the DB and whip up the lather. When I use my DB, I make sure that it has hot water in it so it keeps the lather nice and warm.
     
  3. iambatman85

    iambatman85 Well-Known Member

    I found a great looking latte mug at Target for like 3 dollars. Works perfect. I even find that the little handle helps hold onto the cup while I'm whipping up some lather. I have no preference for cream or soap, I use whichever strikes my fancy as I'm looking in the cabinet in the morning. I do like to warm the cup up in hot water and let my brush soak before use. Most days I float it in a sink full of hot water to keep the lather warm while I'm shaving. I tend to use my badger but like to use a boar brush for variety every once and a while. If I'm using cream I put it right into the cup. Soap I like to load first then into the cup.
     
  4. Neolithium

    Neolithium I am Canadian, eh

    I used to use my Old Spice vintage shaving mug from the 40's. That is not an option anymore since I've grated a puck of soap into it, so I just go with a plastic mixing bowl (smaller 4" size) because my wife hasn't noticed it missing yet. When she yells at me I'll switch to one of the other cereal bowls until the next round of "WHERE THE HECK IS MY BLOODY BOWL!!?!?!?!?!?". Then the cycle will continue ;)
     
    JRod22, Monkeylord, Suisse and 3 others like this.
  5. Latherman87

    Latherman87 Well-Known Member

    This is my little shave cup/bowl.....dont know exact dimensions but its about 3.75'' wide by 2'' deep. I got it from an antique mall for like $4 I believe, its a VERY good bowl to lather in....retains heat well from submerging it in the sink while I shower. It also has a kinda textured surface....not rough but just enough to make it not be smooth, whips up lather great and the little finger hole I use for my thumb. This thing will lather any soap,cream, or croap you can toss in it, so I don't prefer one or the other when it comes to whipping up in this puppy. Not all that pretty..it was pretty banged up when I bought it as you can see one of the many dents on the inside lol but its probably one of my top 3 best investments iv made for my den.
    photo-33.jpg
     
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  6. Latherman87

    Latherman87 Well-Known Member

    I figured I might as well show off the rest of my collection lol most of these may be familiar brands to you all. I think I may get rid of a few of em. I never use 3 of em.
    photo-34.JPG photo-35.JPG photo-36.JPG photo-37.JPG photo-38.JPG
     
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  7. Bird Lives

    Bird Lives Future Root Beer King of Turkey

    I smashed an Arko Shave Stick into an empty plastic face cream jar with a screw on top...I just hold my brush under hot running water for a few seconds...shake off excess and hit the soap in a circular motion...within seconds the brush is loaded with 3 passes worth of lather easy...

    After shaving I rinse out the brush and screw the top on the jar...

    This system is also great for traveling...The face cream jar rocks for carrying and lathering my soap and I carry my Omega Baby-Pro boar in a pill bottle with a snap on top with a few holes for ventilation...
     
  8. Barrylu

    Barrylu Well-Known Member

    For me I have a small smooth nickle plated metal bowl. I soak it in hot water before my first lathering and then reheat the brush in the bowl by floating the bowl in hot water before lathering for the 2nd and third pass. I load my brush with one of several DR Harris solid soaps. I am currently breaking in my new Semogue 730 HD silvertip badger brush and am very satisfied in the way the brush has been performing. I have high hopes for this brush
     
  9. ChiefShaver

    ChiefShaver Well-Known Member

    I got a little coffee mug.I also have a nickel plated metal bowl.It is not often that i use a bowl...In the last months i usually did Face-lathering.The massage effect of my Omega Boar is sensationell.I love it.When i´m in hurry or when i´m not in the mood for face-lathering than i use the mug or my bowl.
     
  10. fishcrow

    fishcrow Birdman of TSD

    I use both a cereal bowl and a re purposed mug. I use the bowl more often, the bowl is a bigger seems to lather up better.
    I bowl lather creams and soaps, I use both boar and badger brushes to lather with both are successful.
     
  11. Ryan B

    Ryan B Knight of the Soapocracy

    When I used to bowl lather, I would grab a coffee mug and use that. But now I find face lathering easier and better and have abandoned the mug lathering technique.
     
  12. DLP

    DLP Well-Known Member

    either a DB Bill Bowl, DB 1.5 shaving scuttle or my R Becker scuttle. in the winter I tend to use the scuttles while I prefer the bill bowl during the warmer months.
     
  13. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

    - Do you prefer soap, cream or crope? All of them
    - load the brush or decant to the bowl? Decant to Bowl if bowl lathering
    - Badger, boar, horse or all? All of them
    - warm bowl or cold? Warm unless I specifically designate a cold water shave which is maybe one a month

    I will use a Gibson wide mouthed coffee mug that is round on the bottom with no groove channels (brush tester)
    Robert Becker Scuttle with grooves for when I really want a warm lather.
     
  14. dimmerswitch

    dimmerswitch Active Member

    A medium size, squat latte mug soaked in hot water is all I've ever used to lather up my creams. Although now that I see Latherman's pics I may go looking for something snazzier!
     
  15. TitanTTB

    TitanTTB Well-Known Member

    In general I like to bowl lather my creams and face lather soaps. I use a shallow salad bowl that I think works well and don't warm it before hand. Since all of my creams are in tubes I just squeeze a small bit in the bowl and then get to work on mixing it up.
     
  16. Sara-s

    Sara-s This Pun for Hire

    I use a badger brush, a soap that I make & a rubber bowl. The bowl is light & unbreakable, which is handy, in the shower. And it whips up a nice lather.
     
  17. Barrylu

    Barrylu Well-Known Member

  18. 178-bplatoon

    178-bplatoon Well-Known Member

    I enjoy using a bowl to make lather in. The one I use is a green marble bowl from a motor and pestal set. It's about 3.75" across and 2" deep. Has a nice weight, fits perfectly in my palm and will hold plenty of lather.
    I've use it mostly with soap, but have also used cream on occasion.
    Have used various brushes, but prefer #6 Horse from bestshave.
    Any temp water, but usually warm.
    While I definately can see advantage to just face lathering, I always seem to come back to my bowl.....:)
     
  19. swarden43

    swarden43 "It's your shave. Enjoy it your way."©

    I always use a bowl. I really don't care for face lathering. I have seven different bowls I use, only two of which were actually made as shaving bowls. Two are antique bowls I picked up while antiquing, the other three are actually soup/chowder mugs.

    - I prefer soap, but use a cream at least once a week. Never tried crope.
    - load the brush from the puck that is in its own bowl, then take it to my shaving bowl to finish whipping it up
    - badger or boar, what ever comes up next in my rotation of brushes. I don't have any other type of brush.
    - warm bowl. After I get out of the shower, I fill the sink with hot water, set the bowl and brush in it and let them soak while I finish drying off and combing my hair.
     
  20. Erik Redd

    Erik Redd Lizabeth, baby, I'm comin' to join ya.

    I've got to ask, what is crope? I looked it up on the internet and got
    "A pouchlike enlargement of a bird's gullet in which food is partially digested or stored for regurgitation to nestlings"

    Somehow that doesn't appear appropriate for shaving.
     

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