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A better bowl to make lather with cream

I owe some members of this forum an apology if they took a recommendation I made in several threads about using the Ikea porcelain bowl to make lather from cream. It worked pretty well for me when I used the short loft and handled small E&J Best Badger brush (my first brush and bowl combination); however, it was always the case that the lather would go up high on the sides of the bowl.

Since then, I have acquired a second brush, the Rooney 3/1 in super badger. This is a great dense brush as many on this forum have stated. The loft and handle are longer than the small E&J Best Badger brush. So I found a ceramic bowl which is about 4.5 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep. This bowl and brush combination works fantastically. I can hold the bowl in the palm of one hand and work the lather with the other. Since the bowl is smaller the brush keeps the lather in a confined space and affords a much better way to create good hot lather. When I find a bowl this size with ribs on the inside, I think I will have found the optimum bowl for making lather from cream with the Rooney 3/1.

If anyone knows an online source for a ceramic bowl which is about 4.5 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep and is ribbed on the inside, please let me know.

Again, my apologies.
 
my wife is an amateur potter and after using one of her "thrown" bowls, i've discovered that the swirl pattern created by using a potter's wheel makes ridges in the bottom of the bowl which really help with making lather.

i had been using a basic cereal bowl with a smooth, flat bottom and her thrown bowl is much better...plus it's handmade and more unique.

just a thought...
 
I owe some members of this forum an apology if they took a recommendation I made in several threads about using the Ikea porcelain bowl to make lather from cream. It worked pretty well for me when I used the short loft and handled small E&J Best Badger brush (my first brush and bowl combination); however, it was always the case that the lather would go up high on the sides of the bowl.

Since then, I have acquired a second brush, the Rooney 3/1 in super badger. This is a great dense brush as many on this forum have stated. The loft and handle are longer than the small E&J Best Badger brush. So I found a ceramic bowl which is about 4.5 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep. This bowl and brush combination works fantastically. I can hold the bowl in the palm of one hand and work the lather with the other. Since the bowl is smaller the brush keeps the lather in a confined space and affords a much better way to create good hot lather. When I find a bowl this size with ribs on the inside, I think I will have found the optimum bowl for making lather from cream with the Rooney 3/1.

If anyone knows an online source for a ceramic bowl which is about 4.5 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep and is ribbed on the inside, please let me know.

Again, my apologies.

I am a potter and could make something for you. I have made a few mugs, scuttles, and brush/razor stands for myself. There are a lot of variables in making a shaving bowl such as the foot, handle, thin/thick walls, decoration, etc. But if your only requirement is 4.5 by 2.5 in (approx) that would not be hard to do. The other "extras" are simply artistic vision :)
 
I am a potter and could make something for you. I have made a few mugs, scuttles, and brush/razor stands for myself. There are a lot of variables in making a shaving bowl such as the foot, handle, thin/thick walls, decoration, etc. But if your only requirement is 4.5 by 2.5 in (approx) that would not be hard to do. The other "extras" are simply artistic vision :)

PM sent.
 
Pics of you handy work? would be fun to see


I am a potter and could make something for you. I have made a few mugs, scuttles, and brush/razor stands for myself. There are a lot of variables in making a shaving bowl such as the foot, handle, thin/thick walls, decoration, etc. But if your only requirement is 4.5 by 2.5 in (approx) that would not be hard to do. The other "extras" are simply artistic vision :)
 
I also bought a white ceramic at marshalls for $1.00 over 1 year ago works great, i can't belive someone will pay up to $25.00 for a shaving bowl unless it is a gift.
 
Sara Bonnyman in Canada. Shipping costs are high, I'll warn you!

I use Sara's scuttle and it blows my old apothecary mug away. I will concede that your location may not make acquiring this item feasible. People here seem to love the DB one as well so check that out.

Good luck! :001_smile
 
keep it HOT!!! It's not the mug, it's the temperature of the mug (however it should have some reasonable "space" in order to be able to produce lather easily).

A cheap solution is just a corn-flakes bowl. That'a what I use
 
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I concur with HIT on the heat recommendation, but I don't dismiss the mechanical advantages of having some ridges in the cup to agitate the brush bristles.

I've found that the "double boiler" method is especially effective in keeping the heat in the brushing bowl. I whip up the lather in a titanium "Sierra cup" the kind you hook on your belt loop when you go hiking. These are readily available at lots of places, even Amazon, and they are only about $10. The have a great handle which helps with wet/slippery hands, and have just the right flare to work up a great lather. And, if you happen to boggle and drop it, it won't break! They are indestructible, and they won't tarnish either.

Once the lather is made, I "nest" the Sierra cup into a small dessert bowl containing hot water. The heat transfers through the titanium, keeping the lather just perfectly warm...and it stays that way for a second application.....now if someone would only make a Sierra cup with ridges...
 
Picked a very nice, hand-made glazed 'soup bowl' at the local Winners in Ottawa...superb size, easy to hold and pleasing to look at. Can't go wrong @ $3.99...the only downside I feel is the lack of ridges or contact points on the smooth inside...works great with a soft brush like the Kent BK4 and creams...
 
I don't think I'd pay any more for a shave bowl...especially a tiny one like the C&E @ $40-$50...that's insane...if dropping that much dough I'd seriously consider a scuttle...some day :)
 
I just use a big coffee mug from the $1 store. It measures 4.5" X 3" :thumbup1:

+1

Found a Pier 1 mug about the same size - it's dark green in color which really lets you see the lather as it builds, plus it matches the Proraso that sits next to it. No ridges or swirls inside though.
 
+1

Found a Pier 1 mug about the same size - it's dark green in color which really lets you see the lather as it builds, plus it matches the Proraso that sits next to it. No ridges or swirls inside though.

Sounds like the one Mantic has in his video...Mine looks just like it but its white. :thumbup:
 
I just use a big coffee mug from the $1 store. It measures 4.5" X 3" :thumbup1:

I use an even bigger one that's more like a big bowl, except with a handle (like the ginormous coffee mugs the used on Friends).

Except it was made personalized at one of those paint your own pottery places by my wife and daughter.
 
I picked up one of these at a Pier1 that was closing in my area a couple days ago.

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http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/Dining...ProductName/Assorted-Shell-Bowls/Default.aspx

The shell design creates ridges along the sides of the bowl to whip the lather against. It really has transformed my lather -- from foamy to creamy-- and lathers much more quickly than the mug I used to use. Can't go wrong for $3!

I'll try to take pics of the bowl and resulting lather. Perhaps a before/after if I get ambitious.
 
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