Feedback sought from three lucky winners to be selected.

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

It is true, our brand new copper lather bowl is now available right here.

What is different you ask? Let me introduce you to Traveler. It is a scaled down version of our ever popular Heavyweight copper lather bowl. It is designed to be as compact as possible for those trips out of town and still be just as effective.

Since it is a new product addressing a new market I would like to get feedback from users. That is where you all come in. I am going to have random.org select three names from among those indicating here that they would like to evaluate it.

Here is how it will work. The three winners will each try it for a week. I will send it to the first winner. He uses it for a week and then shares his feedback right here in this thread. Then he sends it to the second winner, and so on. When the third winner is finished - I need it back!

I will include all addresses along with the lather bowl. When you send it to the next fellow you will need to pay the postage. This is CONUS only please to keep shipping expense down.

If you want to be entered in the drawing simply indicate so. Then keep an eye out for the announcement of the three winners.

Good luck to each of you!

 

[Lightcs1776]

Not in, I have your original copper bowl and will be bringing it with me when I travel this Fall. However, I don’t expect your travel bowl to be any less effective than your original. Surprisingly, I found your ceramic bowl to be superior, and would definitely replace it with another if I ever were to break it. It just isn’t good for travel. While I don’t find the size of your original copper bowl an issue for traveling, a slightly smaller bowl would add a little convenience.

 

[Jaybyrd]

Respectfully not in as I also have the original copper bowl and love it! I would like to hear the feedback and would consider getting one so the larger bowl doesn't get lonely and I agree with @Lightcs1776 that a slightly smaller bowl might be a convenience factor. Thanks for doing this and thanks again for the last giveaway - love the Limes soap and aftershave.

 

[Grundi]

I'm in!!

I would love to try the Traveler!! I have one of your ceramic shaving bowls which I use as my daily lather bowl. I only travel a few times a year, and the lather bowl is the one part of my kit that I improvise each time. The new full-sized copper bowl is absolutely beautiful!!

 

[WetShaveVet]

I would like to be in.

 

[emwolf]

Not in. I don't think I would ever change from the Copper Heavyweight which I think might be one of the greatest shaving aids ever manufactured.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

All-RIGHTY, let's get this under way. @Grundi and @WetShaveVet go ahead and send me your shipping addresses. My email is: [email protected]

I will get a Traveler on the way to @Grundi first since he replied first. He uses it for a week and then will ship to @WetShaveVet for him to use for a week. If we get a third entry we will tag him on to the end.

It is about 25% smaller and for good reason, to make it easier to pack and take with you which is the whole point. So there is not all of the room you may be used to for swirling to create the lather. This may necessitate a revised approach to creating the lather.

Let's plan on posting here in this thread your experience with Traveler.

~ The Captain

 

[Grundi]

Awesome!! PM sent!! Thank you for the opportunity, @Captain Pre-Capsize!!

 

[Jmp63]

That looks fun! And a great idea too! I love my original copper bowl!

If you need a third still, I’ll gladly throw my name in the ring!

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

That wraps it up @Jmp63 is our third. Tune in here to see what the volunteers have to say about Traveler.

It ships out tomorrow. After putting it to use then @Grundi will ship it to @WetShaveVet. When he gives it a workout and reports back then he ships it to @Jmp63 and then it gets returned to The Captain.

 

[WetShaveVet]

You know, I did this without thinking. I am in Canada. I am more than ok with paying the postage to @Jmp63 but @Grundi may not be ok wit shipping it to me. Let me know. I apologise.

 

[Grundi]

You know, I did this without thinking. I am in Canada. I am more than ok with paying the postage to @Jmp63 but @Grundi may not be ok wit shipping it to me. Let me know. I apologise.

I'm about 4 hours from the Canadian border (equally from Quebec and NB). I'll package the Traveler up real good, drive to the border, and chuck it as far as I can!! Let me know which side of Maine that you're closest to and be ready to catch it!!

Seriously, no issues with the shipping costs to Canada. I'm ok with it.

 

[WetShaveVet]

Thank you. That would be one heck of a chuck. Straight north of Great Falls MT here. A 4-hour drive.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Very considerate of you @Grundi, thank you. I will let you and @WetShaveVet correspond so that he can give you his address.

On a related matter I will PM @WetShaveVet with the address for @Jmp63. You all let me know if any questions but this out to have us set up now.

 

[Grundi]

An amazing box arrived today, carrying a very special Traveler!! The Traveler Bowl was well packed and arrived in excellent condition!! I am looking forward to giving this lathering bowl a try tomorrow morning!!

I have the Captain's Choice regular ceramic bowl, which I use as my daily lathering bowl! I thought it would make for great comparisons. The Traveler does fit nicely inside the Ceramic.

During the 2017 B&B Mr. Bingle Gift Exchange, @igasho gave me a Pantheon Dopp Bag (9" x 5")!! This has been an excellent dopp bag and has made several trips with me!! The Traveler fits very nicely into the Pantheon (Merkur travel razor for scale)!! There is plenty of room remaining for all my other toiletries!!

 

[Grundi]

The Traveler - Mid-Turn Report

TL;DR - So far, so good, some early observations, using the Traveler like I'm actually traveling

Equipment: DS Cosmetic T4 (24mm, synth), CC Italia Soap, Tabac Cream, Merkur travel razor

Lathering: Both soap and cream have lathered fine in the Traveler, no issues creating lather.

Early Observations: Now that I've used the Traveler several time, I've noticed a couple of things: my "muscle-memory" strokes are too wide, and I have to focus on making smaller circles while building lather, and I think I'd like the sides of the bowl to be shorter, maybe about the same height as the regular ceramic bowl. (I also noticed that the Traveler Test Bowl that I'm using has straight sides, while the Captain's picture above and his website has a flared rim. This might address my observation about wanting shorter sides.)

 

[Grundi]

Correction to my Observation: the Traveler Test Bowl does have the flared rim. No idea what I was remembering. Sorry about any confusion my addled memory and eyesight may have caused.

 

[WetShaveVet]

My wife found my keys in the refrigerator in July, so you know, glass houses and all.

 

[Grundi]

The Traveler Lathering Bowl - End-Of-Turn Report

Equipment: CC Traveler Lather Bowl, DS Cosmetic T4 (24mm, synth), CC Italia Soap, Tabac Cream, Merkur travel razor

Observations: With my turn has come to an end, here are my observations and thoughts. This is a beautifully made copper lathering bowl, great craftmanship, and a really nice looking bowl. I had no difficultly lathering soaps and creams, and it fit in my hand quite well. It take a try or two to retrain myself to make smaller swirls, tilting the bowl helped.

Usage: In the true spirit of using this as though I was traveling, I filled the Traveler with hot water and soaked my brush. I stopped the sink, poured the water into the sink, loaded the brush, and lathered in the Traveler, adding the water from the sink as needed.

Feedback (What I liked):
- Great craftmanship. This is a beautiful looking copper lathering bowl, and the finish was top notch. The hand pounded look makes this a timeless classic.
- Smaller size will definitely pack well in any dopp bag; fit the hand nicely, too.
- Metal held the heat and kept the lather warm. I use hot water to pre-heat
- Ridges/rings at the bottom and the not-rough-but-not-glass-smooth sides help with the lather making
- Weight was just right for a copper bowl

Feedback (Other stuff):
- This is personal preference, but I'd like the sides to be a little bit shorter. While retraining my muscle memory, I did clink the sides (tilting the bowl a little helped).

Acknowledgements: Thank you, @Captain Pre-Capsize, for the opportunity to try this very nice Traveler Bowl. I'm seriously considering acquiring one of these Traveler bowls.

Next Up: I've cleaned the Traveler, packaged it up, and shipped it off to @WetShaveVet!!

 

[WetShaveVet]

Tracking shows it has been received by Canada Post and is in transit. Hopefully I get it by the weekend.