Do purpose made shaving bowls really work better?

[Deleted member 11172]

I have been using a small ceramic bowl from Sainsburys and find that it works well.
Are purpose made shaving bowls worth it and do they really make a difference to lather?

 

[Skylarking]

My shaving bowl was originally a side bowl with some chips in at a pub, it was the perfect size and I had had a few to drink. I make no apologies for my drunken antics.

 

[Claus3428]

I guess it's the size that makes a difference. Mine is an old Proraso soap tub - it's a bit small but sufficient to produce enough lather for three passes - and compact enough for the bathroom cabinet. Would consider a fancy one but only if I had more space available outside the cabinet.

 

[The situational shaver]

A bowl is a bowl. The one's made for shaving are for people like me that don't have a spare bowl.

 

[Wazzer3]

I suppose a purpose made bowl with swirls, dots, ridges, nobulues and such like aid in the quick agitation of the soap into a lather. I personally have Muhle shave mug that I only use about once a week as I normally go from puck to face lathering.

 

[Mike Smart]

Not a great picture but this works really well. the indentations around the inside means i can press a hard soap in and a cream also works well. The brush is actively working at the same time. i genuinely think a bowl with ridges will work better than a plain bowl

 

[Nisse]

Never seen a test of plain vs ridges but I am ok with the lather created in my plain bowl that cost me about 1 pound 50, it is also easy to keep clean, material is melamin so very light and will bounce without breaking bathroom porcelain or my toes if dropped while shaving (been there done that)

 

[Bob1955]

I have the Q-Shave hot lather bowl which works quite well, anything with dots grooves etc does help produce a lather quicker.

 

[Nisse]

How many seconds would I save by switching bowl? (asking just out of curiosity, if I really was in a hurry I would not consider wetshaving at all )

 

[Bob1955]

Depends on soap and brush...a cream lathers in seconds and a triple milled soap with the WRONG brush will take some time

 

[Nisse]

I need to get one more melamin bowl and add ridges or bumps or something and make head to head tests

edit: my bowl is sold out so will have to look elsewhere

 

[Bob1955]

I was going to use hot glue gun to dab balls of glue onto a bowl....but I now realise " Balls of Glue" would make a great movie title

 

[Bruce]

I shave with cream, so I cannot speak for those who use soap. I use and old bowl which some cream came in, and it works quite well. It is also plastic which means when I drop it, it won't shatter. And it means more than one use for some piece of plastic. It allows for great later--far better than a face lather.

 

[Skylarking]

Here's my stolen bowl, razor and brush added for scale. Perfect size for holding in your palm.

I'm sure ridges and bumps in the bowl make life a bit easier but I find smooth bowls work just fine.

 

[Nisse]

A thief and proud of it...

 

[Skylarking]

A thief and proud of it...

Hardly Oceans 11