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Are groovy bowls better?

Jellodancer

Jellodancer

Shave Member
Hello ladies and gentlemen of the Cadre. I’m at the point where I need to buy something, and I’m eyeing some new shaving bowls. I’m seeing more and more bowls with grooves, ridges, or some kind of textured bottoms. I have no experience with these, but have never had a problem creating a great lather with my smooth bottom bowls. Are the grooves truly a new and improved version of shaving bowl? Do any of you fine people think you get a superior lather with them? I would love to hear some feedback before I make a purchase. What say you all?
 
I only use a bowl when using a sample as I'm a face latherer. I do think that some ridges or whatever makes for more action in whipping the latherer. I have done a lather in smooth bowls without issue but when there is some form of "friction" it seems to whip up better/quicker. Current bowls I have are the copper Turkish bowl and the new one from Stirling.
 
So there is a difference. Thank you! Do you notice any difference between the copper or ceramic? I know French chefs use copper mixing bowls for some reason.....
 
You may get other opinions on whether there is a difference. That was merely my opinion. As far as a need for copper I doubt it matters as they coat the inside with tin anyway. I do think a less smooth (metal over ceramic) will do better due to friction the roughness of the surface area.
 
I too noticed a difference when I switched from smooth to textured. I use metal for the weight. My ceramic bowl wasn’t deep enough for bigger brushes. Plus I don’t want to drop a heavy bowl on the glass sink.
 
groovy.jpg


Here's my two cents. Grooves, swirls, nubs, ridges....... all can help, but in my opinion not enough to warrant spending a premium on a bowl for said "enhancements". I've used all types of bowls and scuttles and the only thing that I think truly helps is having a textured surface. And it doesn't have to be much, just something to give the brush some resistance. I started with a smooth surface soup bowl. Then I transitioned to a plastic salsa bowl. It has a somewhat textured surface and I could definitely feel a difference and see an improvement in how my lather came together. After that I tried some of the more expensive options, and while some felt really good in my hand or looked really good on my counter or in my SOTD photos, they really didn't offer a better lather experience.

The main thing I like about salsa bowls, is they are light-weight and near indestructable. They dont care if you drop them, unlike most of the bowls and scuttles out there. They are cheap, only a couple bucks, and come in a variety of colors.

Now, if you want a nice ceramic bowl, I'm not going to disuade you from getting one. I still have a few, and I do like them, but they aren't what I use primarily when reaching for a lather bowl.

Also, if you are looking for a lather bowl to take on travel...... get a collapsable doggie water dish. I bought 3 off amazon for a total of under $6. THey work great and collapse to fit anywhere. Just enough of a textured surface to get the job done. And it's the exact same as the Stirling Travel bowl, without the nubs in the bottom, and at a fraction of the cost.
 
Spider said:
View attachment 15595


Here's my two cents. Grooves, swirls, nubs, ridges....... all can help, but in my opinion not enough to warrant spending a premium on a bowl for said "enhancements". I've used all types of bowls and scuttles and the only thing that I think truly helps is having a textured surface. And it doesn't have to be much, just something to give the brush some resistance. I started with a smooth surface soup bowl. Then I transitioned to a plastic salsa bowl. It has a somewhat textured surface and I could definitely feel a difference and see an improvement in how my lather came together. After that I tried some of the more expensive options, and while some felt really good in my hand or looked really good on my counter or in my SOTD photos, they really didn't offer a better lather experience.

The main thing I like about salsa bowls, is they are light-weight and near indestructable. They dont care if you drop them, unlike most of the bowls and scuttles out there. They are cheap, only a couple bucks, and come in a variety of colors.

Now, if you want a nice ceramic bowl, I'm not going to disuade you from getting one. I still have a few, and I do like them, but they aren't what I use primarily when reaching for a lather bowl.

Also, if you are looking for a lather bowl to take on travel...... get a collapsable doggie water dish. I bought 3 off amazon for a total of under $6. THey work great and collapse to fit anywhere. Just enough of a textured surface to get the job done. And it's the exact same as the Stirling Travel bowl, without the nubs in the bottom, and at a fraction of the cost.
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Amen.

I've dropped my Timeless lather bowl a few times. It's like Little Tikes toy grade plastic... Tough as nails.

My only addition would be based on what you use it for. I have a dollar store salsa bowl, but find it hard to keep the lather inside. Of course, I completely build my lather in a bowl (not on my face, as many do). In contrast, the dog bowl works perfect. It's tall enough that the lather stays inside.

I also have a Turkish copper bowl. It's cheap, somewhat durable, and works well. The added bonus, is it doesn't look like a toy or kitchen accessory.
 
Thanks for the responses! I guess if I find a textured bowl at a reasonable price, I’ll probably give it a try. I am hearing from you guys to make sure the sides are tall enough to keep the lather in. Anyone have any experience with wooden lather bowls? I’ve seen them on the bay, but don’t know if they would be a total bust or not.
 
Jellodancer said:
I guess if I find a textured bowl at a reasonable price, I’ll probably give it a try
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Was litereally going to recommend this.

I still keep contemplating buying another capt choice bowl. My last one sadly broke (i dropped it). I loved that bowl.
 
I picked up a small pottery bowl made by a local artisan and sold at the farmer's market. I think the textured bottom makes a difference.
 
I had SS bowls, ceramic bowls, plastic bowls all with and without groove. Sold every one when IC1C65C7C-6C22-4E00-9CD0-9DAF93EFDEC1.jpeg I got my Capatain’s Choice copper bowl. It is, for me, the best shaving bowl ever made.
 
Jellodancer said:
Anyone have any experience with wooden lather bowls?
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Depending on the finish, wood items usually require some occasional care to keep in tip top shape. There should be no problem using one though if you see one you like. Also, look for something not stained and not finished with any toxic treatments, since it’s going to be in a wet environment for a bit during use, you don’t want anything untoward leeching out of the grain into your lather.
 
Just looked into the Captains choice copper bowl. I had no idea they were hand made like that. They are gorgeous. I am now heavily leaning in that direction.
 
Spider said:
View attachment 15595


Here's my two cents. Grooves, swirls, nubs, ridges....... all can help, but in my opinion not enough to warrant spending a premium on a bowl for said "enhancements". I've used all types of bowls and scuttles and the only thing that I think truly helps is having a textured surface. And it doesn't have to be much, just something to give the brush some resistance. I started with a smooth surface soup bowl. Then I transitioned to a plastic salsa bowl. It has a somewhat textured surface and I could definitely feel a difference and see an improvement in how my lather came together. After that I tried some of the more expensive options, and while some felt really good in my hand or looked really good on my counter or in my SOTD photos, they really didn't offer a better lather experience.

The main thing I like about salsa bowls, is they are light-weight and near indestructable. They dont care if you drop them, unlike most of the bowls and scuttles out there. They are cheap, only a couple bucks, and come in a variety of colors.

Now, if you want a nice ceramic bowl, I'm not going to disuade you from getting one. I still have a few, and I do like them, but they aren't what I use primarily when reaching for a lather bowl.

Also, if you are looking for a lather bowl to take on travel...... get a collapsable doggie water dish. I bought 3 off amazon for a total of under $6. THey work great and collapse to fit anywhere. Just enough of a textured surface to get the job done. And it's the exact same as the Stirling Travel bowl, without the nubs in the bottom, and at a fraction of the cost.
Click to expand...
I agree completely with your assessment on bowls. Though I haven't tried a scuttle yet I can say I have 2 of the silicone collapsible bowls and they work great. I have seen them on eBay for less than .75 cents without the nubs and in ingles grocery stores for about $2.49.. I use one of the stainless bowls or plastic rice bowls also at home and they seem to work well too. I have a pottery bowl and another one that looks like it belongs in game of thrones but haven't used it yet.. Most of mine have at least some type of " grit" inside and they all seem to work well.. At some point I Will get a scuttle though to try also...
 
So I recently just got into bowl lathering. So far I have used a ss bowl, a Vander Haagen ceramic shave mug, and just recently a ceramic scuttle with bumps/raised sides. I did not have very much luck with the ss shave bowl. I did not feel it really did anything different to the lather that face lathering did. The ceramic mug actually produced a really nice lather, but I do have to admit that it took a little longer to achieve the texture I was going for. The scuttle did what the mug did, but at a faster rate. An added bonus to the scuttle was the warm lather throughout my shave.

Now I do not know what the policy is on this forum in regards to product pricing, but in order from cheapest to highest it goes the mug, ss bowl, then scuttle. The scuttle's price was not as expensive as the GP G20, but slightly more expensive than the QShave scuttle. The mug came with a VH shave set. To me, the cost of the scuttle is justified in the quality of lather produced at a faster rate, and the added bonus of warm lather. Also it is a wider and taller bowl that keeps the lather inside and allows me more freedom to move the brush. I have not tried the CC Copper bowl, but since copper is a heat conducter I assume you can achieve similar results.

Basically to sum this up and answer your original question, I personally did not get a superior lather using a bowl with more agitation, but I did get a superior lather faster.
 
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