How To Choose The Ideal Shaving Bowl or Mug
Of all the items a regular shaver really needs, a good mug for lathering up his shaving soap is often overlooked.
Most guys think that any old bowl or mug would do in this situation, and honestly, they aren’t that wrong. Originally, back in the days when lathering with soap and shaving with safety razors was more common, all that was used was a random coffee mug from the kitchen.
While that might do for some though, there is nothing really better for use than an actual bowl developed precisely for that use.
Take me as an example. At one point, I was just using a small dip bowl that I used to use for salsa. Now I have an honest to goodness shaving bowl and it makes a world of difference as I am building my lather every time I shave.
That seems strange though right? Why not just use a coffee mug/salsa bowl for lathering up?
Dear reader, this is what I am here to help with. Today we are going to go over what makes the Ideal Shaving Bowl for you to Lather in.
What Shape Should I Consider?
One of the first big things to look into when deciding what kind of shaving bowl you want to get is its general shape.
As the name suggests, most shaving bowls are just that, bowl-like utensils used to lather up shaving soap. Though there are also shaving mugs, which are mug-like utensils used for lathering up shaving soap.
So what is the main difference?
Simply put, it’s in the name. Mugs are deeper and normally have a handle on them for ease of holding. A bowl is much more shallow, but has a wider opening for you to swirl around the shaving brush.
Even among those two binaries, there is a great deal of variation.
Shaving Mug
Shaving Mugs are just like the basic relative shape of a coffee mug. In fact, in many cases the use of a coffee mug is just fine. This is especially true when you are first starting out with wet shaving. There is a reason you see old-fashioned coffee mugs being in the background of many bathroom scenes in movies and tv from the 50s and 60s.
A shaving mug has a great deal of depth to it, so you can keep all that rich lather together at the bottom of the mug and not accidentally let it slop out when you are whipping everything together in a rich lather.
It also has a handle on it. Considering your fingers are probably going to be a bit slippery or soapy when you are getting into your wet shaving routine, being able to get a firm grip on your lather builder is a great idea. Cleaning up shaving soap if something slips out of your hands is just annoying. Doubly so if you broke the mug because it was ceramic or porcelain.
Over time though, there was a recognition of the actual downsides to using just a mug shape for shaving lather.
The major cons are that the opening at the top is rather small. If you’ve ever tried to stir your coffee or hot chocolate with a spoon, you know it’s pretty easy to bump the sides with the spoon constantly.
Now imagine you are doing that repeatedly with a heavy metal or wood shaving brush. Not only are you mashing your fingers, but you have the potential to damage the mug or your brush. My brush for example is metal, and if I get it going, it could dent or chip the ceramic of my coffee cup rims. Enameled chips are the last thing I was to be exfoliating my face with when shaving.
Actually, shaving mugs that were made to be lather builders have taken this downside in stride and started flaring out the top to make it easier to move the brush around and whip up the shaving soap. Though you can still hit the side of the mug and chip it, or at the very least get your fingers all covered in lather.
There are variations on this style of course. The Apothecary style looks like a normal wide mug but with more of a post handle rather than the traditional mug loop.
– Our Review of an Edwin Jagger Shaving Mug Might Interest You
Shaving Bowl
Shaving Bowls, sometimes called shaving dishes, are just what they say on the tin: a bowl for lathering in. They are pretty self explanatory overall.
Shaving bowls more contrast with mugs in that they are much shallower, but with a wider base. That makes it a great deal easier to swirl the brush around and really get into the lather. The wider base means more “whipping” action when you are getting that Lather up.
As they are much more shallow than mugs, they have a shorter rim and can sometimes spill shaving lather over the side. This is especially true if you are like me and turn your shaving dish on the side slightly to get a better angle while you are lathering up.
There are two different types of shaving bowls: one that holds and stores your soap, and one that you lather with.
The difference is somewhat self-evident.
The bowls used to hold and store your soap typically come with a sealable lid that either screws on or just drops on top of it. A good example of one of these is a Large Champagne Marble Bowl that Shavenation stocks.
These bowls are mostly made of heavy-duty materials and are pretty deep. They also have a flat bottom and they are typically just big enough to hold a puck of soap.
Many shaving soaps come in rounded containers that are basically the normal shaving dish. These dishes are more for loading up your brush with soap.
The other types are typically more rounded at the bottom. They are a bit deeper, and more rounded at the rim. These are specifically used to lather up your brush for applying the shaving cream.
Typically shaving bowls don’t really have handles, but some do. This can make them hard to hold onto, especially if you are using them with a warm lather or you have shaving cream on your hands.
This is going to be rough if you have it made from a breakable material. Much like the above mugs, they can shatter everywhere when you drop them.
But What About a “Scuttle?”
A Shaving Scuttle is a sort of combination of both a mug and shaving bowl. They typically involve loading a part of the dish with warm or boiling water, then loading the soap as a part of the dish.
This lets you steam the soap and keeps a good source of hot water for rewetting your brush. They work really well for conserving water just in case you need to make sure to keep track of how much you are using, or just want to waste.
Simpsons Traditional Shaving Mug looks more like a teapot than a shaving mug, but the idea behind its use is very much the same. It’s just your water cup and lather maker all in one. The Geo F Trumper Traditional Shaving Mug & Soap Officer and Gentleman are very similar with a more combined design.
What Materials are Used?
Shaving Dishes are made in a few different types of materials. They each have their own different pros and cons.
Wood
Wood is one of the more classy types of material used for shaving bowls. It has a unique texture and color that looks amazing with almost any type of decor. They are also really high quality on average, carved from single pieces or pieced together securely. They don’t break very easily at all, and retain heat pretty well.
They are somewhat more rare as they are not a commonly used material for shaving dishes, so they are hard to find and be somewhat expensive. While they are durable and strong against breaking, extended use can cause the wood to absorb too much water and warp over time.
Ceramic
Ceramic dishes are the best type of material for shaving bowls and mugs when it comes to retaining heat for your shaving lather. Like a coffee mug, it is important to keep heat in if you want a nice soothing lather. It’s also one of the most common materials used in the construction of shaving dishes, so unlike wood, it is very easy to find. Their prices can range from expensive to inexpensive.
Ceramic downsides are pretty apparent. The big one is that they are fragile. If dropped, they will break. They are also very smooth on the inside and out. While that might not sound bad, it means they are sometimes hard to hold onto and can slip out of your hands. That also means the interior texture is smooth so it takes longer to lather.
Plastic
Plastic is generally the least expensive option of all the shaving bowls. It’s durable and really light, and can come in all different sizes and shapes. If you are wanting to get into using shaving bowls, they are really the best options for just starting out. It’s also great if you are wanting to travel, because they back easy and won’t break.
The downside of plastics is they do not really retain heat at all. If you want a nice hot lather for your shaving experience, it won’t stay warm for very long at all. It also has the ceramic downside of being smooth on the inside. Most will have ridges for artificial friction, but without that it’s going to take a good amount of time to create some good lather.
Metal
Metal shaving dishes are durable and fashionable. They are almost as ubiquitous as ceramic bowls, but unlike ceramic they are very durable. These guys are not going to break at all, and are not going to tarnish easily with water either. Most of them are chrome colored, but there are a few brass and copper ones on the market as well. They look great, and go with many different bathroom styles.
The downside of Metal is that it bleeds heat away like crazy. Unlike ceramic, which insulates better, metal becomes hot easily. If you are using it with hot water, you might singe your hand. It is also very smooth and so will take a longer time to lather than with something that has more textured friction.
What Size Should I Choose?
When you are looking for a good shaving dish, you need to definitely take size into the equation.
Generally, you want to look for something that fits well in your hand, and you can keep a good handle on. I am not kidding when I talk about the bowl accidentally slipping out of your hand.
You also need to make sure the opening is wide enough to accommodate your brush and the process of lathering. 5 to 6 inches is the sweet spot for me, but you generally don’t want a smaller rim than 4 inches.
You also will probably want about 2.5 to 3 inches worth of depth to make sure you build up enough lather in the dish to make it work over your face.
Interior Texture is Another Feature To Consider
Interior Texture is an important thing to look for when choosing a good bowl or mug. It may not seem like much, but you will find many bowls or dedicated mugs with ridges built on the inside to cause friction in the brush. This friction and texture will help to aerate the shaving cream as you swirl the brush around to generate lather.
Sometimes the ridges will be in a circular pattern like in this Captain’s Choice Lather Bowl or just extra bumps such as in this Fine Accoutrements Lather Bowl. This looks like it might interfere with the brush strokes, but in reality, it is great for the lather.
This is one of the reasons why wood is a good material. It has a natural interior texture that provides its own friction rather than artificial friction.
Another interior texture seen in a great deal of bowls is a small flat portion in the exact center, such as in the Shave Nation Chicago Artisan Lather Bowls. The little space in the center is for use when you aren’t using a shaving puck, and are instead using a shaving gel or cream. Placing a dollop right in the center of that point gives her a great little reservoir to let your cream pool into before you start lathering with your shaving brush.
