I use shaving bowls for bowl lathers and not to keep the soap in, Is the bottom of this bowl really smooth or is it pitted at all to help lather?
182194
It's smooth. I use it fort shaving creams as well. I'm sure you'll love it! Unfortunately my son broke it last week so going to have to order a new one!
182195
Mine had some texture on the bottom, almost like the feel of unglazed ceramic potter, which did help some in creating a lather.
182196
Smooth ceramic bowl. Easy to whip up lather and I pr-warm in hot water to keep lather hot. Easy clean-up.
182197
it is textured but not too rough. Just enough texture to keep the soap from sliding around.
182198
It's got some pitting in it, but it's glazed in the bottom as well, so the lather should work well.
1790713
The inside is rough to help grab while you grind. It isn't super rough, but I think you would end up losing some of the product you were crushing stuck in the texture of the bowl.
173563
You do not need a cup but I wouldn't do it without one. The difference is that when you lather it in a cup or bowl you get a much thicker lather after about 35 seconds. Also you can add more water if your lathered soap is too dry, too dry will not lubricate well enough. Additionally if I'm going for a really close shave I add some Proraso shaving cream to make it that much smoother.
1834532
It is not completely smooth. It has a slight ridge that goes around the bottom about an inch and a half from the edge of the pot. Hope that helps. Mary
1177375
You can use a separate bowl, or simply swipe the wet brush on the soap a few times and then work up a lather in the palm of your hand. I suppose you could also work up the lather in the original container, but I guess you'd tend to pick up more and more and more soap that way, which would be a waste.
1538637
Not at all. The rubber flat with just a little shave cream makes a good cleaning surface. It'll promise the world but I've found that it just helps make shaving a more pleasant experience.
418049
You don't have to use a separte bowl if you don't want to. You do need a brush to get it to lather up though. It produces quite a bit of lather.
2074386
The bowl we use it in stainless steel. It seems simple enough, but it took me a few tries to master putting it in to get the best suction. I suggest putting a few drops of water on the suction cup and then pressing it straight down in the center of the bowl.
1030076
It is a little rough because the bowl does not have any finish on it. It had been sanded smooth but needs to be oiled after cleaning each time inside & out. It is raw wood. I love it by the way. It is exactly what I wanted.
1362916
I dip the brush directly in, the soap is pretty solid in the container. One container lasts me nearly a year (shaving every other day).
1459116
My tub is smooth but it seems to me that the pad needs to have a lot of surface to grab onto. If you put it on a textured surface, I think it might not stay down as long. I have discovered that you need to keep it clean: soap scum makes it less non-skid.
1403862
Here's my daily process - take your lather bowl and fill it with warm to hot water and let the brush sit in there while you fill some portion of the sink with warm/hot water. Afterwards empty out nearly all the water. You just want a thin film of water on the bowl. Then shake out the excess water from the brush. Swirl your brush around in the soap. I usually do it for somewhere between 1-2 minutes and alternating between counter-clockwise and clockwise. Then take that lathered up brush and swirl it around in the bowl. It'll take another 1-2 minutes until the soap gets all nice and lathery. You don't want it looking "wet" - that means you stopped too early or left too much water in the bowl. Then apply to face.
1272538
I'm not sure about the soap grade, however I like the way it lathers. I cut it in small pieces then heat it in the microwave and place it in a soap mold so that I have an actual bar. Do not let it sit where water sprays on it as it will turn soft. I take it out of the shower when I'm done and place it in a soap dish on the counter so it can dry between uses.
911942
What part of "Shave soap not included" is unclear? ;) Functional and nice looking bowl though, finish has held up well to moisture, and goes nicely with:Mission Style Wood Shave Stand for Razor and Brush - Walnut Finish
1426563
Smooth. I don't see how grooves would do anything since the soap sits on top of the bottom. The soap sticks, it's not going anywhere (at least hasn't in mine).... now that i've been using this for a little while, i wish it was just a tad deeper. I'm probably 1/3 of the way through my soap, and now it's just right (lather doesn't work it's way out of the bowl).
430421
Yes the bottom is very smooth. I have had mine since Oct 2012 and it still looks as it did the day I purchased it.
295486
Soak your brush in hot sink for a couple minutes. Remove brush from sink and let excess water drip from bristles. Swirl brush in the soap until brush is well charged. Maybe 50 swirls in the soap bowl. You can then continue creating lather in your shave bowl or directly face lather until you find the right consistency. Add a few drops of water to your shave bowl to make more lather or barely dip the tip of your brush in the sink to make more lather if you chose not to use a bowl and prefer to face lather. It lathers wonderfully with little effort.