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There are several points of view on a shaving bowl or mug, handle or no handle, just use an old mug or bowl you have sitting around...
I liked the look of this bowl, and the size - not to big, not to small, made HERE, in the good old U.S. of A - and damn proud of it.
I have one arm and one hand so a handle on a mug or bowl is not a consideration, this one sits flat on the counter and allows me to whip my shaving brush around without moving the bowl all over the place, I could place a moist towel or rubber mat on the granite counter top and the bowl on that if necessary but it has not been.
Plenty of space to work the brush without hitting the sides, and enough space to build a mound of lather - for me it was a great combination having the soap included.
To be honest, I originally bought this bowl as an inexpensive option to use while I shopped around for the ultimate shaving bowl. But after seeing and using this bowl, it was clear, I had already purchased the ultimate shaving bowl! What makes it a perfect shaving bowl? Well for me here are the important things. First, does it has texture to make whipping up tons of creamy lather easy? Yes. Does it have a curled edge to keep the lather in the bowl? Yes. Does it have enough mass to absorb and maintain heat to keep the lather warm? Yes. Does it look great? Yes. It is a homerun!
The best way to use this bowl is to run hot water into it for 30 seconds or until the water is hot and the bowl is warm to the touch. Then set the bowl aside with your badger brush in it and let your brush moisten for a minute or so. Remove the brush and give it a gentle shake to clear out some of the water it is retaining and dump the hot water out of the bowl. (you may want to leave behind a few drops, but not much more). Then load your brush with soap and start whipping up the lather. I almost always use the 3 pass method for shaving, and even on the third application of the lather, it is nice and warm.
You can spend more, but don't. You cannot find a better shaving bowl......
I have written a lot of reviews of shaving products over the years. Shaving products are items that I use daily and I am constantly looking for new products. I have used many products and written many reviews of those same products here at Amazon.
Shaving bowls and soaps are luxury items, in my opinion. Most men prefer the convenience of canned shaving gels and foams. However, the best shave in terms of comfort comes from using a combination of hot water and shaving brush. You can use a shaving brush with your canned gel and it will work just as well. However, there is a certain old fashioned elegance to using a soap and a bowl together with a shaving brush. It takes a little more preparation but the experience will be worth it. Besides, what looks better in your bathroom cabinet than an elegant shaving bowl.
Last year, I reviewed a stainless steel shaving bowl AKStore Men's Durable Shave Soap Cup Shinning High Quality Double Layer Stainless Steel Heat Insulation Smooth Shaving Mug Bowl and it was good one. The bowl, that is. Well, ok, the review wasn't so bad either!
So, what made me purchase this bowl if the first was so good? Alright, that is indeed a fair question. The first bowl, the stainless steel one, is quite small. It is a nice design but you have to pick a soap that will fit. I wanted to try Col. Conk's shave soap and they do not fit in the small cup. So, I bought this larger bowl.
This product, the Colonel Conk Model 111, is very attractive. The shave bowl itself is made out of pottery with a southwest design. It is very attractive and the quality is high. You will not be embarrassed to have this in your bathroom. The items has the look of luxury. The shaving soap that came with it works very well. The scent is very mild and it will not stay with you.
I have said before that the secret to a great shave is using a shaving brush. That is obviously true. An attractive shaving bowl doesn't affect the quality of the shave but it does affect the quality of the experience. There is just something very masculine about the ritual of using a brush, soap, and bowl combination in the morning. The experience just feels like an occasion instead of a chore. You feel like you're treating yourself to a luxurious experience as you mix the hot water and soap with the brush, creating froth.
This is a beautiful piece and one that could make your daily morning ritual more pleasant. It can make getting up in the morning less of an annoyance and gives you something to look forward to. I know, in this day of being green and saving energy, the thought of using hot water just to get a luxurious shave might be daunting. You will have to decide for yourself. The convenience and the economy of an electric shaver, or the luxurious experience of shaving soap and manual razor.
Highly recommended.
The bowl itself is beautiful, and a great addition to my routine. It fits in my palm nicely, and due to the texture on the base doesn't slip around in my hand even when wet. I love how it looks, and it is just the right size for the larger refills of various hard soaps.
The only ding I can give to this purchase is the Colonel Conk shaving soaps. I have tried two different ones and I don't do like how they feel and function on my face - they don't lather up well with our water, and they don't seem to stay slippery or have lather that lasts.
Just to put things in perspective I use Mitchells Wool Fat shaving soap most of the time. I find that it lathers really well, stays slippery enough that my face doesn't complain, and the lather lasts really well. For further perspective I use a Merkur 34c and Derby or Astra blades.
Luckily the Mitchells refill fits in this bowl perfectly, so no worries! Worth getting the bowl and chucking the soap...or donating to local shelter.
Bought this for a backup shave bowl, and since I wanted to try Col. Conk, why not, right?
Well... Solid. Great Bowl, prefect size for an avg. mans hand. Got the "Amber" soap with my order. While I would have liked to try the Bayrum, I must say, I do like the Amber more than I assumed I would.
Lather is Solid, good slickness, holds up....
Definitely recommended for an affordable shave soap.
Feature Product
- Southwestern style pottery cup handcrafted in New Mexico. Because each cup is individually hand glazed, colors will vary.
- 3.75 oz. glycerin soap contains avocado oil & vitamin E (Soap scents will vary)
- The soap scents and colors may vary between Almond, Bayrum and Amber
Description
Handcrafted in New Mexico, this pottery shave cup will hold a generous plenty of lather! Because each cup is individually hand glazed, colors will vary. Includes Colonel Conk's world-famous glycerin shave soap.
When I first started using a safety razor, I jumped in full force and got this shave cup and soap, plus a badger brush. Wanted to do the whole experience. It was fun for a while, but after going through two shave soap bars, the novelty has worn off and I just use regular, decent quality shave cream.
The included shave soap smells good and lathers well. No complaints there. Very much enjoyed it. The bowl looks good enough to leave on the bathroom sink if desired.
My only complaint is that the Colonel Conk Shave Soap bars are so small in the cup. The picture looks like it's a nice fit, but when removed from the packaging and placed in the bowl, it's dwarfed by the size of the bowl. "So what?" you may ask. Well, when using your brush to generate a lather, the soap bar will move all around the bottom of the bowl. You need to have the soap stationary so you can whip that brush on it and generate a lather. However, I found myself simply chasing the thing around the bottom of the bowl like an ice cube in a cup. As it dries between shaves it'll affix itself to the bottom, but sometimes comes loose and here we go again. The Colonel Conk soap bar is not a good fit for the bowl.
Nonetheless, the shave cup itself is nice.
I really love this shave soap. The soap dish, not so much as it is very small and it is hard to contain all the lather once you build it up. The soap itself I ended up just lathering on my face and it is phenomenal. It lathered up quickly, smoothly and retained a moist lather while on the brush as I shaved. It was easy to lather up again if it got a little dry while shaving with a few drops of water. Once I got done shaving, my face felt really smooth and had zero nicks and no irritation afterwards. I was able to get a great close shave and my face feels fantastic afterwards. I don't have to put on aftershave or lotion to feel the smoothness of my skin after shaving anymore and I love that it does not dry my face like other shave soaps/creams after shaving. This is a fantastic product.
While the glaze color is a little murky, (definitely earth tones), this bowl fits perfectly into the palm of my hand - I've had no slippage with wet hands etc. It's short depth (about the same as the badger part of my shaving brush) allows me to easily whip up froth, with no clanking or banging fingers against the side. (I cut my shaving soap in half (hight) to optimize fit. So much of the kitchen cheese cutter!) Study and stable on countertop; easily rinses off/out with minimal residue. No rough spots or glaze puckers. Recommend, especially over plastic or metal equivalents.
After a poor experience with another bowl, I decided to give this one a try. It is nice and heavy, thick. Absorbs heat easily and keeps the cream warm. Fits nicely in my hand and is easy to control - no dropping this one. The top of the bowl curves back in, which seems to help build lather on the concave side of the bowl. It also adds to the ease of grip from above. However it catches the brush handle and makes a nice clinking noise. Someday one or the other is going to chip. I figure that's the price to pay for having the sides to build lather on.
Came packaged with a Col. Conk Amber shave puck. Not in love with the scent but for that price you can't beat a bowl and some soap.
i bought 2 about 3 months ago... i bought 2 [20oz] mugs from a local dollar store... i keep soap pucks in the dollar store mugs .... i whip up lather/cream and transfer it to my santa fe shave cup and whip up lather in the santa fe cup...every day....i love the way they look on my vanity....i keep my vanity clean and looking sharp when im not at the sink...these shave cups give a curtain class to my sink area....im thinking about maybe buying 2 more.... the shaving soap is very good seeing my face gets an allergic reaction if i use shaving creams... ive had no problems with colonel conks soaps.... i highly recommend this product
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