Thread: Bowls or Mugs?

I was wondering if bowls are mainly for soaps and mugs are for crèmes? Should a man buy a mug or bowl or both?

If you mean as a vessel for lathering then either would work for both soaps and creams, though I'd recommend a bowl because it gives you additional room for brush swirling.

As well, mugs can also be good for soap puck storage. Many guys will keep a puck in a mug instead of having a dedicated dish or container.

I've worked my way through mugs and scuttles and have settled on a wooden bowl with an incurving rim from Goodwill for $1.99. I got a tube of fast drying two part epoxy in a mixing syringe and applied a bunch of dots on the bottom and vertical ridges along the sides. After 24hrs I had the same kind of inner surface you find in a lot of scuttles. Builds lather like a demon out of hell! Have gone from thinking I needed hot lather for a successful shave, hence, a scuttle, to finding that lukewarm or tap water cold water gives me as good, if not better shave with almost no irritation on my sensitive to heat and some soap/creams ingredients skin. But, you never know until you try them all out. Happy journey!

Mugs and bowls are really different styles of the same thing. You can use them to store soap and you can use them to make lather. They can come in all dimensions so it's a matter of which style you like and how well it fits your soap and brush.

Originally Posted by blueheeler

I was wondering if bowls are mainly for soaps and mugs are for crèmes? Should a man buy a mug or bowl or both?

I like a Marvy mug, which is made out of rubber, because it is unbreakable and you don't get that irritating "tink, tink" noise you get using a ceramic mug. The mouth of the mug is 3 1/2" wide, it is 3 3/4" tall, and has a secure handle to hold it while mixing it up. It has an round soap holder at the bottom which may or may not fit your puck of shave soap. If you have a puck the size of Williams soap, the soap is a little too wide in diameter but after a couple of shaves it will fit in the holder. The Marvy wouldn't be good for cream because of the soap holder.

A resin mug (Hart Celtic Shaving Mug) is expensive, but ideal for mixing creams because of the rough surface inside.

Bowls are good for cream if the mixing area has a rough finish, but of course the soap puck won't sit still if you use soap pucks. It doesn't have to be a "certified shaving bowl," it can be a ceramic or stainless steel bowl intended for use with food. I was told that pewter currently made is safe but if it is old pewter, there is a toxic component (lead?) inside.

I prefer mugs, provided they're big enough.

I recently went from bowl (a pewter bowl for snacks) to a right side of the tracks scuttle. The scuttle seems to do everything, with the addition of luxurious warmth. Because I enjoy variety, I microplane enough soap from a puck for one shave into the bottom of the scuttle and carry on from there. It's not the cheapest solution.

I use a scuttle or a mug, always with soap. Either way they have to have some sort of handle on them, as I find it easier to lather & hold with a handle. Each to his own, though.

I really don't know. I still use the same mug I started with in 1960. same brush too. they both came to me from my farther.

I actually have a soup mug, basically a small bowl with a handle. Much less clinking that with a plan mug.

Mug for me. Got one as a gift when I started using straight and just stuck with it.

Personal preference only. Plus as afore mentioned I like to store my soap puck there.